No Sri Lanka itinerary is complete without Colombo, the country’s culturally diverse hub. (But not its capital – that’s actually Sri Jayawardenepura-Kotte!) An ideal first taste of Sri Lanka, with tuk-tuks, cars and buses rushing through busy lanes, Colombo is renowned for its landmark buildings around the cosmopolitan Fort district, including the terracotta-roofed Dutch Hospital.
Be sure to spend some time at Galle Face Green, a seaside promenade where hundreds of families gather to dip their toes in the sea at sunset and children fly kites overhead. Order yourself isso wade, deep-fried prawn and lentil cakes, topped with spicy sambol, and people-watch.
