All about Colombo
The largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka is Colombo. Being a natural harbour, the city has been associated with numerous countries since ancient times such as Rome, Arabia and China. The city had been ruled by Portuguese, Dutch and British. The city of Colombo has a rich colonial heritage with many structures still to be seen from the colonial period and early history. Galle Face Green, Beera Lake, and Viharamahadevi Park are popular places for picnics and excursions.
Many Buddhist temples are also established in Colombo, among them Gangaramaiya and Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihar are famous. Colombo is also a great place to shop for local handlooms and enjoy the local cuisine. Colombo's population is made up of many ethnic groups, particularly the Sinhalese, the Moors, and the Tamil. There are also small communities of people of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Malay, and Indian descent living in the city, as well as many Europeans.
Have a look at some of the best places in Colombo
- Top beaches: Hikkaduwa Beach, Negombo Beach, Kalpitiya Beach, Unawatuna Beach, Bentota Beach
- Heritage monuments: War Memorial, Gafoor Building
- Religious sites: Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Dambulla Cave Temple, Sita Temple, Nallur Kovil
- Shopping hubs: Colombo City Center Mall, Arcade Independence Square, Marino Mall
- Parks and gardens: Galle Face Green, Viharamahadevi Park, Crow Island Beach Park
- Food: Graze Kitchen, FLOW Restaurant, The Lagoon
Airport in Colombo
Bandaranaike International Airport, popularly known as Colombo International Airport, is the largest and busiest primary airport gateway to Sri Lanka. It is 32.5 km away from the main city of Colombo. With three terminals, one terminal is dedicated to cargo and other two terminals are newly constructed to handle the international and domestic passenger traffic respectively.
- Airport address- Bandaranaike International Airport, Canada Friendship Road, Katunayake, Sri Lanka
- IATA code- CMB