Colombo
Colombo is Sri Lanka's executive and judicial capital, as well as the country's most populous city.
It is also the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is located on the west coast of the island. It is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the district capital of Colombo District.
Getting to Colombo
Air service to Colombo is provided by the national airline Sri Lankan Airlines and foreign airlines, mostly from India and Asia. Direct flights are available from major centres in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast and East Asia and Australia, as well as from many cities throughout the subcontinent. = =
- 01Bandaranaike International Airport
- 02Ratmalana Airport
Has scheduled light aircraft services from Hambantota-Mattala, Jaffna, and Trincomalee.
- 03Bastian Mawatha Bus Terminal
Olcott Mawatha (A1 Highway).
- 04Gunasinghapura Bus Terminal
Where to eat
Sri Lankan food can be very spicy, so ask questions and order accordingly. That said, Colombo has a wide range of eateries, and there should be something for almost any combination of food preference and budget.
- 01New Yarl Eat House
It serves traditional Jaffna style rice and curries with excellent value for money crabs.
- 02The Cricket Club Cafe
This cafe is a must for any cricket lover.
- 03The Gallery Cafe
2 Alfred House Rd (off Alfred House Gardens, Kollupitiya, Colombo 3).
- 04The Lagoon
The Cinnamon Grand Hotel, 77 Galle Road (Kollupitiya, Colombo 03),.
- 05Mango Tree
82 Dharmapala Mawatha (Kollupitiya, Colombo 03), +94 11 537-9791, info@themangotree.lk.
Getting around Colombo the local way
- Get inIt can also handle international charter flights.
- Get inYou can also take a tri-shaw aka tuk-tuk from the bus depot (get there by free airport shuttle bus), it takes a bit more than an hour and is Rs 2,500 (2024) from airport to Galle Road.
- Get inTake either the free airport shuttle to the bus station and then follow the road (Canada Friendship) to the Katunayaka South station (nearly 2 km, if you don't have luggage) otherwise just to take a tuk tuk right from the airport to the train station.
- Get aroundGetting around by Tri-shaw (Three wheeler, tuk-tuk) is most convenient.
- Get aroundBut it's best to hail a meter taxi (identified by the words "Meter Taxi" on its windshield) that is traveling in the direction that you need to go instead of hiring one from the parking area or the tuk-tuk stand.
- Get aroundThe Sri Lankan Tourist Development Authority also operates its own fleet of 'tuk-tuks' around Colombo which are tourist friendly and metered to ensure that travellers are aware of the price being paid.
- Get aroundTourist board tuk tuks are distinguishable by their unique paintings.
- Get aroundTaxis are safer and much more comfortable than tuk-tuks.
From Wikivoyage: Colombo, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Thilina Alagiyawanna (CC0), Wikimedia Commons.
