Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, Colombo is a city of contrasts, where East and West come together in a colourful concoction of cosmopolitan culture. Many of its attractions be it heritage highlights, colonial sites or cultural hotspots are spread out across Colombo. City hotel options are aplenty though visiting these hotspots can sometimes be time-consuming especially if you don’t know your way around. If you do find a place to stay on Galle Road in the area known as Kollupitiya, such as Mandarina Colombo, you can enjoy easy access to many of these main sites. The good news is that to help you on your quest there is a guided tour of the city’s most beloved highlights. What’s more, you can enjoy the unique feel of riding on an open deck double-decker bus!
A collaboration between Ebert Silva Holidays and Sri Lanka Tourism, the Colombo City Tour is a novel way to explore the city. The tour itself is divided into three different tours, each with a different focus. Tours come with live commentary too so you can get some relevant and insightful background information.
The Glimpse of Colombo Tour which operates from Monday to Friday is a great overall tour that goes past sites like Galle Face Promenade which features World War II cannons, York Street where you can see colonial architecture from the days of British rule, the National Museum which offers insights into the island’s history and the scenic Vihara Mahadevi Park.
A more in-depth outing, the Heritage of Colombo Tour (Saturday and Sunday) takes passengers on a ride around the city giving them the chance to learn more about sites like the Parliament Complex, a well known Hindu Kovil, an old Lighthouse, Nelum Pokuna Theatre, the area known as Slave Island, the War Memorial and a prison cell where the country’s last king was held captive. There’s even a boat ride included as well.
As evening fades the city takes on a whole new appearance. Capturing this transformation, the Colombo at Night Tour on the weekend takes you to many of the same sites on the other two tours. The difference here is at night, the cityscape vastly changes providing a whole new perspective as this metropolis comes to life.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+
