Colombo is the zany multi-coloured, multi cultural capital of Sri Lanka, previously called the Garden City of the East, but now a noisy, chaotic real time adventure for the braver among us. You’ll find the most amazing budget price purchases of cloth, batik, leather, nic-nacs and accessories in Pettah, the bazaar area,(-but stay away from those cheap fancy looking mobile phones-) and the street food is a tempting assortment of colours, flavours and spices, for the more daring. Streets here are relatively narrow, and a veritable carousel of three wheelers, dogs, cows, chickens and the occasional elephant, fighting for right of way with luxury off roaders, Mercs and beemers. Colombo’s older buildings are a fascinating kaleidoscope of oldern Dutch, Portuguese, English and Moorish Architecture, along with plush modern condominiums making it a wonderfully crazy city of paradox, which has managed to retain some of its olde worlde charm in spite of encroaching opulence. Truly, there is no other city to compare! Attractions include the National Museum, Art Galleries, Gangaraamaya Temple & Museum, Handicrafts Emporiums and of course lots and lots of good shopping.
