Colombo

Inspiration

Colombo is where the island’s present tense is most audible. Colonial avenues, Buddhist temples, galleries, and a coastline that the city has been learning to enjoy again. Arrivals and departures often pass through here; the more interesting journeys give Colombo a night or two of its own — for food, for shopping, for the feeling of a capital that is still becoming.

Things to experience

• Contemporary dining and old-city walks
• Galleries, temples and the oceanfront
• Independence-era architecture
• A considered first or last night on the island

Recommended stay style

City hotels with character, courtyard houses, and calm rooms above the Galle Face breeze.