Colombo
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TSLotus Tower ARCHiTECTURE
(Map p64; DR Wijewardana Mawatha, Col 2) Casting
a shadow over Slave Island, the 350m Lotus
Tower is set to open sometime in 2016. With
a bulbous top meant to resemble the name-
sake blossom, this soaring erection (24m
taller than the Eiffel Tower) will have tele-
communications equipment and an array of
tourist attractions including an observation
deck at the top and a water park at the base.
Like most other recent mega-projects in Sri
Lanka, it is being financed by China.
1 South Beira Lake & Around
South Beira Lake is a pretty centrepiece to
the city. Pelicans vie with rental paddle boats
(in the shape of huge swans) for space on the
water. The latter are popular with courting
couples looking for a little privacy. Stroll the
waterside walk with local families, while
their children race out to the playground on
the small island.
Gangaramaya Temple BUDDHiST TEMPlE
(Map p64; %232 3038; http://www.gangaramaya.com;
Sri Jinaratana Rd, Col 2; h5.30am-10pm, muse-
um donation Rs 100) Run by one of Sri Lan-
ka’s more politically adept monks, Galboda
Gnanissara Thera, this bustling temple
complex has a library, a museum and an
extraordinarily eclectic array of bejewelled
and gilded gifts presented by devotees and
well-wishers over the years (plus one lonely
and chained temple elephant named Gan-
ga). Gangaramaya is the focus of the Navam
Perahera on the February poya (full-moon)
day each year. This is the centre for the most
extravagant Vesak celebrations in Colombo.
Seema Malakaya
Meditation Centre SPiRiTUAl PlACE
(Map p64; South Beira lake, Col 2; h6am-6pm)
One of Colombo’s most photographed sights
is on an island on the east side of the lake.
This small but captivating meditation centre
was designed by Geoffrey Bawa in 1985 and
is run by Gangaramaya Temple. The pavil-
ions – one filled with Thai bronze Buddhas,
the other centred on a bodhi tree and four
Brahmanist images – are especially striking
when illuminated at night.
1 Kollupitiya
This long commercial strip along traf-
fic-choked Galle Rd is jammed with all man-
ner of shops, businesses and hotels both
modest and grand. It makes for a good stroll
as surprises abound. Several places pop-
ular for snacks are along here as well. Im-
provements to Marine Dr are harbingers for
seaside development but it will be a while
before Colombo – sunsets aside – becomes
Miami Beach.Geoffrey Bawa House MUSEUM
(Map p64; http://www.geoffreybawa.com; 11 33rd ln, Col 3;
admission Rs 1000; htours 10am, noon, 2pm & 4pm,
confirm in advance) At the end of this quiet little
street is the house where renowned architect
Bawa lived from 1960 to 1970. The house com-
bines his usual love for traditional local forms
with the stark white architectural palette he
favoured. Tours take in the interior, with his
custom furnishings, and the small gardens.Temple Trees lANDMARK
(Map p64; galle Rd, Col 3) The official prime
minister’s house has also been the residence
for several recent presidents, including Ma-
hinda Rajapaks. It’s heavily protected and
they might not even let you walk along the
sidewalks nearby.1 Cinnamon Gardens
About 5km south of Fort and inland from
Kollupitiya, Cinnamon Gardens is Colom-
bo’s most gentrified area. A century ago it
was covered in cinnamon plantations. Today
it contains elegant tree-lined streets withNAVIGATING COLOMBO
Colombo’s spine is Galle Rd, which
starts just south of Fort and runs all the
way to its namesake city in the south.
Along the way, it passes the old beach
resort of Mt Lavinia, which isn’t offi-
cially part of Colombo but is definitely
within its urban sprawl. Development is
frenzied all the way to the airport 30km
north.
Note that street numbers start again
each time you move into a new district.
Thus there will be a ‘100 Galle Rd’ in
several different neighbourhoods.
Some Colombo streets have both an
old English name and a post-independ-
ence Sinhala name. Ananda Coomaras-
wamy Mawatha is also known as Green
Path, for example, while RA de Mel Ma-
watha is still known as Duplication Rd.
For longer stays, the 96-page A-Z Street
Guide is useful; Google Maps is up to
date and accurate.