Colombo
Colombo
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Colombo
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long stretch of lawn facing a narrow beach
and the sea. It was originally cleared by the
Dutch to give the cannons of Fort a clear line
of fire. Today its broad lawns and seaside
promenade are a popular rendezvous spot.
On weekdays it’s dotted with kite flyers,
canoodling couples and families, and (espe-
cially Sunday evening) food vendors (Map
p64; galle Face green) at the south end along
the surf offer up all manner of deep-fried
and briny snacks. Try a fresh isso wade, a
shrimp fritter with the shrimp still whole
and cooked right in, then wash it all down
with a fresh lime juice.
Kids jump from the small pier (Map p64;
galle Face green) into the rather dubious wa-
ters below. Note the pelicans (Map p60; galle
Face green) perched atop the light poles at the
north end.
The remaining structures of the 1871
Colombo Club (Map p64; galle Face Centre Rd)
face the green from the grounds of Taj Sam-
udra hotel; the club’s rooms are still used for
functions and there’s still a few members
from British times. At opposite ends of the
green are the delightful old Galle Face Hotel
and the monolithic and ageing hotels of Fort.
Note the rapidly changing backdrop to the
east as a row of posh new hotels rises up.1 Slave Island & Union Place
After Pettah, Colombo’s oldest neighbour-
hoods are found here. Slave Island was
once mostly surrounded by water and it’s
where the Dutch kept slaves during colo-
nial times. Largely a backwater during the
war, its proximity to Fort and Galle Face
Green make it the centre of vast new devel-
opments. While multilevel malls, posh con-
dos and the Lotus Tower are rising up, you
can still find streets of timeless character,
but don’t delay.
Already in the shadow of new build-
ings, Union Place is on the cusp of trans-
formation. But until bulldozers arrive, its
narrow lanes pulse with life little changed
in centuries. Start at the row of coloni-
al storefronts (Map p64; Union Pl, Col 2)
on Union Pl (and consider a snack from
one of the myriad storefront vendors)
then plunge into the neighbourhood by
walking south on Church St and prowl-
ing random alleys to the west. Tiny shop-
fronts sell goods of uncertain provenance
and each alley holds a surprise. Wind
your way south until you reach Nawam
Mawatha and South Beira Lake.Colombo Fort & Pettah
æ Top Sights Ø Activities, Courses & Tours
1 Dutch Period Museum...........................C3 23 Baurs.........................................................A 3
2 Federation of Self Spa Ceylon.......................................(see 3)
Employees Market...............................D3
3 Old Dutch Hospital................................. B4 ÿ Sleeping(^24) Colombo City Hotel.................................B 4
æ Sights 25 Colombo YMCA.......................................B 3
4 Cargills Main Store ................................. B3 26 Grand Oriental Hotel...............................B3
5 Central Market........................................D 2 27 Hilton Colombo........................................B 4
6 Central Point............................................A 3
7 Clock Tower.............................................A 3 ú Eating
8 Grand Mosque..........................................E2 Curry Leaf.......................................(see 27)
9 Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque............................C3 Heladiv Tea Club..............................(see 3)
10 Lloyd's Buildings.....................................B 3 Ministry of Crab...............................(see 3)
11 Manning Market......................................D3 28 New Palm Leaf Hotel...............................D3
12 New Kathiresan Kovil.............................D2 29 Pagoda Tea Room...................................B3
13 Old City Hall.............................................D 2 30 T-Lounge..................................................B 3
14 Old Galle Buck
Lighthouse............................................A 3 û Drinking & Nightlife
15 Old Kathiresan Kovil...............................D2 B52..................................................(see 26 )
16 Pelicans....................................................A 4 Taphouse by RnR............................(see 3)
17 President's House...................................A3
18 Sambodhi Chaitiya................................. A3 þ Shopping
19 Sri Ponnambalam 31 Bazaar.......................................................C4
Vanesar Kovil.........................................D1
20 St Anthony's Church...............................D1 ï Information
21 St Peter's Church....................................B 3 32 Colombo Fort Left-
22 Wolvendaal Church.................................E2 luggage Storage...................................C4