Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka , located in its Western province. According to the documents, the capital of this state is Sri Jayavardenepura Kotte, but, in fact, it is Colombo that performs all the functions of the capital. If you are going to visit Sri Lanka in order to relax, we will please you, informing you that in Colombo at any time of the year the temperature is about 27 ° C.
Transportation in Colombo
Bandaranaike Airport, located in Colombo, is Sri Lanka's only international airport. It is located only 35 km from Colombo. To get from the airport to the city you can use both a bus and a taxi - the prices are quite acceptable.
To travel around the city, experienced travelers advise to use local tuk-tuk (such as in Thailand ), which are also official and private.
In addition to the tuk-tukov in Colombo, there are taxis that take payment on a taximeter that is available in each car. Unlike the tuk-tuk taxi - more comfortable transport.
Attractions in Colombo
In Colombo, there are a lot of places of interest that will tell you the history of Sri Lanka and help you to plunge deeper into its atmosphere. We will begin, as has already been done, from religious institutions.
The temple of Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara will allow you to enjoy images of real Sinhalese architecture. The first mention of this temple was made in the III century BC. Here you can see a huge number of frescoes that tell interesting stories from different lives of the Buddha, colorful myths and legends. This temple is just 9 km from Colombo.
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If you go to Colombo in January, you can see a grand festival, held here every year since 1927 in honor of visiting the temple by the Buddha himself. The procession of elephants, dancers, musicians, acrobats and real swallows of fire - like not only children, but also adults.
In Colombo there are several more equally grandiose temples: the Hindu temple Katiseran, built in honor of the god of war Skanda; the temple of Sri Ponnamabala-Vanesvaram built from the present South Indian granite; the temple of Sri-Bala-Selva-Vinayagar-Murti fully dedicated to the many-armed Shiva and Ganesha. In addition to the temples, it is also worth visiting the Cathedral of Saint Lucia, the Temple of Saints Anthony and Peter, as well as the main mosque of Sri Lanka Jamul Alfar.
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Just 11 km from Colombo is one of the best zoos in Asia. Every evening, there are fascinating performances of trained elephants. In addition, there is a rather impressive collection of large "cats" in the zoo itself.
In addition to visiting cultural places, it is worth pampering yourself and walking around shopping centers. By the way, in Colombo there are the best shops in Sri Lanka, where you can enjoy a full shopping. And the prices will pleasantly surprise you!
Beaches of Sri Lanka in Colombo
It is worth noting that the beaches of Colombo itself do not differ either in quality or in purity, with the exception of one, of the whole beach region of Mount Lavinia. This place is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. In addition, there are lodges on the beach that can be rented for several days if desired. The truth is to know about the peculiarities of the local current, which is very capricious and impermanent. Therefore, as closely as possible, refer to the announcements of rescue services.
The situation with beaches in Colombo is more than offset by the nearby resorts, which are very much in the vicinity. One has only to know one of the main subtleties of beach holidays in Sri Lanka: the beaches of the south-west coast are worth visiting from November to April, and leave the time for the eastern coast from April to September.