Natalie Lamb and the travel post: Colombo, Sri Lanka

I was really fortunate to recently attend the most beautiful wedding in Sri Lanka. While the bride and groom live in Ireland (where the bride is from), the groom is from Sri Lanka. They had both an Irish and a Sri Lankan wedding to make sure both sets of family were included in their union. The groom kindly organised for our wedding party group to travel around Sri Lanka with a hired driver, seeing the sights of this amazing country. I have a separate blog post on this Sri Lankan road trip. For now, here's my top 5 places to go in Colombo, the largest city by population so the capital, of Sri Lanka, as well as my top 5 recommendations of food and drink to try.

5 Things to do

1. Go in a tuktuk!
Going in a tuktuk was on my bucket list so it was a must do for me and was easiest and cheapest in Colombo. Unlike in Thailand where tuktuks are just a massive tourist trap, in Sri Lanka they are a genuine method of travel, although not one for the faint hearted! You could even select them from Uber- you got to decide whether you wanted a car, a tuktuk or to go on the back of a motorbike. I really recommend it as a form of cheap travel in Colombo.

 
2. See the kites
I know it’s on many lists of what to do in Colombo but I thought seeing everyone flying their kites as the sunset was really wholesome. I went to Galle Face Green, where you could see the kites, spot the Lotus Tower and smell the street food in the air. A great photo opportunity.

3. Beautiful rooftop views

Definitely worth a cocktail on a rooftop bar for the amazing views across the city. I chose Cinnamon Red Colombo for a rooftop cocktail. If you're not keen on heights but still want a view, I recommend Radisson Hotel Colombo for beautiful views of the sea straight from your bed (100% honeymoon worthy!) or Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo for amazing views of the Lotus Tower from the swimming pool. 

4. See Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque

A beautiful and historic red and white striped place of worship, which is free to visit. Be wary of people outside trying to scam you by saying it is closed, however.

5. Visit a market

I was keen to see an authentic market and boy did I get my wish. I visit Pettah Market, which is a covered market selling meat/fish, fruit and vegetables. It didn’t look as though tourists visit there often and I didn’t really feel comfortable having my phone out. Make sure you wear closed toe shoes because it’s smelly!

5 Things to eat and drink

1. Some tea! 

Sri Lanka is one of the largest tea producers and exporters around the world, specifically Ceylon tea. Being British, naturally tea drinking was on my list for a Sri Lanka visit. Personally, I decided to visit T-Lounge by Dilmah on Chatham Street. 

2. Hoppers 

Hoppers are fermented rice-coconut milk pancakes with crispy edges and are often served with pol sambol, a tasty sometimes spicy coconut dish. They are a traditional breakfast food. Most of the hotels I visited while in the country had these on the breakfast menu, often prepared fresh in front of your eyes.

3. Kottu Roti. 

This is Sri Lanka's most famous street food, made by chopping flatbread (roti) with vegetables, eggs, meat, and spices.

4. King Coconut

Not one for me but one that comes highly recommended from the coconut lovers in my life, King Coconut. This coconut is orange coloured, native to Sri Lanka and has a light, naturally sweet water. You can often find places which will shop them down from the plant directly, as well as chopping them up for you when you are finished drinking the water. Always recommended by Sri Lankans to cure a hangover!

5. Arrack

On the topic of hangovers, Arrack is the most popular spirit in Sri Lanka. It is distilled from the fermented sap of coconut flowers. If the taste is too strong for you, you can find many different arrack cocktails.