[2025 Colombo Stay] Travel Guide for Amari Colombo Sri Lanka (Updated Mar)

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After reading a book about Geoffrey Bawa, I decided to take a trip to see his architectural works. As the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, the Tear of the Buddha, the Tea/Spice Empire, and a bankrupt country, Sri Lanka has many other themes worth exploring, but I like this cultural route the most. [WHEN] The best time to visit is generally from December to March, but it was still the rainy season when I visited in January. Due to climate change, the best time to visit is now from February to August. [WHERE to go/stay (for reference only)] Theme: Architectural Tour × Religious Exploration × Natural Symbiosis Main route: Jetwing, Negombo for one day, seafood market to see sharks, St. Mary's Church (p15–18) ➡️ Kandalama for three days, Dambulla Cave Temple, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa (p11–14) ➡️ Kandy for one day, Temple of the Tooth, city tour ➡️ Nuwara Eliya for two days, tea plantation, Nine Arches Bridge, train, Horton Plains, Adam's Peak, afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel (p9–11) ➡️ Lighthouse Hotel, Galle for two days, fort/coastline/fishermen/lagoon/pottery (p5–8) ➡️ Colombo for two days, Lunuganga Estate, train, Parliament Building, museum, Bawa's residence, and more (p1–4) [WHAT to note] 1. Transportation: For long trips, it's best to rent a car. Agree on the itinerary and tip in advance, and confirm with the driver on the first day. PickMe is slow to respond. Second-class train seats are better for taking photos than first-class seats. Before going to Nine Arches Bridge, you can ask the guide for the train schedule and go up the mountain at the right time. Tips: I usually give small change, <500 rupees, 2,000 rupees/day for a driver. Clothing: Bring a jacket. You must take off your shoes when visiting temples, such as the Temple of the Tooth or the cave temple. Wear slippers if you can, as they are more convenient. 2. Pitfalls: The Parliament Building is closed on weekends. The Heritance Tea Factory is really far away. If you don't have to go, just stay at the Grand Hotel for one night and leave overnight. All the tea factories are owned by Darmo, so it doesn't matter which one you visit. You can't enter Lunuganga without a guide. Check the time in advance. It costs USD 15. If you finish early, you can go to Bentota to make pottery and watch the sunset. Local curry is okay. I think Curry Club and Ministry of Crab are average. Agree on the price before taking photos of fishing. They asked me for 5,000 after taking the photos, but I paid 1,500 in the end. I only stayed at Jetwing Lagoon, Kandalama, and Lighthouse, which were designed by Bawa. I think the private residence in Colombo and Lunuganga are a bit expensive unless you really love design. You can visit them, and Bawa's designs are relatively old, so the hotels are old, but they are beautiful. Unless you really like hiking, there's no need to go to Horton Plains if you just want to see animals. There are only elk at the entrance.

No. 11 in Colombo is the private residence of Geoffrey Bawa. After 30 years of renovation, you can explore the inspiration behind Bawa's various designs in this small "museum" with its maze-like design, and experience the fusion of local architecture and exotic features. Bawa creatively uses geometric elements such as triangles, and uses different basic materials such as bricks, metal, and cement to shape the space. The light and shadow give the building a mysterious color. The furniture inside the building is also designed by him, reflecting the combination of new vision and traditional materials.

[Rainbow] Sri Lanka, the ancient country of Ceylon, is an island country with an area only two times the size of Hainan Island, but it has a mysterious ancient city, numerous world cultural heritages, charming seaside, and the slowest yet most beautiful train line in the world. It is a perfect combination. The mysterious oriental style and the romantic color of the west are worth traveling around! [Rainbow] Highlights [Sunflower] Sigiriya Lion Rock: The magnificent sky palace built on the orange-red rock is known as the eighth wonder of the world. The layout of the palace is still well preserved, and the thousand-year-old murals are still vivid. From the top of the rock, you can have a panoramic view of the entire capital. [Pushpin] Tips: The opening hours are from 7:00 to 17:30. It is recommended to go early to avoid the peak flow of people. We should have arrived at close to 11 am. There were so many tourists that the entire climb progressed very slowly. [Sunflower] Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications: Founded in the 16th century, it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1988. Because it was colonized by Portugal, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in history, it has created architectural styles and colonial culture in different periods. Walking around, you can feel the perfect fusion of European architectural art and South Asian traditional culture. [Sunflower] Seaside train: The most unique way to see the sea in Sri Lanka is to take the sea train. The railway line is located on the west coast of Sri Lanka, from Galle to Colombo. The whole journey takes about two hours. It is also the sea train in the cartoon "Spirited Away". The source of inspiration, the track is close to the Indian Ocean, and you can enjoy the sea view up close throughout the journey. [Sunflower] Kandy: the second largest city in Sri Lanka, the capital from the 15th to the 19th century, a Buddhist pilgrimage site, the entire city is surrounded by mountains, and was approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 1988 to be included in the World Heritage List as a cultural heritage 》. [Glister] Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa): One of the most famous attractions in Kandy, it is located on the shores of Kandy Lake. It was built in 1595. The temple houses the national treasure of Sri Lanka and the tooth relic of Buddha Sakyamuni. , the relics are protected layer by layer by the seven-layer relic tower, like a matryoshka doll. So far, every Sri Lankan president has to go to the Temple of the Tooth to worship the Buddha's tooth after being sworn in. [Pushpin] Tips: Photography is prohibited inside the Buddhist temple; visitors need to wear clothing that covers their arms and knees; they need to take off their shoes when entering the Buddhist temple to show respect. [Sunflower] Nuwara Eliya: A mountainous city in central Sri Lanka, a summer resort and the origin of Ceylon black tea. During the British colonial period, many British-style buildings were left behind, giving it the title of "Little England". [Glister] Here you can visit tea gardens to learn about the production process of black tea, and you can also take a train through the tea gardens to enjoy the beautiful scenery. [Glister] The famous pink post office is located in the center of Nuwara Eliya. This post office has a history of two hundred years and is still in use today. [Glister] Surrounding attractions include the World Heritage Site Horton Plains, a famous hiking destination in Lanka, with a total distance of 9.5 kilometers and can be completed in 3-4 hours. There is a cliff with a drop of 87 meters in the park, known as the "End of the World", about 4 kilometers away on foot. [Pushpin] Tips: It is recommended to start hiking in Horton Park early in the morning, because there may be thick fog in the morning, which will affect the view of the "End of the World". [Sunflower] Yala National Park: Known as "Little Kenya", this national park is not only a paradise for wild animals, but also a dream shooting destination for photographers. If you are lucky you can also see the rare Ceylon leopard. [RoundNails] It is recommended to stay in a hotel in the park to get close to nature. You can listen to the chirping of insects at night and the cute little squirrels are waiting for you outside the window when you wake up in the morning! Look at my photos, hahahaha! [Pushpin] Tips: It is dusty when entering the park by car on a sunny day, so it is recommended to wear long sleeves, long pants, a mask and a hat. [Sunflower] Dambulla Cave Temple: The largest and best-preserved cave temple among the many caves in Sri Lanka. It includes five sanctuaries and houses hundreds of exquisitely carved Buddha statues of various shapes and structures that have survived for thousands of years. The lifelike murals are a precious world heritage. [Sunflower] Colombo: The largest city in Sri Lanka, it is known as the "Crossroad of the East" due to its unique geographical location and important transportation hub role. [Glister] National Museum of Colombo: It has a rich collection, including precious exhibits such as the Zheng He Monument and the Lion Throne shipped from Kandy. [Glister] Parliament of Sri Lanka (Parliament of Sri Lanka): Designed by the architect Bawa himself, it is located on an island surrounded by water in the new planning area of ​​Colombo City. It is one of the symbolic buildings of the new city. [Glister] Pink Mosque (Jami UI-Alfar Mosque): Located near Beitar Market, the unique pink color is very photogenic. [Glister] Colombo lotus tower: Colombo’s new landmark and the tallest tower in South Asia. China also participated in its construction. [Glister] Seema Malakaya Temple: The wooden loft located in Beira Lake was designed by the architect Bava. It looks like a temple floating on the water, so it is called the "Water Temple". [Sunflower] Specialty Food: Sri Lankan food combines the flavors of India, Arabia and Malaysia. Rice paired with curry dishes is a local specialty, and the curry tastes refreshing. For breakfast, try local street food, such as coconut milk steamed rice with onion chili and egg pancakes.