Highlights of Colombo
Colombo City
Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka and lies on the west cost of the island approximately 38 km off the Bandaranayake International Airport (BIA) at Katunayake. Colombo’s natural harbour was known by the ancient traders for over 2000 years due its strategic position of the east-west sea trade route. Colombo offers you a mixture of modern life with historical and natural sites few other cities can offer.
Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall
Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) is reputed for its high-quality specialized conference facilities and personalized customer service. A multi-functional complex comprising of 9 buildings, the BMICH is a complete events venue in Colombo, Sri Lanka and covers around 37 acres of landscape. This prestigious centre enjoys its status as South Asia’s top exhibition complex and is one of Asia’s most modern forum. It comprises of high-tech facilities, modern convention halls & rooms and also offers a spacious delegation room of 16,000 sq ft. With a variety of advanced technical services and facilities at its convenience, BMICH is Sri Lanka’s most popular events venue and is the place to host musical dramas, beauty pageants, conferences, exhibitions, plenary sessions and trade events.
Galle Face Green
The Galle Face is a promenade which stretches for a half kilometre along the coast in the heart of the financial and business district of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The Galle Face Green is currently a 5 hectare ribbon strip of land between Galle Road and the Indian Ocean which is now the largest open space in Colombo. This is a popular destination for children, vendors, teenagers, lovers, kite flyers, merrymakers and all those who want to indulge in their favourite pastimes next to the sea under the open sky.
Old Parliament Building
This is a Neo-Baroque-style building building built in 1930 to house the Legislative Council of Ceylon during the british occupation of the country. This building was used as the parliament after independence until 1983, when the parliament was moved to the new building at Sri Jayawardhanapura, Kotte. Currently it houses the Presidential Secretariat. The building lies in front of Gall Face Green facing the sea.
Gangaramaya Temple
The beautiful Gangaramaya Temple is famous for its imposing buildings, and is complete with a chetiya, bo tree, image house, Simamalaka, relic chamber containing the relics of the Buddha and Arahat Seevali, museum, library, pirivena, and residential, education and alms halls. It is decorated with stone carvings, brass work and many other forms of Buddhist art.
Independence Hall
This hall build to commemorate the freedom from British Rule lies in a tranquil surrounding in Colombo. It was built to have a seating capacity of 25,000 on the assembly ground. From the beginning this memorial was built to be worthy of the glorious history of the country.
But the hall was rarely used for such large functions and part of the ground is now converted to a sports complex. A jogging path has now being built around this area and this a popular gathering place for kids as well as adults.
Colombo National Museum
The Colombo Museum as it was called at the beginning was established on 1st January 1877. It founder was Sir William Henry Gregory, the British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the time.
The museum houses a very impressive collection buddhist and hindu statues going back to pre christian era and a collection of over 4000 palm leaf manuscripts.
Nelum Pokuna (Lotus Pond) Theatre
The latest attraction in Colombo. This theatre is a fully equipped state of the art performance centre, meant for large scale theatrical productions. The theatre consists of two venues for performances, which includes the main auditorium and an open air amphitheatre.
The design of this building is inspired by the Lotus Pond in the Polonnaruwa built during 9-11th centauries.
Shopping in Colombo
Shopping in Sri Lanka can take many forms: haggling with a handicraft-seller while sunbathing on the beach; choosing fruit from the traditional village store, the kadé,while side-stepping sacks of rice;or checking out the bargain-priced latest international fashions (Sri Lanka is a major garment exporter) while enjoying the ambience of a luxurious shopping centre in Colombo.
