Colombo Bandaranayake (CMB) (Katunayake) is 32km (20 miles) from the city.

Sri Lankan Airlines fly from Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

The Zoological Gardens
The Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka is located in Dehiwala to the south of Colombo. It is about 11 acres in extent and boasts of a very fine collection of animals, birds, reptiles and fishes from Sri Lanka and several foreign countries. There is an Elephant Circus daily in the evening, which is a very popular event.

National Museum
It has a large collection of items showing the historical and cultural past of Sri Lanka. The most interesting among the exhibits are the regalia of the Kandyan Kings dating back to the 17th century. The Royal throne, crown and the scepter of the Kandyan Kings are on display.

Hindu Temples
In the Sea Street in Colombo are several Hindu temples, the Ganeshan, the Old Kathiresan and the New Kathiresan with their colourful Gopurams (doorways). Several other Hindu temples (Kovils) are seen in the City.

Mosques
Several old mosques are in the City. Near the Colombo Town Hall is the Davatagaha Mosque that is over a century old.

The Fort
The fort is originally from the Portuguese and Dutch periods but now simply the commercial center of the country. Within Fort are several places of tourist interest that can be conveniently seen on foot. The colonial buildings include the Presidential Secretariat, previously the parliament house, the Grand Oriental Hotel, built in the mid 19th century as barracks for soldiers, the Lighthouse Clock Tower.

Galle Face Green
This promenade on the sea face stretching one and a half kilometers was laid out in 1859 by the British Governor Sir Henry Ward. Used for horse racing a hundred years ago it is now the largest open space in Colombo and a haunt for children, vendors, teenagers, lovers, merrymakers and all those who want to indulge in their favorite pastimes next to the sea under the open sky.

Dehiwala Zoo
11 km south of Fort the zoo has a wide collection of fauna from all over the world. The Mini Medura or aquarium displaying over 500 varieties of aquatic life is the only one of its kind in Asia. A reptile house has collection of cobras, tortoises and crocodiles. There is also a well-stocked Aviary, a Nocturnal House and a Butterfly Park. The highlight is the elephant show in the evening.

Pettah
Adjacent to Fort and quite in contrast to it, Colombo s leading bazaar district is probably its most fascinating area. It is lined with shops and street stalls that offer the most fantastic bargains and the most unimaginable range of goods.

The Bandaranaike Memorial International Convention Hall
This imposing octagonal building was a gift from the Chinese government in memory of S.W.R.D Bandaranaike

Kandy
Kandy, due to its scenic beauty, congenial climate and the rich cultural heritage, has been a main tourist attraction for centuries. Kandy is the Sri Lanka s hill capital.It is 488 meters above sea level and is just 100km (62mi) north east of Colombo. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka. Almost everywhere you look you see ancient monuments or places of cultural and religious significance. The most notable obviously being the Temple of The Tooth, one of the holiest of Buddhist shrines in the world.

Nuwara Eliya
The hill-town of Nuwara Eliya became popular with the English who turned it into their holiday retreat. Examples of colonial architecture are dotted around the pretty village, but Nuwara has more appealing qualities. It is surrounded by some of the tallest mountains in Sri Lanka and dawn with the clouds rolling back from the valleys below is spectacular. The surrounding country is littered with waterfalls and spectacular scenery. Soak up the quaint atmosphere by visiting the Hill Club - by jove, there s a golf course, tennis courts, even copies of Country Life here - or visit the botanic gardens and tea plantations in the surrounding hills.

Buses going to Nuwara Eliya leave Colombo almost hourly, and from Kandy with regular frequency.

Negombo
Negombo, north of Colombo, is the major fishing village of the west coast, also known as Little Rome for the sheer numbers of churches and Catholics that live here.

Attractions include decent beaches, colorful buildings, fishermen putting out to sea in outrigger sailboats and even a canal dug by the Dutch in the 18th century. The city itself can be seen on a day trip from Colombo, but we recommend spending at least a night so that day trips can be made farther north to see tile and batik factories and the sacred city of Anuradhapura. Be sure to sample some of the local fishermen s fresh catch. You can hire a bike and pedal around the canals, or for a small fee, the fisherman lining the waterways will be happy to take you out in their boat.

Galle
The charming and lovely southern sea fort of Galle is the only one of Sri Lanka s ancient cities still inhabited on a day-to-day basis. Sitting on a point overlooking the ocean, It is now World Heritage Listed but still serves as the centre of the port city. Cobbled stone roads, high walls and wonderful years old architecture is treated by the locals with the same relaxed courtesy afforded to all.

Bentota
Bentota is a purpose-built resort, with a beautiful beach comprising several miles of palm-fringed, soft sand and a number of shops and other amenities. Nearby is Bentota village, a traditional hamlet with a lively fish market.

Main attractions
. Great beach with good swimming and water sports
. Good range of bars, shops and restaurants
. Relaxed, friendly atmosphere

As the commercial and cultural center of Sri Lanka Colombo finds adequate representations of traditional wares from all over the country as well as of items on a more contemporary shopping menu.

There are a great variety of specialist shops in the city. Liberty Plaza and Majestic City are the two prime shopping malls, both with supermarkets.

Pettah is the place if you re looking for bargains on anything and everything. Though the regular shops in Pettah are closed on Sundays the Main Street substitutes as an open-air bazaar. A similar bazaar flourishes on Olcott Street, near Fort railway station.

Since Sri Lanka is a major garment manufacturer and exporter well known international brand name clothes are available here at extremely reasonable prices. The most well known is Odel on 5 Alexandra Place, Lipton Circus, Colombo 7 where one can pick up T-shirts, cotton shirts, jumpers and padded jackets and also have a snack at the in house cafe. Cotton Collections at Ernest de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 7 is another similar shop, stocking clothing for men, women and children.

Continental Club Casino
Palm Supper Club
Lionel Wendt Hall and Gallery