A large 9th-century stone Buddha greets you with an enigmatic smile as you enter Sri Lanka’s premier cultural institution, which gets better (in small increments) each year. In galleries dating back as far as 1877, you’ll encounter all manner of art, carvings and statuary from Sri Lanka’s ancient past, as well as swords, guns and other paraphernalia from the colonial period. There are 19th-century reproductions of English paintings of Sri Lanka and a collection of antique demon masks.

Le plus grand parc de Colombo s'appelait à l'origine Victoria Park, mais a été rebaptisé dans les années 1950 en hommage à la mère du roi Dutugemunu. Il est remarquable pour ses superbes arbres en fleurs, qui fleurissent en mars, avril et début mai. Les éléphants utilisés pour les cérémonies y passent parfois la nuit, broutant des branches de palmier. Il a bénéficié d'une rénovation complète et dispose désormais de bancs confortables (souvent occupés par des couples en train de se caresser), de passerelles, d'aménagements paysagers et d'aires de jeux. Vous y verrez même encore quelques charmeurs de serpents.

Centerpiece of the vibrant Fort, this colonial-era complex dates back to the early 1600s. Lavishly restored, it is home to shops, cafes and restaurants run by some of Colombo’s best operators. Enjoy a pause for a cold drink amid the incredibly thick columns of its arcades. There’s an annex in a 19th-century British building on the backside that faces Chatham St.

This long open space traditionally faced a narrow beach and the sea. It was originally cleared by the Dutch to give the cannons of Fort a clear line of fire. Today its broad expanses and seaside promenade are a popular rendezvous spot; on most days it’s dotted with kite flyers, bubble blowers, families and canoodling couples, and (especially Sunday evening) food vendors at the southern end along the surf offer up all manner of deep-fried and briny snacks.

This unique museum was originally the 17th-century residence of the Dutch governor and has since been used as a Catholic seminary, a military hospital, a police station and a post office. The mansion contains a lovely garden courtyard and has a nice faded feel since a 1977 restoration. Exhibits include Dutch colonial furniture and other artefacts.

Sri Lanka has a history of collecting and keeping wild animals as pets by some Sinhalese kings as well as some British. What is known today as National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka was founded by John Hagenbeck in the late 1920s. It was closed at beginning of World War II in 1939 because of the owner of that company was a German. After liquidation of Zoological Garden Company in 1936, the government acquired much of the collection and added it to the Dehiwala Zoo (Zoological Garden of Ceylon) collection. Although Sri Lanka has a history of collecting and keeping wild animals as pets by some Sinhalese kings as well as some British. What is known today as National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka was founded by John Hagenbeck in the late 1920s. It was closed at beginning of World War II in 1939 because of the owner of that company was a German. After liquidation of Zoological Garden Company in 1936, the government acquired much of the collection and added it to the Dehiwala Zoo (Zoological Garden of Ceylon) collection. Although Dehiwala Zoo officially began operating in 1939, an impressive animal collection already existed there as part of Hagenback company’s holding area, where public could visit.