Sri Lanka
Trade Shows & Events  CALENDAR
 CITIES
 INDUSTRIES
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Colombo - The Beautiful City
 
 Colombo
- Travel Information
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Climate: |
Tropical rainforest climate
with uniform temperatures throughout the year. |
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Rainfall: |
615 mm |
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| Summer: |
Max
- 87.8°F (31°C) | Min - 71.6°F(22°C) |
| Winter: |
Max
- 84.2°F (29°C) | Min - 68°F(20°C) |
| Best Time to Visit: |
November to April. |
| Major Attractions: |
Dehiwala Zoo, Kelaniya Raja Maha
Vihara, Fort of Colombo, Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, Parliament
Building, St Lucia's Cathedral. |
| Major Entertainment Centers: |
Excel World Entertainment Park,
Vihara Mahadevi Park, Zoological Gardens, Barefoot Gallery, Lionel Wendt
Memorial Art Centre, The Dutch Period Museum, Colombo National Museum,
Sapumal Foundation. |
| Shopper's Paradise: |
Paradise Road Gallery, Beverly
Street, House of fashions, Odel, Crescat Boulevard, Liberty Plaza,
majestic city, |
| Near by Places (Excursions): |
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage,
Adams Peak, Trincomalee, Sigiriya. |
| Famous Food & Beverages (Gourmet's Delight): |
Kiribath, Rice curry, Dried
Maldive fish, Lime juice, Hoppers, Koola'ya and Wattalapan. |
| Foreign Embassies & Consulates: |
Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greenland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Nepal, Philippines,
Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden,
Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States. |
History & Evolution
Colombo is a natural harbor. The city of Colombo was known to Arab, Chinese
and Roman traders over 2000 years ago. The city's first settlement was the
Arab muslims who began settling at Colombo for trade purposes. Portuguese
explorers arrived in Sri Lanka in the year 1505. Portuguese gained the
control of entire coast line and established a trading post in Colombo.
With the downfall of the Sri Lankan kingdom in 1593, the Portuguese were
able to establish complete control over the entire coastal area and Colombo
was made the capital. The Dutch occupied Colombo in 1656. The Dutch had
control over the island's richest cinnamon lands including Colombo. The city
served as the capital of the Dutch maritime provinces under the control of
the Dutch East India Company until 1796. The next in the line were the
British, who captured Colombo in 1796. Colombo was the capital of the colony
of Ceylon. Most of the architecture of the city of Colombo shaped up during
this possession by the Britishers.
The Britishers built magnificent buildings in and around Colombo and they
are held responsible for the development of infrastructure in the city of
Colombo. With the independence of Sri Lanka in 1948 the city of Colombo
underwent a series of changes in laws and customs, clothing styles and
cultures. The influence of Portuguese, the Dutch and the British is clearly
reflected in in Colombos architecture, names, clothing, food, language
and customs.
Site-Seeing
The city of Colombo is bestowed with numerous heritage sites and beautiful
natural landscapes. The city is visited by a large number of visitors each
year. The city's eventful history is responsible for a magnificent
architectural landmarks in the city.
Pettah:
Pettah is a major shopping district in Colombo. The Pettah is recognized
with busy and bustling streets. The Pettah has a large monument known as the
Khan Clock erected in 1923 in the memory of Grandee Franjee Bhikkajee Khan.
You can find hundreds of shops and street stalls which offer an amazing
range of goods at the most incredible bargains.
The place is crowded with shops selling bright printed fabrics, suitings,
footwear, handbags, children's wear, semi precious jewelry, watches to
electrical goods, rare first edition books, cutlery, spices, fruits and
vegetables, dried fish, paraffin, batteries and other household items. The
place has several streets with each street selling a particular item. Some
famous streets of Pettah are the Keyzer Street which is famous for household
goods and Prince Street which is famous for glass, mirrors and electrical
items. The Pettah is a noisy crowded place which is worth a visit. The place
is not only a shoppers paradise but a sightseeing destination as well.
Location: Colombo Fort
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage:
The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage was an initiative of the Sri Lanka
wildlife department to preserve the elephants in their natural habitat. The
Orphanage was established in the year 1975. It is a 24 acres large elephant
orphanage and a breeding place for elephants. The orphanage was earlier
located at the Wilpattu National Park. Later, it was shifted to the tourist
complex at Bentota and finally to shifted to Pinnawela.
The orphanage had only five baby elephants at that time. Today the orphanage
houses a large number of elephants. Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is one of
the few elephant orphanages in the world. The place is renowned worldwide
and is visited by tourists from all over the world. In 1978, the Pinnawela
Elephant Orphanage was taken over by the National Zoological Gardens.
Elephants are kept in a good environment and are properly fed. The place is
not only visited by tourists but also by students and various research
organizations.
Location: Northwest of the town of Kegalla
The Colombo Fort:
The Colombo fort was erected by the Portuguese in the 16th century. The
Fort in Colombo houses several government offices and the major five star
hotels of the city. The fort is visited by a large number of visitors each
year and is an important sightseeing destination. The area surrounding the
fort is called Pettah and is the commercial center.
The Presidential Secretariat (The Old Parliament House) and the Grand
Oriental Hotel are located near the fort. The vicinity of the Fort also
houses the Lighthouse, Central Clock Tower and the red and white Cargills
and Millers departmental stores. The fort also houses General Post Office
building, the Delft Gateway of the Dutch era, and the Fort Police Station
which was once a Dutch Hospital. The fort is home to several important
buildings like the Ceylinco Building, the World Trade Center and the Hilton,
Galadari and Intercontinental Hotels. The world trade center which is
regarded as the second tallest building in South Asia. .
Location: Colombo city center
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