Colombo Tuk Tuk Safari

The Most Visited temple in the city, the Gangaramaya Temple which organizes Sri Lanka’s largest and the most colourful Vesak festival annually, has a history of 120 years. It was established in 1885 by Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera at a time when Buddhist and cultural resurgence were much needed as the country was under the colonial rule. The area that was once a swamp beside the Beira Lake, has now turned to be an iconic complex which consists of the temple, the assembly hall in the breathtaking lake and the vocational training institute. Earlier, devotees had to cross the Beira Lake on a boat in order to reach the then small temple which was converted to what is today by the Devundara Sri Jinaratana Nayake Thera, a pupil of Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera who appointed him as the chief incumbent of the temple.

The Galle Face Green, which is immediately south of Fort, is a long, thin park facing the Indian Ocean which fills up with food stalls and locals on weekday and weekend evenings as it is a popular meeting place to relax. A narrow arm of Beira Lake separates this district from Slave Island, a peninsula where the Dutch imprisoned slaves from their Asian colonies. Galle Road, Colombo’s long seafront boulevard runs south from Galle Face Green, eventually becoming the main coastal road to Galle and the Deep South. It’s always crowded with traffic and short on charm, but as the city’s main thoroughfare it also has some of the best shopping malls and a number of important buildings, including the official residence of Sri Lanka’s premier, the US Embassy, the British High Commission and some of the city’s top five star hotels.

Start your private tour in the late afternoon with pickup from your hotel in Colombo. Step into your specialized mode of transport: a convertible tuk-tuk, each holding up to two passengers. These comfortable three-wheelers include onboard coolers to store your snacks and drinks; two-way radios; and wet-weather covers and umbrellas provided for bad weather conditions. You can even bring music to plug into the high-end sound system. Your tour will take up to 4 hours to complete and combines sightseeing with food stops so that you can both see the city and taste its cuisine. The food safari comes with several perks, namely alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks within the tuk-tuk itself, and your guide will take you to the city's entertainment hotspots. Afterward, you will be dropped off at your hotel. Or, if you'd prefer to continue your evening, your driver-guide can provide you with information on the best venues and drop you off at your next destination.

The Pettah Floating Markets are located on Bastian Mawatha in Pettah, a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and consist of 92 trade stalls, with a number of the stalls established on boats on Beira Lake. The floating market serves as a tourist attraction selling local produce and local handicraft.

Every architectural square inch of this monument is filled with lavish symbols of the island’s rich history and political freedom. At the entrance to the building is an imposing statue of D.S. Senanayake, Sri Lanka’s first prime minister, surrounded by four menacing stone lions with protruding eyes. These feral guardians were recreated from the lion statues of the 13th century Yapahuwa kingdom. The most prominent feature of the monument, the assembly hall, was inspired by the “Magul Maduwa,” the royal court of the King of Kandy, the last kingdom on the island. Incidentally, it was at the Magul Maduwa that the Kandyan chieftains handed over the island’s sovereignty to the British throne in 1815.

The Old Colombo Dutch Hospital is considered to be the oldest building in the Colombo Fort area dating back to the Dutch colonial era in Sri Lanka. It is now a heritage building and a shopping and dining precinct.