My Photography & Travel Guide to Colombo, Sri Lanka

I did not know what to expect when we landed in Sri Lanka. There is always that anticipation when you first arrive in a new country.

We absolutely loved our trip to Sri Lanka!! Wow, what an amazing country! Everything about our trip was fantastic - super friendly people, delicious food and there was so much to do and see, from cultural sites to wildlife to beautiful beaches. Also, the country feels very safe, which is always important.

We have had Sri Lanka on our bucket list for years. We have many friends from the country, so we have been hearing about it for a long time.

Marco Polo called Sri Lanka “the finest island in the world.”

Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city in Sri Lanka, but for some reason, many tourists skip it. Instead, they visit the beautiful beaches, wildlife, and cultural sites in the South and Ella.

Here are two excellent travel videos on Visiting Sri Lanka and A Guide to Sri Lanka.

So Should you stop in COLOMBO?

So is Colombo worth spending more time in? I would definitely recommend it. It is the biggest city in Sri Lanka. Colombo’s population is only around 650,000, but it feels much bigger.

Colombo is the gateway to Sri Lanka. There is a rich colonial heritage since the Portuguese, Dutch, and British were in Sri Lanka for many years. It is definitely a city of contrasts, with brand-new hotels and malls and next to beautiful red-tiled colonial-era buildings. There are many bustling street markets that sell all sorts of spices, textiles, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

It is also fascinating to discover the city’s multi-ethnic legacy with churches, mosques, and temples.

When to Go?

I would definitely visit Sri Lanka during the dry season between December and March. There are two monsoon seasons in Sri Lanka: The northeast monsoon season, which takes place from October to January, and the southwest monsoon season, which takes place from May to July.

The dry seasons are the best time to visit the national parks in Sri Lanka. We visited 3 National Parks, so we definitely wanted to go when we had the best chance of seeing Wildlife.

Getting a Visa

You will need to get a visa to visit Sri Lanka. The good thing is that getting a tourist visa for Sri Lanka is easy and can be booked online as an electronic visa (ETA). We received our 30-day tourist visa via email within 24 hours of applying.

The Embarkation Card

One thing to keep in mind is that once you land in Colombo, you need to fill out an Embarkation Card. The signs in the airport are tough to spot. We, of course, did not see them, so we approached the immigration officer, who informed us that we needed to go back and fill out an embarkation card.

Take a TUKTUK TOUR

I would highly recommend taking a TukTuk tour. It is so much fun; you will see so much more than going around in a car. The nice thing about the TukTuks is that they can go down small roads and alleyways that would be impossible for cars to access. There is an excellent tour company called Capital TukTuk Tours.

Where to Stay?

We stayed at the Shangri-La in Colombo, and it was fantastic. It is located right on the Indian Ocean and attached to a large mall, Galle Face Mall. Having the mall next door was very convenient to access restaurants, shops and ATMs. I would recommend spending 2 nights in Colombo.

Photography Locations

Here are my photography location recommendations for Colombo. They are listed in no particular order.

Dutch Reform Church (Christian Reformed Church)

The Dutch Church, or the Wolvendaal Church, is located in Pettah, a neighborhood of Colombo. It is one of the most important Dutch Colonial-era buildings in Sri Lanka and is one of the country's oldest Protestant churches still in use.

They have a hand-pumped pipe organ that dates back to the Dutch period in the 1750s and still works.

I would definitely visit the interior of the church. It is not very large but you can feel the age of the church. It would be hard to count how many people have been through these doors.

Food Markets

The food markets of Sri Lanka are so much fun to visit. You will see all sorts of items being sold from Fruits & Vegetables to teas and spices. The markets tend to be very lively, and they are a perfect place for Street Photography.

In addition to all sorts of fruits and vegetables you will find spices, nuts, clothing. I loved watching people working in the market.

Walking through the markets will allow you to see the real Sri Lanka. You to see how people live.

Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil

This is the oldest and largest Hindu temple in Colombo. Its South-Indian-inspired architecture, as well as the beautiful and bright paintings and detailed artwork, especially on the ceiling, is impressive. The temple has many statues of Hindu gods, but the main gods are Easwaran (Shiva) and Ganesh.

I loved walking around the temple and seeing the worshippers. It is truly a beautiful and very colorful temple.

Gangaramaya Temple

Gangaramaya Temple (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ගංගාරාම මහාවිහාරය śrī gangārāma mahāvihāraya, Tamil: ஸ்ரீ கங்காராம மகாவிகாரம் Srī Gaṅgārāma Makāvikāram) is one of the most important temples in Colombo, Sri Lanka, being a mix of modern architecture and cultural art pieces. Located on Beira Lake, it was completed in the late 19th century.

There is so much to see in this temple. Gangaramaya consists of the main temple, a museum, a library, and vocational training centers. Gangaramaya temple's architecture combines Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian, and Chinese styles.

Gangarama Sima Malaka

This serene temple sits on three floating platforms on Beira Lake. They are connected to each other and to the entrance by a floating bridges. There are numerous seated Buddha statues displaying different mudras (hand gestures) on all three platforms. The central platform houses wooden paneled temple for meditation.

We saw many monks at this temple.

Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam

This temple has a very similar name Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil. It is located by the train tracks. This temple was very lively when we visted a traditional dance was taking place in the interior.

Wimaladarma Clock Tower

The Clock Tower is a popular landmark and marks the entrance to Pettah Market. The Tower is roughly four stores high. The Clock Tower was built in the early 20th century by the family of Framjee Bhikhajee Khan from Bombay India.

Kelaniay Raja Maha Viharaya Temple

This Buddhist temple was just incredible. It is one of the most revered historic Buddhist temples in the world. It is located about 25 minutes from Colombo but it is definitely worth a visit. It is over 2500 years old, and it is believed that Budda visited the temple.

We loved watching people worship and pray in this very serene temple.

You could easily spend an hour at this peaceful temple. There are families coming to pray and leave offerings for Buddha.

The Pettah Market

The Pettah neighborhood is famous for the Pettah Market, a series of open-air bazaars and markets. It is one of Sri Lanka's busiest commercial areas, where a huge number of wholesale and retail shops, buildings, commercial institutions, and other organizations are located.

The market is large, chaotic, and wonderful. The maket is spread over several blocks with each area specializing in clothes or electronics or a myriad of other items. It would take you hours and hours to see the entire market.

Pettah is probably the most active and interesting neighborhood in Colombo for street photography. It’s packed with chaotic streets full of shops, businesses, restaurants, and people moving everywhere. It’s always busy with endless numbers of workers pushing carts and unpacking trucks too.

Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque (RED MOSQUE)

The Jami–Alfar Mosque is also known as the Red Mosque. It is a must-see and probably the one thing I did not want to miss. We visited the Mosque twice. On our first car tour the guide took us to the front side which is nice. On our second tour, the TukTuk driver brought us to the backside. This is definitely the most beautiful area of the mosque. I have visited many mosques in the Middle East and have never seen a mosque like this before.

I loved capturing the details of the mosque.

Pettah Floating Market

In addition, to the Pettah market there is the Pettah Floating Market. This area use to have a lot of small shops but now it is mainly restaurants and cafes.

Sri Lanka surpassed all our expectations. We simply loved it. I am already planning a 2nd visit to the area around Ella where you find the tea plantations and Sigiriya Rock.

If you have enjoyed this guide to Sri Lanka, you can take a look at my other Photography & Travel Guides at this link.

Travel Photography

Marco Polo called Sri Lanka “the finest island in the world.”