COLOMBO HIGHLIGHTS

09:00 Hrs Depart Pier to Colombo National Museum. En route drive past Clock Tower, Pettah, Red Muslim Mosque & also the Portuguese Dutch Colonial Buildings and the 17th Century Dutch Wolvendhall Church
10:00 Hrs Arrive & visit the National Museum
10:45 Hrs Depart to Independent Square
11.00 Hrs Arrive at the Independence Square and get off the vehicle for a Photo Stop. Walk around for 15 minutes
11:15 Hrs Depart to Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple. Drive past BMICH and the Replica of the Aukana Buddha
11:30 Hrs Arrive and visit the Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple
12:00 Hrs Depart to the Galadari Hotel for a Refreshment
12:15 Hrs Arrive at Galadari Hotel and have a Refreshment
12:45 Hrs Depart to Pier (Ship Side) via Old Parliament, viewing the Old British Light House and through Bank of Ceylon Mawatha and through York Street Gate No: 3
13:00 Hrs Arrive at the Pier/Shipside

SERVICE INCLUDES

Approximate Duration :	04 Hours
Activity Level (Easy, Moderate, Strenuous)	Easy
List of Sites Visited :	Colombo National Museum, Independent Square, Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple
Min No of Pax for Excursion :	35
Max No of Pax for Excursion:	350
Meals :	Not included
Refreshment :	Included (Either a Bottle of 500ml Mineral Water or a Bottled Soft Drink or a Glass of Chilled Local Beer)
Meal / Refreshment Venue :	Galadari Hotel
Entrance Fee :	Included in Tour Cost
Guide Fee (Any Language) :	Included in Tour Cost
Porterage & Tips	Not included (Optional)
PARTICIPATION RESTRICTIONS
Min Age to Participate –  | Max Age to Participate	Nil
Min Height to Participate –  | Max Height to Participate	Nil
Min Weight to Participate –  | Max Weight to Participate	Nil
Medical Restrictions (if applicable)	No
Wheelchair Access Notes	Not Recommended

Colombo is a commercial capital City with an interesting blend of varying influences

It has been a cosmopolitan city and for more than 600 years, Its importance as a trading port increased after the arrival of the Portuguese to the Island in the early 16th Century. It continued to grow under the Dutch and British, and today shows the marked influence of all those cultures from the Buddhist and Hindu Temples, Islamic mosques, the Catholic Dutch Reformed and Anglican churches. The Dutch Colonial style of architecture is very much in evidence, as are the special quarters for separate trades in the Colombo Fort and Pettah area. Colombo is broken up into 15 postal code areas. These zones are also sometimes used to identify specific areas. The Pettah is also often referred to as Colombo 11, and Slave Island referred to as Colombo 2. Once you’ve got a few directions down, you’ll find Colombo relatively easy to find your way around.

Colombo Fort

While the Fort gets its name from the former military garrison which was located here under the Portuguese, Dutch and British, it is still the location of the President’s House. On its fringe is the beautiful sandstone buildings which houses the Presidential Secretariat and the Government Secretariat, formally the Parliament, almost a replica of Whitehall in England. Colombo Fort still has great interest for shoppers with the many old shops which specialise in Gems & Jewellery, Silks, Batiks, Handicrafts Curios, Antiques, old stamps and excellent leather goods. The Grand Oriental Hotel, formerly known as Taprobane stands by the Colombo Harbour and gives one of the best views of the Seaport while lunching or dining at the Harbour Room.

Clock Tower cum Lighthouse – It is a very rare sight indeed- a lighthouse in the middle of the city centre. A landmark in the Colombo Fort is the lighthouse with clock tower, a legacy of the British colonisers. For nearly 100 years, it performed the dual task of being a beacon to ships in the Indian Ocean whilst keeping time. This unique Light House designed by Lady Ward, wife of Governor Sir Henry Ward was built in 1857 but installed in 1915 after being stored in a warehouse for 42 years due to lack of funds to install it. In 1950 a second lighthouse was constructed by the sea.

Galle Face

Galle Face Green, the mile long promenade which borders the Fort on the South, is the largest open air stretch in the city affording a beautiful view of the sunset. Around it are the main city hotels, from the colonial Galle Face Hotel which was established in 1864.

Pettah

The Pettah which was earlier on the outer fringe of the Fort, is still the busiest shopping bazaar in the city. Its many crisscrossing roads mark out sections which specialises in various trades from textiles and Sarees, spices and condiments, goldsmiths and Jewellers, wholesale dealers in rice, sugar, lentils and chillies and ayurvedic herbal medicines, which is the traditional form of medicine in Sri Lanka. In recent years, the shopping areas in Colombo have stretched southwards.

Bauddhaloka Buddha Image (Avukana)

Facing the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall stands a beautifully executed statue of the Buddha in the standing posture. A replica of the Aukana Buddha. The elbow in the Abhaya Mudra with left hand holding the folds of the robe. The statue is 36 feet tall and is the largest Buddha statue in the city of Colombo. This is a replica of the Avukana Statue on the banks of the Kalawawe in Anuradhapura. In addition to the other places you can visit in a typical tour of the City of Colombo would also include the Wolvendhal Church (built by the Dutch in 1757) St.Anthony’s Church and St. Lucia’s Cathedral & the New Kathiresan Kovil (largest Hindu Temple in the city).

The National Museum

Built in 1877, is a treasure trove of articles depicting Sri Lanka’s historical and cultural past and the present including regalia of the last king. The Town Hall (built with architectural similarity to many state capital buildings in America). The Independence Memorial Hall (In the style of the Medieval Kandyan Audience Hall),

BMICH (1971 – Octagonal shaped conference hall with modern facilities – the main hall could accommodate 1500 persons. The Viharamahadevi Park in the city has lush green and large flowering trees.