Day 1 – Overnight in Regal Reseau, Negombo
Our 1-hour flight from Chennai to Colombo landed a little after 11am in the morning. We were able to get our Sri Lankan visa at the airport on arrival and as US citizens, paid $60/person.
Our travel guide, Dushan, was at the airport to pick us up. The plan was to take us around Colombo and then to our hotel in Negombo for the night. We managed to visit quite a few places in Colombo in 4-5 hours before being driven to our hotel.
- Lotus Tower
- Gangaramaya Buddha Temple
- Dutch hospital restaurant complex
- Colombo Fort Clock Tower
- Galle Face beach
- Parliament building
- Red Mosque
Lotus Tower – This was our first stop. The tower is a symbolic landmark of Sri Lanka. At a height of 351.5 m (1,153 ft), it is the tallest self-supported structure in South Asia. Designed to resemble a lotus blossom, a symbol of purity and renewal, this iconic structure reflects the blend of tradition and modernity in Sri Lanka. Its construction was initiated in 2012, and took 10 years to complete. It was opened to the public on 15th September 2022.
Our tour guide bought tickets to go to the observation deck from where we enjoyed a 360 degree view of the city of Colombo.
Gangaramaya Buddha Temple – Our next stop was at this charming Buddha temple which was built in the 19th century. Inside the temple, there are many statues of Buddha and a Stupa. The temple serves as a place of worship and a learning center. The temple is involved in Buddhist welfare work including old peoples’ homes, a vocational school and an orphanage.
Old Parliament Building – On the way to the Dutch Hospital restaurant complex, we passed by the spectacular old parliament building. We stopped for a few minutes outside this building to take a picture. Completed in 1930 during the British Rule, the building was home to the Legislative Council of Ceylon and was witness to the country’s transition from a colonial state to self-rule in 1947. In 1983 after the new parliamentary complex was opened at Sri Jayawardenepura, the Old Parliament Building has functioned as the home to the President of Sri Lanka.
Dutch Hospital – The Old Colombo Dutch Hospital (known as The 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 area with many restaurants. We stopped by this place to grab a light snack and drink.
Colombo Fort Clock Tower – This place was within walking distance from Dutch hospital. The structure which is 29m high, began life as a clock tower in 1857. The lighthouse beacon was added a decade later. It was the main lighthouse for Colombo for some 100 years until the surrounding buildings made it less useful for its new purpose and was decommissioned in 1952.
Galle Face Beach – As this beach was conveniently located on the way to Red Mosque, we stopped for a few minutes to enjoy the view. This is a popular place where locals come to enjoy activities like kite flying, fishing, beach volleyball, jogging, and relaxing.
Red Mosque – We reached this place a little before 4pm. The person at the gate asked us to come back at 4pm as prayer was in progress. We walked around the mosque taking some pictures. Gate 3 opened for visitors at 4pm. All the women were provided with a full flowing coat to wear on top of our attire. Men with shorts were also provided with clothing to cover their legs.
We were then taken on a guided tour of the mosque and best of all, allowed to take pictures inside. There are 6 floors each of which has a huge hall which gets filled with people during prayer time. The 2nd floor also has a hall where the Imam gives his sermons and leads the prayer. The mosque can hold about 20,000 people. We climbed all the way to the roof from where we got a good view of the domes of the mosque as well as the lotus tower.
Regal Reseau, Negombo – The sun was setting by the time we reached our hotel in Negombo. Negombo is a beautiful seaside town, 9km north of Colombo Airport and about 40km north of Colombo city. The hotel we were booked in had a beach within walking distance. We took a walk on the beach until it got dark.
