COLOMBO

ranmalf

2 days ago2 min read

Updated: 23 hours ago

Colombo (derived from Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota which means "mango harbour", altered by the Portuguese to honour Christopher Columbus), is the cultural capital and largest city and commercial center of Sri Lanka. (The new administrative capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura-Kotte.)

A vast majority of Sri Lankan corporations have their head offices located in Colombo. Some of the industries include chemicals, textiles, leather goods, furniture, and jewelry.

Colombo was probably known to Roman, Arab, and Chinese traders more than 2,000 years ago. Muslims settled there in the 8th century and controlled much of the trade between Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century and built a fort to protect their spice trade. The Dutch captured the city in the 17th century. The British made the city the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802

Sightseeing highlights include the Colombo National and Dutch period museums, old and new parliament houses, the Dehiwala Zoo, Gangarama Buddhist Temple, Town Hall, and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. Apart from excellent shopping, Colombo offers visits to one of the worlds leading tea auctions, an 18 hole Golf Course, seasonal Buddhist and Hindu pageants, international cricket tournaments, plush casinos, enjoyable evening entertainment and excellent restaurants. State-of-the-Art communications and Cyber services are available in the hotels and other outlets.

Good road and rail transport links are possible from Colombo to all tourist resorts. A number of cruise lines also call at the Colombo Port. The Pettah area, which is in the heart of Colombo, is a beehive of activity. Traders and payment hawkers of all kinds flock to Colombo and it’s a well-known fact that Pettah is where the best bargains are available.

HOTELS IN COLOMBO

Cinnamon Grand Colombo