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After a few turbulent years, Colombo, Sri Lanka's biggest city, once again attracts tourists. Shaking the political upheaval following the country's economic collapse in 2022, the city has proven its resilience, making it more democratic and left-right. Most visitors know Colombo, with a population of around 4 million in the Metropolitan region, but now there is a clear interest in the revival of its cultural heritage, as for its monumental lotus-shaped towers and the array of vast temples and mosques. The recent arrival of new fairs such as the Ceylon Literature and Arts Festival and the Matara Arts Festival has led to a more international focus on the southern cities of Colombo and Sri Lanka. And in February, Jagath Weerasinghe, one of the nation's leading authorities on art and archaeology, co-founded a new gallery called Millennium Art Contemporary, just outside Colombo, on the outskirts of Atulgiriya.
Also, more internationally, there has been appreciation for the art and design that has emerged from the unique circumstances of Sri Lanka over time, from the tropical modernist style of late architect Jeffrey Bawa to the male erotica of Colombo-born photographer Lionel Went. Among the many modern talents in the country is fashion designer Amesh Wijesekera. AmeshWijesekera works with artisan craft textiles and dead stock fabrics left behind in Sri Lankan factories to produce boundary broken pieces that address the gender identity and sexual identity of South Asia. Sri Lanka's first international tourism campaign over a decade and expansion of its visa-free entry program since 2023 have contributed to the rebound of visitors, with over 2 million arrivals and a 38% increase last year. Many of them feel that the Colombo gallery and restaurant scene and its new designer hotel are just as tempting to draw as they do with Sri Lanka's famous tea trails and Southern Surfing Beach.
Here, four Colombo Insiders offer tours of locations promoting a new sense of optimism in the city. “As an archaeologist, I can say that the island has been accepting international people since the 3rd century BC,” says Weerasinghe. “It's written in our cultural genes because it has been a cosmopolitan place for thousands of years and for centuries.”
insider
Trained as an architect, Shayari de Silva He is the main curator of Geoffrey Bawa Trust. She also performs a pottery practice called clay bodies.
Born in Colombo Rishi Narendra It is a station by Chef Cloud Street, Kotswa and Kotswa behind a Singaporean restaurant, and its last opened in the first week of March.
Artists and archaeologists Jagath Weerasinghe In 2000 he co-founded Colombo-based Telsa International Artist Collective, which promotes experimental art in Sri Lanka.
Fashion designer Amesh Wijesekera After five years in London and three years in Berlin, he returned to Colombo in 2024 and founded his own studio.
Illustrations by Richard Pedalin
“The Geoffrey Bawa Trust is a nonprofit that generates operating profits through visits and stays. Staying at Lunuganga, a former country estate in Bawa, is very special. [about two hours’ drive south of Colombo] And experience the garden at various times of the day. It becomes magical at the sunrise in one place, then you can see the sunset from across the lake. There are 14 bells on the premises, each with a distinct sound. Bawa used it so that the main house staff could find him as they moved through the garden during the day. ” (Rooms starting at around $410 per night)
“Columbo has some very interesting homestays throughout Colombo, including Jeffrey Bawa's former home, which has a guest suite that includes two bedrooms. Staying here is a special and immersive way to understand Bawa and his world, Daswatte.” (Rooms starting at about $250 per night at ISHQ, rooms starting at about $70 in Highberry Colombo, Suites starting at about $350 in No. 11) – Shayari de Silva
“The newly built hotel, called Cinnamon Life at Dreams City of Dreams, has over 900 Sri Lankan art in its collection. I'll include one of my. (Rooms starting at around $138 per night) – Jagath Weerasinghe
“Tingergel is a boutique hotel located in a historic home where many important political moments took place. The interior is very spectacular. [and are] By the family behind the Paradise Road Gallery Cafe. ” (Rooms starting at around $250 per night) – Amesh Wijesekera
“About a year and a half ago, three brothers opened a restaurant called Gini. [whose name] It means “fire” for the Sinhalese people. Most foods are baked or have a fire component to prepare. It serves dishes such as oysters served with herb-infused coconut cream and Malay-style beef cheek pie. They have the best arak sour in Colombo [arrack is a liquor made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers].
“The Gallery Café, located in a fantastic space, an old office in Geoffrey Bawa, has been Colombo's favorite for decades.
“The Palmyra Restaurant is located in the noble basement of the Lunuka City Hotel, but there are great foods that include northern dishes such as Cool (seafood stew) and Jaffna crab curry. The best crab and shrimp dishes are from the north. The spices tend to roast even more. – SDS
“We can't talk about Colombo without talking about the crab ministry. Sri Lanka is well known for our giant mud crabs (also known as lagoon crabs), but the interesting thing is that we don't eat them very often in Sri Lanka. [most of the catch] It will be exported to Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Therefore, if you want to try the best quality Sri Lankan crabs here, the crab province is where you should go – sometimes, if you're lucky, you can get crabs weighing 1.5 kg or 2 kg.
“If you're on a flight, Club Ceylon in Negombo is convenient for the airport. Liznoris is a semi-English half-Sri Lankan chef dish, in a colonial home that is a four-minute drive from Lerama, the country's best fish market.
“In Sri Lanka, people call you uncles or aunts, so it's hard not to want to drink at a bar called uncles. Drinks change frequently, [the bartenders] Use lots of local ingredients. It gets busy on some nights and the music is always good – it's the atmosphere.
“There's this crazy tradition at Galeface Hotel when a bagpiper dressed in a quilt is unloading his flag every day. The greenery, the hotel pub, a bit of a bit. Over 100 years.” – Rishi Narendra
“If you want good Jaffna food [Jaffna is the largest city in northern Sri Lanka]Wellawatte's Olai is a small, family-run restaurant. Many Jaffna people are vegetarians, and Orai's dishes include pats, which also have cylindrical rice, made from steamed, grated coconut and rice flour. – JW
“barefoot [originally called Colombo Gallery] It has been started [in the 1960s] By Barbara Sansoni, a textile designer approached by Good Counsel, the mother of Good Shepherd's sisters. [an order of Catholic nuns] We are looking for ways to promote social empowerment projects in rural areas of the island. It is one of the most interesting places to take someone to understand Sri Lankan crafts. There is also a gallery and a great cafe. ” – SDS
“Several stores support young designers in Sri Lanka. PR is a very high-end concept store started by Anicafe Runando on Paradise Road. This is an iconic store for everything. Design Collective (the main entrance is located within Gandara and has a wide range of designers with high-end furniture and interior designers.” – ah
Go home
“The country is truly known for producing black tea and spices. The best cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka too. You can get beautifully packaged Paradise Road and barefoot, but you can also find it at grocery stores. Tuna with a distinctive flavor.” – SDS
“My wife loves tapioca chips salted with chili and roasted cashews. [found at supermarkets] And I always take it home – having short grain rice cooked in stock and adding it to mixed curry, ashes plantains, caramelized onions and fish cutouts. It's all wrapped in small packets of banana leaves. The best place to get them is from Burger Union in the Netherlands. [which will sell them to you] i am ready. Book in advance and they will be ready for you to pick up. They maintain in the freezer for several months. Whenever you miss the house, steam one in the oven and open the banana leaves to smell amazing. ” – RN
“City Island” [sells] Household goods, organic spices and almost everything [grown or] Designed in Sri Lanka.
“Cala Pola is a big outdoor art fair that takes place once a year on the streets. [normally in February] All artists across Sri Lanka are about to show their works in booths set up around Biharamahadevi Park. You can meet local artists and find their work at that raw source before it reaches the store. ” – ah
“The National Museum of Colombo is one of my favorite places, because you can literally be the only person in this large building. Many national museums tend to be quite heavy on the story, but somehow you can take it more in your own words.” – SDS
“The best place to see art is the Sapmal Foundation, home to the gallery of one of the members of the '43 group, Sri Lankan avant-garde modernist Saskia Fernando. [PRSFG] Dominique and Nazleen Sansoni [Barefoot]. ” – JW
“The Kelaniya Temple is a beautiful Buddhist site with many Buddhist murals from the early 18th to early 20th century, and Soligasaiyaya has two temples, Asokoramaya and Ishipatanaramaya, built in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. [and] Teacher Richard Henricks was painted entirely by M. Salis, the painter of murals and theater backgrounds. The result was a very kitschy and colorful rendering of an ancient palace. Also, from the early 20th century, Viharaya is a 15-minute drive north of Viharaya, with George Keat's mural. Mendis's works in Keranya, Timbiligashaya and Viharaya temples, all painted at the same time for the same audience, show the cosmopolitan nature of Sri Lankan society. ” – JW
“Lawling is the best way to explore the Petta market because you never know what you find. One alley leads to the e-shop with the craziest ones. Cargillsville.” – ah
These interviews have been compiled and condensed.
