We had decided at the beginning of the trip that we wouldn’t stick around in Colombo after landing but instead head straight for the beach so we could relax and get over the jet lag, thinking it would be better to explore it at the end. I think this was the right decision but one that slightly tainted the end of the trip.
We were in a decent enough city hotel with free breakfast. When staying in hotels we have learnt that it is much better value to go for the ones with free breakfast included. Even if you are paying a little extra a night, if we went out then it would cost a lot more. Also kids like to get up and eat early so it helps if it’s right there.
Being in a hotel room we have decided just isn’t for us. As a transition for a night or two is fine but not for much longer and not when we are trying to get work done
Through our whole trip so far in Sri Lanka we hadn’t been scammed, or encountered any relentless vendors. It had felt very safe and as though everyone was looking out for each other. Being a city Colombo was slightly different. Relentless tuk tuk drivers trying to take you on trips, beggars and just people trying to screw you over a bit. Don’t get me wrong, this was by no means extreme but it just didn’t end the trip on a particularly pleasurable note.
Having looked into Colombo there seemed to be many things to do there and lots of nice food and drink venues however, for us with kids these weren’t appropriate. We even ended up in the McDonalds next to our hotel. Purely because it had a soft play and we needed a rest!
We also sadly encountered a few episodes of animal cruelty. Every place we go I try and plan what animals we can see in their natural habitat or ethical environment. To me it is the most exciting part of travelling and I love my children to see animals where they are supposed to be (which I know they are extremely fortunate to be able to sometimes do).
I have found that the Peta website and in particular Peta Asia has actually stopped me in my tracks when looking into some places to visit.
In Colombo a tuk tuk driver took us to a car park, stopped and asked Andrew to follow him saying something about an elephant. He showed Andrew a chained up elephant behind a gate and thought our kids would want to see it for money. I couldn’t stop thinking about reporting it afterwards. When I looked into it afterwards (sadly too late afterwards) it seemed that you need to report it on the spot with the local authorities and try and have photos/video and an exact location. As we had been shocked and didn’t actually know where it was this was difficult but for the future we will definitely remember.
On another occasion Andrew took the kids out to the park and there was a small aquarium there. Apparently the animals were in extremely small tanks so they couldn’t even swim and they also saw some horses tied up so tight that they were on a tiny patch of grass walking in circles.
Amazing things that we did visit were Gangarangamaya Temple and the Red Mosque. The temple was the best we’d seen. Stunning bright colours and decoration. There were lots of different parts and what must have been thousands of Buddha statues displayed around in various rooms. This included the smallest Buddha in the world! A little tip from here is to keep your ticket as it gets you into some other places for free. We didn’t and had to show them photos to prove we’d been there.
The Red Mosque is an absolutely beautiful piece of architecture and looks stunning from the outside. Sadly there isn’t too much else to say about our visit. You can go inside but are restricted to a small entrance area and that is all you are allowed to see. I was also required to don a full length robe with a hood which was new to me!
So in conclusion to our trip to Colombo, it is worth stopping for a day or so but we won’t be rushing back! If you are planning on going, check out our Colombo travel guide with details on where we went, how much it cost and what we enjoyed.
