Colombo

History - Colombo

As far back as the 5th century, Colombo served as a sea port for trade between Asia and the West. During the 8th century, Arab traders settled near the port and, in 1505, the Portuguese arrived. By the mid-17th century the Dutch had taken over, growing cinnamon in the area now known as Cinnamon Gardens, but it wasn’t until the British arrived that the town became a city. In 1815 Colombo was proclaimed the capital of Ceylon.

During the 1870s the breakwaters were built and Fort was created by flooding surrounding wetlands. Colombo was peacefully handed over when Sri Lanka achieved independence in 1948. A new parliament was built in Sri Jayawardenepura-Kotte, an outer suburb of Colombo, in 1982.

Isolated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bomb attacks in Fort during the 1990s caused Colombo’s major businesses and institutions to disperse across the city. These days Colombo is spreading north and south along the coast as people migrate to the city to work

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Holiday in Colombo

Holidays in Colombo combine the heady exoticism of the Far East with heaps of history. A major trading port for over two millennia, Colombo wasn't actually made the capital of Sri Lanka until the British took over the island in 1815. Today it's a fascinating mix of old and new, the futuristic World Trade Center towers soaring into the sky next to historic Ceylonese structures like the Old Parliament Building, now home to the Bank of Ceylon.

Travel to Colombo and you'll immediately be caught up in its electrifying atmosphere. Hooting tuk-tuks buzz around the alleyways, market traders peddle their wares on street corners, and the whole city seems to be a marvellous melee of sights, sounds and scents. What's more, if you're into souvenir shopping, cheap deals and bargains are there for the taking. Why not slip on a sari for size? It may not be the height of fashion, but it will be a great souvenir of your trip!

Nightlife is extremely limited with most residents opting for early nights. However, holidays in Colombo do offer plenty of opportunity for eating out in the evening. The myriad choice of restaurants around the city includes Indian, Chinese and European establishments. But there's nothing to beat an authentic spicy Sri Lankan curry, particularly if it's accompanied by a glass of coconut palm toddy from the southern lowlands.