Colombo Sri Lanka is Fascinating! Top Things To See & Do in Colombo | 197 Countries, 3 Kids

Join us as we take you on a tour around Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.

Before COVID took the world by storm, we were in the Maldives, intending to make India our next stop.

However, to get an Indian visa, we needed two empty pages in our passport, which Chantal didn’t have. So, we decided to make a detour and go to Sri Lanka first, where we could have a new passport issued at the Swiss Embassy.

As soon as we landed in Colombo, we couldn’t believe they sold home appliances at the duty free shops in the airport. Imagine picking up a new washing machine before clearing customs 🙂

It took us an hour, and a crazy ride, to get to our accommodation in downtown Colombo. The place we had booked seemed nice, but upon arrival, we realized it had absolutely nothing we could use to cook or prepare a meal.. So we had to arrange another Airbnb quickly and, this time, it turned out to be much better than we expected. It was clean, spacious, newly renovated, and most importantly, air-conditioned!

After settling in, we waited till sundown for the heat to give in a little before we went out and explored Colombo. On our way to the newest shopping mall, we felt tempted by the mouth-watering street food that smelled so amazing!

Our first stop the following day was the Swiss Embassy, where Chantal applied for a new passport.

A few eventful Uber drives later, we found ourselves hunting for a new backpack at the market. We couldn’t believe the low prices and amazing selection.

The train station was right beside the market, so we stopped in to take a look around. Then, we hopped in a Tuk-Tuk to Colombo’s lighthouse. The lighthouse now overlooks an area of reclaimed land that is being developed with Chinese investments into a modern business center.

Our next stop was at the Cargills building, a former Governor’s Palace, which has turned into a grocery store and fast food court. There was even a KFC inside. Imagine!

We also went to see the floating market. Unfortunately, it wasn't open, but we did get to see the Lotus Tower up close. From there we made one more stop for the day at the fascinating Gangaramaya Temple.

The next day we were so excited to show you some more of Colombo’s attraction, and then it happened again! Another shocking Uber ride. The driver slightly bumped into a bus and another car and went on a 30-minute detour!

After arriving back in the downtown area, we visited the Independence Square, La Galeria’s beautiful architecture, and Sri Lanka’s National Museum. Tickets were quite affordable at 5 USD for adults and 2.5 USD for kids.

Our very last stop for the day was the Shri Ponnambalawaneswaram Hindu temple. Its name is such a tongue twister that we challenge you to send us a video saying it fast ten times 🙂 Exploring this place of worship at night was such a unique and mystical experience.

Finally, back in our chilly Airbnb, we were able to unwind and relax. And Chloe had a few words of advice for all travelers and explorers. Here's a link to where we stayed: https://abnb.me/PRa9VpU2Y9

Stay tuned for more fun videos from our adventures around Sri Lanka and the globe!

0:00 Welcome to Sri Lanka
1:05 Sri Lanka Airport Duty Free
1:47 Finding Accommodations in Colombo
4:07 Colombo Sri Lanka at Night
4:22 One Galle Face Shopping Mall in Colombo
5:50 First Stop: Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka
6:18 A Tight Uber is Never a Good Idea for Us
6:40 Exploring Colombo During the Day
7:50 Sri Lanka is Very Affordable
8:43 Colombo Train Station
9:25 Julia Wants to Drive a Tuk Tuk
9:35 Colombo Lighthouse
9:45 The Chinese are Building Port City Colombo
11:25 Cargills Building
11:55 Floating Market & Lotus Tower
12:52 Gangaramaya Temple
14:24 Worst Uber Ever
15:37 Independence Square
16:20 La Galeria
17:04 Sri Lanka National Museum
16:38 National Theater Colombo
19:00 Shri Ponnambalawaneswaram Hindu Temple
20:17 Chloe’s Word of Wisdom