When we arrived in Sri Lanka we felt an immense air of nostalgia, the aged clothes that adults and children wear gave the appearance that we had returned to the past, more precisely to the 60s, perhaps in an episode of Chaves. But Sri Lanka is not nostalgia.
Sri Lanka may be full of fascinating places to visit, but Colombo isn't often listed as one of them.
It is not a city like Phnom Penh and Delhi, which receives a lot of attention, but it redeems itself with its historical and cultural sites. Colombo is the kind of city people ask you to skip, saying there's nothing there. Even if you're flying into the country for a short layover, it's quicker and easier to stay in the city of Negombo (where we stayed) rather than Colombo itself.
Colombo doesn't offer much in terms of tourist attractions. It's always crowded and congested, but it doesn't have the tranquility or vibrant street life that you find in other Asian cities. Tourist infrastructure is mainly in the form of resorts; you won't find many activities aimed at tourists there. You can compare it to the less attractive suburbs of Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur, minus the street life, temples, architecture, shopping, nightlife. But, strangely, with nicer tuk-tuks. Still, we have affection for towns like these—places that require you to dig deep to mine the gold.
Going out, eating street food and enjoying the night air - that's what I love. In Colombo, the place to enjoy this is at Galle Face Green, a stretch of grass by the sea that is home to many street vendors. Sri Lankan food is defined by rice and curry. No matter where you go, you'll probably enjoy rice and curry in some form, but since Lídia doesn't like it, we stuck with the Italian cuisines they had in Negombo.
We decided to go on a tour to bathe and care for Elephants, although we found them a little poorly cared for, the place apparently has the name of an NGO, a care structure, but there always seems to be something obscure in the treatment of these large animals, it was a surreal experience, but I don't know if we would do it again out of caution and fear of doing what we like at the expense of what is right.
First of all, if you are going to Sri Lanka to see wildlife, you should prioritize visiting Yala National Park (one of the best wildlife spots in all of Asia and home to many leopards) or Kaudalla National Park. That said, it takes several hours of travel to reach any destination from Colombo (unless you fly). If you are staying in Colombo, there is a place nearby that is worth visiting: Thalangame, a marshy area on the outskirts of the city.
We'll be honest, although we loved the Colombo experience, I doubt it has a place on our list of favorite cities. But its alright. The important part is that you make the most of every place you visit. We certainly feel this in the capital of Sri Lanka.
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