Welcome to a new segment of my blog, ‘24 hours in…’! I’ve been so lucky since returning from 6 months of travelling last year to continue exploring the world, thanks to my fab job. While visiting for work, I’ve done my best to get some exploring in around my work commitments and this has led on to the idea of ‘24 hours in…’! While these may not a full overview of everything you can do in the city, I’m hoping it’ll spark your interest into exploring somewhere new & starting your itinerary off with some ideas.

Colombo might see somewhere which wouldn’t usually come under a ‘24 hours in…’ but actually whilst Sri Lanka has plenty to offer & you’d need to spend a decent amount of time there (which sadly I didn’t have) this city can be done within a day.

If you have 24 hours this is what you will want to do:

Head out to see the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque. Truly one of the most beautiful buildings, by far the best in Colombo! Not only is the architecture incredible but the vibrant colours of the building make it such a wonder. Check the timings on arrival as at certain times of the day, tourists are permitted to enter.

Relax on Galle Face Green: a popular place for sunset, very busy with locals flying kites, relaxing and enjoying the outside.

Hop on a tuktuk tour of the city’s most touristy spots on a whistle stop tour – this is a great way of seeing the city and the famous points. Due to the heat, it’s not always fun walking around especially as there’s not great infrastructure for pathways, the roads are crazy and everything’s quite spaced out so the tuktuk tour is a great way to do everything you want and support a local person. It is likely you will need to negotiate the price of the tour, please do so politely and reasonably. Some of the drivers can be a bit pushy, but this the same in the tourist industry anywhere. Keep your cool & if you don’t want to pay that price / stop at a particular place then politely, but firmly, decline.

Spots of the tuktuk tour to stop:

Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo Lotus Tower, Pettah Market, Gangaramaya Temple & Independence Square.

Please be aware that Sri Lanka is country where modesty is appreciated. It is not essential, you are welcome to wear less clothing etc within the confines of your hotel, but when exploring please respect the cultural differences and dress appropriately.

Colombo is relatively safe, as always, it is essential to keep your word about you, trust your gut and keep an eye on your valuables. I took my camera out and I didn’t feel worried but there has been a rise in crime against tourists, especially women. LGBT relations are illegal, as are drugs – usage or possession carries a length prison sentence. I won’t go into further detail, but if you want more info, I’d check out your government’s travel page for Sri Lanka. For example, if you’re in the UK, www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sri-lanka is the page to check to make your own informed decisions.

Thanks so much for reading!