Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Galle Face Green
ally cleared by the Dutch to give the cannons of Fort a clear line of fire. Today its broad
lawns and seaside promenade are a popular rendezvous spot; on weekdays it's dotted with
kite flyers, canoodling couples and families, and (especially Sunday evening)
food
manner of deep-fried and briny snacks. Try a fresh
isso wade,
a shrimp fritter with the
shrimp still whole and cooked right in, then wash it all down with a fresh lime juice.
the light poles at the north end.
Centre Rd)
face the green from the grounds of Taj Samudra hotel; the club's rooms are still
used for functions and there's still a few members from British times. At opposite ends of
the green are the delightful old Galle Face Hotel and the monolithic and ageing hotels of
Fort. Note the rapidly changing backdrop to the east as a row of posh new hotels rises up.
Slave Island & Union Place
After Pettah, Colombo's oldest neighbourhoods are found here. Slave Island was once
mostly surrounded by water and it's where the Dutch kept slaves during colonial times.
Largely a backwater during the war, its proximity to Fort and Galle Face Green make it the
centre of vast new developments. While multilevel malls, posh condos and the Lotus
Tower rise up, you can still find streets of timeless character, but don't delay.
Already in the shadow of new buildings, Union Place is on the cusp of transformation.
But until bulldozers arrive, its narrow lanes pulse with life little changed in centuries. Start
consider a snack from one of the myriad storefront vendors) and then plunge into the
neighbourhood by walking south on
Church St
and prowling random alleys to the west.
Tiny shopfronts sell goods of uncertain provenance and each alley holds a surprise. Wind
your way south until you reach Nawam Mawatha and South Beira Lake.
