Colombo Court Blog Colombo
A weekend in Colombo: where to stay, eat and unwind
Two nights in the city, for a visitor or for a local who needs one. A plan built around a garden in Colombo 3, with the best of the neighbourhood folded in.
Colombo works well as a weekend. It is compact, the food is very good, the sea is at the end of most streets, and it is small enough that two nights feel like enough rather than too few. This is how we would plan it, whether you are flying in or driving across town for a staycation.
Friday: arrive and go up
Check in from two, and spend the last of the afternoon at the pool. The rooms here face the garden, so the city disappears the moment the gate closes; if you are local, that is the point of coming. At half past five go up to Cloud Café & Bar on the roof, for the sunset, happy hour until eight and dinner under the glass roof.
Saturday: the city, then the garden
Breakfast beside the pool at Amber Poolside, with hoppers. Then out: Gangaramaya Temple and the lake, Independence Square and the Arcade, and Paradise Road and Barefoot for shopping, all within fifteen minutes of the hotel. Colombo 3 on foot and two days in Colombo lay it out in order.
Be back by four for high tea by the pool, or for a treatment at The Court Spa. Galle Face Green at sunset is ten minutes away, with isso wade from the carts; then dinner on the roof again, or at the Dutch Hospital in Fort if you want to be out.
Sunday: slowly
A long breakfast, a last swim, and check-out at noon, or later if you ask. If you would rather not leave, the Staycation and Daycation offers are built for exactly this: a night or a day with the pool, the jacuzzi and a discount at the spa, for people who live within a tuk-tuk ride and need a weekend anyway.
Getting here
From the airport, about 35 kilometres and 45 minutes to an hour; the four ways to do it are here. From anywhere in Colombo, a metered tuk-tuk or PickMe to Alfred House Avenue, Colombo 3. Parking is complimentary if you drive.
