Traditional Colombo

For the average Sri Lankan, a trip to Colombo wouldn’t take in many of the places described in Cosmopolitan Co­lo­mbo, in the preceding column – they would be either too expensive or too Westernised. For a more down-to-earth ex­perience, there is no better place to start than in a kade (shop or eatery) – there’s an excellent kade on Sri Sambuddhatva Jayanthi Mawatha, with its delicious Sri Lankan food cooked in traditional clay pots. Pittu (rice flour and grated coconut steamed in cylindrical sections) is a specialty that is de­licious with kiri hodi (mildly spi­ced coconut milk gra­vy used to make curries).
Afterwards, you could head for the Dehiwela Zoo and its hordes of families and their offspring, balloon vendors spo­r­ting colo­urful s­a­mples wrapped around their heads, and hawkers of every kind of snack imaginable. The entrance fee is minimal and the atmos­phere is festive as families become tourists for the day.
You could also head over to Pettah, the trad­ing centre of the city. Traditional businessmen gather here to ply their wares or in search of a good deal. The mudalali (shopkeeper), in­variably sporting a stereotypical bushy mou­stache and pot belly, is a common sight here. He oversees trading so that his profit for the day is high. Whatever it is that you want to get your hands on, you will find it at a good price here, in Pettah.
The traders have strong links with India, so this is often the place where stores from across the island acquire their stock. Buy from Pettah then, and if your bartering is up to scratch you can cut out the middleman and get a great bargain. Indian sweets sold on the small side streets are both plentiful and delicious – and they will give you a boost of sugar to keep you shop­ping, should you start to run low on en­ergy! For items such as sarees, shalwars, In­dian clothing, gold and other decorative ite­ms, Pettah has the best range. Read More...