Dehiwala Zoo
Dehiwala Zoological Gardens is one of the oldest zoological gardens in Asia founded in 1936. The entire zoo covers an area of 10.1 ha / 0.10 km², with well landscaped gardens and foliage to provide a more natural habitats to its animals.
It’s a home to a wide variety of animals and birds that can be found around the world. All the animals are spread out in a number of houses.
• The Reptile House - The Reptile House of Colombo Dehiwala Zoo has a collection of crocodiles, tortoises, snakes and oth- er reptiles.
• The Mini Medura - The Mini Medura has a display of more than 500 varieties of fish and is considered as one of a kind in Asia.
• The Nocturnal House - This house contains the nocturnal birds and animals like owls, bats, rodents, and lemurs.
The highlight of the zoo is the elephant circus which takes place daily at 5.15 p.m. with extra shows on Sunday and holidays at 3.15 p.m.
Click here for more details - National Zoological Gardes
Viharamahadevi Park or formally known as the Victoria park is the largest, oldest and most colorful park situated in the heart of Colombo (Cinnamon Gardens), just opposite the colonial style Town Hall building. The park was built during the British rule of Sri Lanka as Victoria Park and remained as Vihara Maha Devi Park, in honor of a famous historical Sinhalese queen, mother of the hero of the nation, King Dutugamunu.
This is the largest & most attractive greenery in Colombo and best visited from March to May before the monsoon when most of the flowers are in full bloom.
It has well landscaped gardens with a varity of trees, flowers, lotus ponds, fountains, golden image of Buddha, large Statue of Queen Viharamahadevi, and Queen Victoria. On the southeastern side of the park is a special section for children with a small train, a zoo of baby animals, mini aquarium and an amusement park. You will also get to see the elephants from the temple near Beira Lake who are often kept in the park to graze.
The park is a perfect place to relax, for shady walks, picnics and most of all a great place to spend your time with your family.
Mount Lavinia is a suburb located towards the south of Colombo and is famous for its "Golden Mile" of beach and Mount Lavinia Hotel. It is a perfect place to relax and enjoy during your quick business trip to Colombo or during your visit to Sri Lanka.The mount beach is a shallow beach, loved by everybody who would like to lie in the sun, relax or take a dip when it gets too hot.
There are many cheap hotels, cabanas and restaurants on the beach where you can enjoy local or foreign dishes of your choice and listen to music and if you’re in a mood to party, you can always find a beach party during the weekends. To the sailors of the 19th century, Mount Lavinia stood out like the silhouette of a pregnant wench along the Southern coastline.
This is one of the loveliest beach areas close to any metropolis in the world, being a mere 8 miles from the heart of the city of Colombo.To get there, drive south along Galle Road from Colombo Fort and turn right to Hotel Road half a mile past the Mount Lavinia cemetery. The focal point of Mount Lavinia is the Mount Lavinia Hotel, though there are others like the Mount Royal Beach Hotel which was built in the 1970s. Mount Lavinia Hotel was built in 1810 as a private residence by a fun-loving British Governor who constructed secret passages in the building. Some of these have been discovered in the kitchens, but unfortunately, are not open to the public. Apparently, a Rodiya caste girl who worked for the Governor fell in love with him. When the Governor was leaving, he asked the Rodiya girl what she wanted from him. Much to his surprise, she did not ask for the house which he was willing to give her. Instead, she asked for official permission to wear a cloth about the waist, a mark of status normally denied to Rodiya caste. The Governor gave his consent with an official gazette notification and the house was sold and turned into a hotel.
On the beach there are little bathing huts which can be hired for the day. Lie in the sun and relax, take a dip when it gets too hot and enjoy the sights and sounds. There are pineapple and coconut vendors who sell drinks to quench your thirst, while others sell beads and shells.
Colombo's geography is a mix of land and water. The Northern and North-Eastern border of the city of Colombo is formed by the Kelani River; The River flows down and meets the sea in “Modera”, which means river delta.
The city has many canals in the heart of the city which was used by colonists for centuries to defend the city. The 65-hectare (160-acre) Beira Lake is one of the most distinctive landmarks of Colombo, and currently the lake is being used to conduct regattas and theatrical events to attract visitors.
Galle Face Green
Galle face green is the largest open space and the most elegant promenade located in Colombo city.
This elegant seaside promenade is a ribbon strip of land between Galle Road and Indian Ocean, stretching out to one-and-a-half kilometers. Originally the Gall face green extended over a much larger area than seen today. It was mainly used as a horse racing course and partly as a golf course over 100 years ago during the time of Sir Henry Ward, the British Governor of Ceylon in 1859.
Today, the Gall Face Green is a perfect place for all those who want to indulge in their favorite pastimes next to the sea under the open sky. The green brightens up in the evenings, with children, families, vendors, teenagers, lovers, kite flyers and merrymakers and it is at its busiest on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Surrounded by the famous colonial styled Galle Face Hotel, known as Asia's Emerald on the Green since 1864, Ceylon Intercontinental Hotel, the Taj Samudra, and the old parliament building, the green frequently hosts numerous international & local concerts and Kite festivals which are held during the month of February.
Attidiya Bird Sanctuary
Attidiya is a beautiful marshland located around 9km towards the south west of the city. The wet land is rich with natural biodiversity and is a resting place for many types of birds.
The vegetation of this wetland is dominated by sedge and grasses including Rhyuchospora rubra and Panicum repens. Around 43 species of waterfowls live in the area. Most common among them are Indian Shag (Phalaerocorox fuscicollis), the Blue breasted Banded Rail ( Rallus striatus) etc. If you are an enthusiastic bird watcher or an eco friend, then it is worthwhile to spend sometimes in the Attidiya bird sanctuary during one of your leisurely evenings during your stay in Colombo.
Colombo Planetarium
Located in Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7, The Colombo planetarium was established in 1965. English shows on the last Saturday of the month at 2.00pm and special shows in English can be arranged for parties of 75 or more.
For further information please contact: Planetarium, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7.
General - + 94-11-2586499
