The Royal Colombo Golf Club was the 2nd golf course in the world to receive the “Royal” charter & oozes history & character. The premier course in Sri Lanka it’s located centrally in Colombo & is an extremely busy course – approximately 75000 plus rounds plus are recorded here per annum !! A tight & challenging 18 hole layout it plays to 6560 yards as a Par 71 course from the championship tees. From the regular tees for Men it is a 6303 yard layout.

Open to visitors the club is otherwise a members only club & has close to 3000 members as of Oct 2012. About 600 of them are golfers. The greens are Bermuda grass & can play fast on the stimp especially when the weather is dry & the fairways have Buffalo grass. The roughs are a mix of buffalo grass & have a crab grass feel that takes getting used too – as the grass tends to grab on your clubs & first timers here do take a while to get a handle on this.

Colombo’s biggest park was originally called Victoria Park but was renamed in the 1950s after the mother of King Dutugemunu. It’s notable for its superb flowering trees, which bloom in March, April and early May. Elephants used for ceremonies sometimes spend the night in the park, chomping on palm branches. It has been given a major sprucing up and now boasts new benches (often occupied with caressing couples), walkways, landscaping and playgrounds.

Named after former Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa, the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo was built on swamplands adjacent to the Khettarama Temple. The biggest cricket stadium in Sri Lanka till date, the ‘Khettarama Stadium’, as it was referred to previously, is only one of three Sri Lankan venues to have hosted World Cup matches. In the record books for Sri Lanka’s 952 for 6 against India in a Test match – the highest total in Test match history, the Premadasa Stadium has in the recent past not been hosting Test matches, but is still considered one of the best venues in Sri Lanka.

"Diyatha Uyana", the new dedicated horticulture sales zone catering the sales and marketing of local flora and tropical flowers at Battaramulla was declared open on 15th September. The project was carried out under the close guidance and supervision of Secretary Defence and Urban Development Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The combined efforts and expertise of the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation, The Sri Lanka Army, Navy and Civil Security Department personnel utilized in the construction of the project.

"Diyatha Uyana" comprises of 84 floral outlets built in an environment with a breathtaking landscape and setting. The spectacular water fountain built here adds much beauty to the whole place. "Diyatha Uyana", will be the central point of the local horticultural sales industry and already it has become quite a popular place.

The opening ceremony of the "Diyatha Uyana" was graced by Hon Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa and Secretary Defence and Urban Development Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The unexpected visit of His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the venue came as a surprise.

Mount Lavinia The town is largely a middle class and mostly residential suburb that had until now escaped most of the damaging industrialisation of neighbouring cities and urban centres. Famed for its “Golden Mile” of beaches, it has often been a hot spot for tourism and laid back nightlife.It is one of the most liberal regions in Sri Lanka and also plays host to the island’s annual gay pride, including the famed Rainbow Kite Festiva.

Mount Lavinia is steeped in history. The city’s name is built up around the original residence of Sir Thomas Maitland who was the Governor General of Ceylon from 1805-1811. At a welcoming party held in his honour on his arrival in the island he set his eyes upon Lovina, a local mestizo dancer, whose father was the Headman of the troupe. Sir Thomas was smitten by her smile and charms and soon found himself obsessed by her and took every measure possible to see more of her.

As it was highly unconventional for an unmarried British Officer to be seen associating with a local dancing girl, Sir Thomas and his lover met in secret. Legend says she was smuggled into his mansion through a secret tunnel that led from her father’s well into a wine cellar in the house.

In the middle of Beira Lake, the sleek Buddhist Temple of Seema Malaka rises elegantly from the tepid water. In comparison to the garishly colorful Sri Subravanian Kovil, which we had just finished visiting, Seema Malaka is a marvel of restraint.

After the original Seema Malaka temple had sunk into the lake, the government commissioned Geoffrey Bawa to design a replacement in the 1970s. Bawa, known as the founder of Tropical Modernism, is Sri Lanka’s most famous architect and was one of the most influential in Asia. His stylish creations can be found throughout Colombo, and Seema Malaka is one of the highlights.

The temple is spread across three raised platforms in the lake, connected to each other and to the mainland by bridges. Bawa intended his design to echo the jungle temples of Anuradhapura, also bound together by walkways. Seema Malaka is small and, with the cool breeze coming off the lake, a sense of serenity and simplicity dominates the scene — quite the accomplishment, in the middle of steamy, chaotic Colombo.

The Rafters Retreat is situated 90km from Colombo (a 2.5 hour drive) in a sleepy riverside village called Kithulgala, sandwiched between the famous west coast and the towering central highlands. A small picturesque spot on the banks of the Kelani River, Kithulgala is the ideal stopover destination, breaking up long journeys.The Rafter’s Retreat is an ecologically-themed riverside retreat.

In Sri Lanka St. Anthony has many devotees and several Churches have been erected in his honor. Perhaps the most popular one that daily attracts people of every cast, creed or race is the one at Kochchikade, in the heart of the city of Colombo.

One has only to visit this church on any Tuesday of the year, to see the thousands from North, South, East & West who come to pray to St. Anthony, to ask his help for some need, to fulfill promisses made, to thank him for answering their prayers and show their love and respect.

The history of this church at Kochchikade as handed down by tradition and gleaned from the documents preserved in the Archdiocesan Archives in Colombo is as follows;

In the 18th Century, Catholicism was still a proscribed religion in Sri Lanka and priests could not exercise their ministry in public. The Dutch were persecuting the Catholics but who preferred to be degraded, impoverished and ridiculed rather than give up their Faith; Shrines such as Madhu, Talawila and Kochchikade are souvenirs of those dark days of the persecution. (S.G. Per era, S J Historical Sketches page 14) A few Orations from Goa, visited the faithful in Ceylon at the risk at their lives. Fr. Jacome Gonsalves the Superior of Orations who is affectionately remembered in Ceylon as the ‘father of Sinhala Catholic Literature, lamented the fact the Catholics of Colombo had no resident priest. However a zealous priest, Fr. Antonio, disguised as a merchant took up his abode in a house in Maliban Street, Colombo, close to St. Philip Neris Church. (The old Church faced the road) The Dutch discovered his hiding place, but Fr. Antonio, disguised, fled towards Mutwal. He met some fishermen who knew him and his reputation for Sanctity, and volunteered to protect him from the Dutch, provided he obtained from God the favor they wanted, namely the stoppage of Sea erosion. When the pursuers arrived, the fishermen refused to hand over Fr. Antonio until he had granted them the favor they were asking for. Fr. Antonio then returned to his home at Maliban Street, and came to the shoe, clad in his priestly garments and with a large wooden Cross in his hand. Planting the Cross at the spot most threatened by the advancing Sea, he prayed to God to manifest His Glory, by working this miracle. On the third day the waves receded and an extensive sand bank was exposed to the view of all.

Being just seven miles from Colombo, Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya is the most sought after Temple for the Buddhists in and around Colombo. On the Eighth year after the Enlightenment, the Lord Buddha has visited this sacred site, which had been the Third and the last visit to Sri Lanka by the Gauthama Buddha.

Situated on the banks of Kelani River, which is originating from Sri Pada , makes this Temple surroundings attractive for the devotees who come to worship this hallowed land.

The original Temple and the Stupa or the Dageba, was built in 5th Century BC, but none of the earlier structure survive today.

Mentioned in the Sri Lankan chronicle"Chulavansa" is that, the Kelaniya Temple was five stories high with traditional styling and roofing. It also states that the temple was rebuilt by King Vijayabahu III, (1232-1236) and King Parakrama Bahu II (1236-1270).

In 1510 AD , the temple was destroyed by the Portuguese, who had then conquered the Maritime provinces of the country.