Colonial Cities

The colonial cities of Sri Lanka were never just garrison towns. Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Jaffna grew up around trade — cinnamon, cloves, tea, coir — and the European overlay (Portuguese, then Dutch, then British) added a layer of banks, post offices, clubs and grand hotels that is still, a century after independence, the most legible chapter of each city's centre.

Walk Colombo Fort at 7am, before the heat. Walk through Pettah at 9. Drive to Kandy by mid-morning. The buildings will do most of the explaining for you.