Around the city on an open-deck bus
Colombo by bus: The Parliament drive (above) and The Fort (top right). Pix by Indika Handuwala
On a breezy Sunday morning, we hopped on to a Colombo City Tour bus close to the Old Dutch Hospital in Colombo. A venture by Sri Lanka Tourism and Ebert Silva Holidays, these guided open deck sightseeing tours are once a day on weekdays and twice a day during the weekend.
Our tour started at 9. 30 a.m. (although it usually starts at 8.30 a.m.), with a quick trip around Fort and Pettah that included sights such as the World Trade Centre, the Governor’s House, Sri Murugan Hindu Temple and the Colombo Fort Clock Tower constructed in the 1800s.
The latter, we’re informed, serves as a measurement of distance to many locations around the country.
Unfortunately, Independence Day celebrations rehearsals meant we were unable to take the usual route-so the bus proceeded through Slave Island via Sir James Peiris Mawatha, passing sights such as the War Memorial next to the Public Library, Nelum Pokuna and Independence Square.
The tour also took us to Battaramulla, and we had a boat ride in the Diyawanna Oya around the Parliament.
The preconception that these tours are only meant for tourists is unfounded, says Rajini de Silva Mendis, Chairperson of Ebert Silva Holidays.
“The Colombo City Tour is designed to accommodate locals as well, and we are very open to customising routes if the tour is booked for a large group.”
The upper deck of the bus can accommodate around 35 persons, while the entire bus can accommodate 68.
On weekdays the double decker leaves at 4 p.m. from the Dutch Hospital-to avoid traffic congestion in Colombo-and covers the city limits, returning to the starting point at 6.30 pm.
On weekends, two tours operate from 8.30 a.m.-12 pm and 4.30 p.m.-7.30 p.m. The morning tour is the Heritage of Colombo tour, which covers the Colombo City Limits and Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte, stopping at the National Museum (on Saturday) or for a boat ride around the Parliament complex (Sunday) or at the Ape Gama cultural village.
The Colombo at Night tour covers the city limits and Sri Jayawardhanapura Kotte, including a stop at Diyatha Uyana. All tours allocate time for a stop at Laksala, the state-owned handicraft store.
The local rate for tours varies; on weekdays the adult rate is Rs. 1000, and on weekends Rs 1500 (kids aged 3-12 are charged Rs. 500).
The tourist rate is 25 USD for weekday tours and 30 USD for weekend tours. This includes snacks and beverages.
You can hop on the bus from near the Dutch Hospital entrance, or from the Kingsbury hotel (the bus will also stop at a few other hotels for pickups). Visit www.colombocitytours.com or call 0777599963/ 0777772595 for more details.