Where to stay in Colombo

The historic heart of the city, where restored Dutch- and British-era warehouses around the Old Dutch Hospital precinct give way to the roaring wholesale bazaars of Pettah and the landmark red-and-white Jami Ul-Alfar mosque. Fort holds the main railway station and the smart new waterfront, so it is unbeatable for connections and colonial architecture, though Pettah is chaotic and much of the area empties and quietens after the offices close.

The seafront district where the half-kilometre Galle Face Green lawn meets the Indian Ocean, lined with landmark hotels and, come evening, kite-flyers, families and clouds of street-food smoke. Kollupitiya behind it adds malls, restaurants and embassies. This is the most polished and convenient base for a short stay, walkable to Fort, with sunset on the doorstep, though the flagship hotels command the highest prices in the city.

The most affluent and leafy district, a grid of tree-lined avenues, colonial mansions, embassies and quiet cafés around the National Museum and the green expanse of Viharamahadevi Park. It is the calmest, most walkable central address, a welcome escape from the traffic, with some of the city's best restaurants and boutique guesthouses, though it is a taxi ride rather than a walk from Fort and the seafront.

The seaside suburb about ten kilometres south of the centre, where a long sandy beach, seafood shacks and the colonial-era Mount Lavinia Hotel give a relaxed, salt-air alternative to the city proper. Well connected to Colombo by the coastal railway, it suits those who want to swap traffic for sunsets and sand, though the beach is a working city beach rather than a pristine one, and you are a fair way from the sights.

The fishing-and-beach town on the coast just north of Bandaranaike International Airport, with a broad beach, a lively lagoon and a Dutch-canal heritage that makes it far more than a transit stop. It is the sensible choice for an arrival or departure night, around fifteen minutes from the terminal versus an hour into Colombo, letting you start or end the trip by the sea rather than in city traffic.