Colombo by Tuk-Tuk: How Our Disaster Turned Into a Great Tour

For Field Trip Friday yesterday we decided to explore more of the city of Colombo. I had researched guided tours on Get Your Guide, but we decided to just piece together our own tour, focusing on the main things we wanted to see. I mapped out a route for us and our plan was to walk from place to place, and get a PickMe ride when we needed to go farther distances. We ordered a PickMe to drop us off at the location farthest from our Airbnb and we would work our way back. It felt like I had made a good solid plan. Right up until we got out of the car.

The Chaos of Colombo Streets

I’m not sure I can adequately describe the chaos that our PickMe driver dropped us off in. Our first stop was a Hindu temple, and as we winded our way into the area we could quickly see that walking from place to place was not going to be a good option. When we got out of the car, there was a massive amount of people and traffic. It was hot, crowded, loud, and as foreigners we draw a lot of attention. We could see various locals headed our way to solicit us for their services. Dave looked at me and said “where did you take us?”

We went into the temple for a brief moment, but didn’t take any pictures inside or out. As I was looking up on a map where our next stop was located, a tuk-tuk driver approached us and asked where we wanted to go. We get approached by tuk-tuk drivers constantly – even on our way to the grocery store. We always politely say no, but we were desperate to get out of that chaos. Dave asked if we could all four fit and he said no problem. It was tight and Braxton had to sit on my lap, but we didn’t mind. If you’re not familiar with a tuk-tuk it’s essentially a covered 3-wheeler, with a bench seat in the back. They are everywhere here!

Change Of Plans – A Tuk-Tuk Tour

On the way to our next destination, the tuk-tuk driver asked if we wanted him to give us a tour of the whole city. Realizing we could not easily piece together a tour like we thought, we asked for the price and agreed. It turned out to be such a great time. He drove us all over the city and we saw so many things!

Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque

Our first stop was the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, nicknamed the “Red Mosque”. The mosque was built in 1908 and serves as a place of worship for the local Muslim community in the neighborhood. Alexis said it looked like something out of Alice in Wonderland. It was truly stunning!

The Fort District

We piled back into the tuk-tuk and rode through the Fort District of Colombo, which is known as the historic colonial heart of the city.

Lotus Tower and Hindu Temple

Next up was the lotus tower. The lotus tower stands 1150 feet and is the tallest structure in Sri Lanka. It is named after the lotus flower due to its resemblance to the blooming petals of a lotus. You can pay $20/person for a ticket to the observation deck. We just enjoyed looking at it from the outside.

From the tower we ventured to another Hindu temple called the Shri Kathiresan Temple and our driver referred to it as the “colorful temple”. Hindu temples are typically marked by a towering gateway called a gopuram, covered in incredibly detailed and colorful sculptures of gods, goddesses, demons, and mythological scenes. Hindu temples are considered earthly homes of a deity. The main deity worshipped at the Shri Kathiresan Temple is Lord Murugan, who is revered as the God of war, victory, wisdom, and love. I thought it was fascinating to see the difference between Hindu and Buddhist temples.

Buddhist Temples

We made a stop at two different Buddhist temples. One featured a beautiful display of “100 Buddha’s”. The other was surrounded by a lake and looked like it was floating on water.

Sambodhi Pagoda Temple

Our last stop was the Sambodhi Pagoda temple that gives you a distant view of the port and Indian Ocean. We had to climb about 10 stories and walk across a bridge to get there. Alexis and I felt super nervous walking across the bridge! We were the only people there and the view was amazing.

Three Wheels, One City, Zero Regrets

We saw numerous other sites including the Mayor’s house, the American Embassy, a light house, the train station, and experienced the true chaos of Colombo traffic. We were all hot and tired by the end, but it was so much fun! Dave had to help our driver navigate the way back to our Airbnb with google maps and we all had a moment of panic when the tuk-tuk stalled in the middle of traffic, but we made it!