Three inspiringly local food tours in Colombo

What better way to experience an exotic island, than to taste it! At the heart of any city adventure bucketlist consisting of ‘Things to do in Colombo’ and ‘Places to Visit in Colombo’, is the foodie paradise of trying local food in Sri Lanka, along with making it yourself at traditional culinary classes! Here are 3 places to get your city food and culture fix at:

A Culinary Experience at Aunty’s Place

Here you’ll learn to cook a traditional Sri Lankan lunch or dinner, including curries and sambols, the fun way at Aunty’s Sri Lankan Cooking Class in Colombo! Not only will you master the art of scraping a coconut like a true aunty, you’ll also get to experiment with a variety of fresh spices and local techniques. At the end of the cooking experience, everyone sits at the table for an authentic feast, because a true Sri Lankan food experience is better when shared!

The Colombo Street Food Tour

Have you ever been on a street food tour that had the potential to change your whole perspective of an entire country? Experience the non-touristy sights, smells and tastes in central Colombo, with heavy influence from different cultures sharing a city! Follow your host through the lesser-known areas of the inner city, discover the cultural identity behind Colombo street food; experience Colombo nightlife inside local bars, bustling streets, alleys, and corner shops; try traditional sweets and pots of bubbling curry by the roadside; and ride a tuk tuk to Galle Face Green at sunset for a kottu dinner by the sea.

A Culinary Experience at Upali's Restaurant

At this local culinary masterclass, you’ll first be introduced to the history of Sri Lankan cuisine, including its international influencers which made ‘fusion cuisine’ possible. Your chef at Upali's Restaurant will get you better acquainted with real local food in Sri Lanka, such as string hoppers, hoppers, roti, and pittu, and what accompaniments go best with each. You will also be taught to identify spices, and how to spice up dishes before firing up the stove. Next, it’s on to rolling rottis, mixing your own sambol, and spicing your own curry the way you like it! At the end of this Culinary Experience in Sri Lanka, everyone shares the food they made in the fashion of a celebratory Sri Lankan feast!

Top 3 Canoeing Adventures through Rural Sri Lanka

There’s nothing like charting a course through relatively uncharted waters, on a canoe, through rural Sri Lanka! The below water-based activities are the top 3 Canoeing Adventure Tours you can find all year-round locally:

Canoeing in Unawatuna

You’ve known this location for its beaches, but there’s a whole new world to explore inland! This canoeing excursion through warm lagoons and quivering mangrove forests, begins with simply wandering through the homes of water birds, bathed in timid sunlight, while exploring the impossibly beautiful lagoons and mangroves of Unawatuna. Canoeing trips here are a guided experience, usually 2 hours, with plenty of birding opportunities, and a tuk tuk ride with refreshments after you’re done.

Canoeing in Ratnapura

Otherwise known for its gems and low-grown teas, Ratnapura additionally owns the mystical passage through ‘Black River’! Black River or 'Kalu Ganga' is the quintessence of a magical experience for canoeing in Sri Lanka… through tender waters filled with bouts of silence interrupted by birds, river folk village life, water birdwatching and more. You’ll also get the opportunity to visit and be blessed at the sacred shrine, Saman Devale! This excursion can be done as a day programme or with a 1N / 2D option, which can be increased with each difficulty level. Speak to your rep hosting you for any Adventure Tours in Sri Lanka before booking. We recommend Sri Lanka Day Tours.

Canoeing in Kandy

Usually Kandy is known for its tea plantations, rainforests, lakes, cultural and religious sites including the Temple of the Tooth, but we bet you didn’t know River Canoeing can be done in Kandy as well! Join up for the intense, ‘Great Sandy River’ quest by canoe, and explore the Mahaweli River (a.k.a Great Sandy River), which holds a full length of 335km, making it the longest river in Sri Lanka! Encounter monkey tribes, river monsters and low-flying birds during your quest in Kandy. This guided, Sri Lankan canoeing excursion is a 1½ - 2 hour programme, with suggested starting times of 6:30am and 4:30pm.

Three unique coral reefs for three different snorkelling adventures 

The world underwater is nothing like you’ve ever known; from seeing a school of fish dart past you in a blur of fantastic colour, to witnessing towers of coral reefs hide a mysterious variety of sea life. The best welcome into this world is through snorkelling and scuba diving, and what better place than in Sri Lanka’s most famous Marine National Parks! Here are three of the best snorkelling locations in Sri Lanka:

Snorkelling in Hikkaduwa

The warm and inviting tropical waters of Hikkaduwa has made it one of the most coveted locations for snorkelling in Sri Lanka. Hikka’s bustling coral reef and sea ecosystem lets you get up close to beautiful reef fish like angelfish, butterfly fish, parrot fish and even different species of sea turtles! Just about 200m away from the shore, you get to explore mild and shallow waters (under 5m deep), where around 60 species of hard coral is found, with over 170 species of tropical reef fish hiding in the fringing reef. The best time for snorkelling at Hikkaduwa National Park is November to April, from 9am to 11am.

Snorkelling in Passikudah

Explore one of the longest stretches of shallow reef coastline on the planet, at Passi. Almost like a giant swimming pool, you can simply walk for kilometres into the wait-deep sapphire sea and explore the barrier reef. With timid currents rolling across the bay, you get to enjoy one of the calmest snorkelling waters in Sri Lanka. The reef which surrounds the bay is home to a variety of tropical fish and exotic sea creatures – making it the ideal snorkel paradise on the east coast. The best time for snorkelling in Passikudah is April to November, from 9am to 11am.

Snorkelling in Trinco

We’re saving (probably) the best for last; snorkelling in Trincomalee is, essentially, snorkelling with sharks and turtles on Sri Lanka’s famous Pigeon Island! When you take a boat out to Pigeon Island in Trinco, make sure you have your snorkelling gear on you, for a swim in this Marine National Park’s mysterious waters is best experienced when you see it inches from your mask; from 200 species of tropical fish, to Blacktip reef sharks and Hawksbill turtles! The best time for snorkelling in Trinco is May to October, from 8am to 2pm.