Colombo - Crisis or No Crisis?

Colombo will not forget the agitation that not only rocked the tiny island nation but also the world. When the world had literally turned its face away from the entire country forcing it to dive deeper into its murky crisis, it continued to struggle both internally and externally. And this is when I landed in Colombo, on 9th August 2022!

Even news of riots and unsettled times in Sri Lanka especially in Colombo could not deter my plans. I was skeptical yes but had no desire to cancel my plan. The constant assurance from our travel agent, Nurshida of Direct Link was enough to compel us to continue as per plan. And thank God we did not cancel. We were blown away when we landed, the picture was poles opposite to what the media had painted. Yes, there was a crisis, yes time was troubled, yes there was a fuel shortage, and yes people were agitated but it did not for once make us feel the gravity of the situation.

As Sri Lanka was reeling against a full-blown massacre and criticism from all around it not for once faltered to cater to the comfort of its visitors. True the turmoil kept away most of the tourists who otherwise are seen to flock to this tropical island. However, it was a blessing to us who visited the place during the trying times and got to experience Sri Lanka including Colombo at its most vulnerable state. And trust me Colombo is beautiful and not for once did she abandon her tourists. On the contrary, fuel was reserved for tourists as a priority and everywhere we visited the locals went the extra mile to make us feel welcome.

Strolling across the city of Colombo, it was hard to imagine what the country was going through. Like any other city, it bustled with activities. With your visit to places like Galle sea beach, Independence Square, Gangaram Temple and other city tours it was not difficult to realize crisis or no crisis Colombo is worth your visit for sure.