Colombo in a Group: Food, Games and Vans

Six people trying to cross Colombo in three separate tuk-tuks will lose each other by the second junction. Groups do better in this city when they solve transport first and plan the fun second, because the fun itself is easy: most of it involves food that is meant to be shared.

Move as one vehicle

The PickMe app books metered tuk-tuks, cars and minivans, and for four or more people a single car or van is usually simpler than a convoy of three-wheelers. For days outside the city, a car or van with a driver runs roughly $60 to 90 a day. Split four ways, that is more than the train to Galle but far less hassle, and the driver waits while you explore. You can compare private Colombo tours with a driver if you would rather book the vehicle and the route together.

The verdict: for a group of four or more, hire one vehicle for the whole day rather than hailing as you go. The saving on time and arguments is worth more than the few thousand rupees you might save.

A street-food evening on Galle Face Green

Galle Face Green is the city’s evening gathering place, a long seafront lawn where carts fry isso wade, lentil patties topped with whole prawns, for about LKR 150 to 250 each, alongside kottu roti chopped on a hot griddle. It is free to walk on and open around the clock. For a group, the easy approach is to send two people to queue at different carts and meet back on the grass. Pick the busiest vendors, where the food is fried fresh to order. The sea wall is boulders and heavy surf, so this is a place to eat and fly kites, not to swim. If nobody wants to choose stalls, you can book a guided Colombo food tour .

The big shared dinner

At Ministry of Crab, in the Old Dutch Hospital in Fort, crab is priced by weight, from about LKR 12,000 to 45,000 and up for the largest, which suits a table that orders a few big ones to share. Book weeks ahead through the restaurant’s site , and check the calendar: it closes on Poya, the monthly full-moon holiday, when alcohol sales stop across the country.

Games for a hot or wet afternoon

Excel World, on T.B. Jayah Mawatha, has bowling, laser tag and an arcade, paid per attraction: bowling is about LKR 900 a person and other games LKR 500 to 2,000. It opens at 14:00 on weekdays and 11:00 at weekends and on public holidays, so it fills an afternoon rather than a morning. Current prices are on Excel World’s site .

The coastal train, together

The coastal line south from Colombo Fort runs along the shore to Mount Lavinia and on to Galle. Unreserved tickets are cheap and bought at the counter, so a group can decide on the day. Arrive early at Colombo Fort station if you want the best chance of sitting together.

Tips

  • Nominate one person to carry small LKR notes for street food, tuk-tuks and temple donations; card machines are rare at all three.
  • If the group includes temple visits, everyone needs shoulders and knees covered and shoes off at the entrance.
  • Agree the plan for Poya days in advance; bars, liquor shops and hotel bars all stop selling alcohol.

Read more: day trips from Colombo for where a hired van earns its keep.