Colombo

Colombo is usually treated as a gateway to Sri Lanka’s west and south coast beaches, but it deserves more than a night in transit. The Galle Face Green promenade fills with locals at sunset, while the Pettah district’s markets and the colonial-era Dutch Hospital precinct show how many layers of history the city carries. Spend a day here before heading to the coast, and Sri Lanka starts to make a lot more sense as a whole.