Every journey needs a doorway, and ours was Colombo, a city that greets you with the smell of sea salt, frangipani and frying spices all at once. We began at Gangaramaya Temple, tucked beside Beira Lake. Nothing prepares you for the first minute. There are Buddha statues in gold and ivory, glass cases of old clocks, vintage cars, gifts from devotees around the world, and a courtyard where a sacred bodhi tree is tied with prayer flags. It is part temple, part museum, part magnificent attic. Wear something that covers your shoulders and knees, leave your shoes at the door, and give it an hour. If you have time, walk to the little floating meditation hall on the lake, one of the most photographed corners of the city.
From there we went to Independence Square, where wide lawns and tall palms surround a memorial hall. It was built to remember the day in 1948 when the island became free, and its design echoes the royal audience hall of the old Kandyan kings: carved pillars, stone lions, a roof that seems to float. Locals jog here at dusk, and it is one of the calmest corners of the capital.
Then, a short drive to Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, on the banks of the Kelani River. Tradition says the Buddha himself visited this spot. For Ramayana travellers, there is another story too: local belief holds that Vibhishana, Ravana's brother, was crowned king of Lanka near here once the war was over. Step inside, and the walls glow with painted stories in warm reds and ochres, drawn by artists in the last century. The white stupa outside is where most visitors pause to light a lamp. Visit in the late afternoon, when the light turns everything honey-coloured.
We ended the day at Galle Face Green, Colombo's open-air living room. Here, a long promenade meets the Indian Ocean, kites tug at the sky, and families unroll mats and eat. Try isso wade (crisp lentil fritters topped with prawns) from a cart, and a chilled thambili (king coconut) with a straw. It tastes like the seaside. Our walk through the Fort and Dutch colonial quarter came next: old arches, shuttered colonial buildings and the restored Dutch Hospital, now a courtyard of cafés and boutiques. Portuguese, Dutch and British rulers have all left their stamp here, and the architecture shows it. Stop for tea or a lamprais, a parcel of rice, curry and sambol baked in a banana leaf, a Dutch-era dish the island has made its own.
As the sky darkened we looked up at the Lotus Tower, a slim pink-and-silver bud rising over the skyline, the tallest tower in South Asia. Go up at sunset, and Colombo spreads out beneath you in lights.