By Ravini Perera
Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital and largest city (by population), is often referred to as a ‘concrete jungle’. Colombo is a blend of the old and new. Colonial architecture, gleaming skyscrapers, street food, street markets, public parks, and restaurants are some of the hotspots that attract the attention of the explorers of this city. Moreover, the smiling strangers, bustling streets, and candid photo opportunities also add to the unique experience of visiting the city of Colombo.
Despite there being so much more to Colombo than meets the eye, as a destination it is commonly overlooked by many travellers planning vacations and is often excluded from travel itineraries altogether. However, much has changed in the last few years, and Colombo has slowly built a name for itself as a travel destination in its own right, being recently named one of CNN Travel’s best destinations to visit for 2022.
Investigating Colombo’s newly-recognised status as a travel hotspot, Brunch spoke to luxury travel experiences provider Sensory Indulgences, for some insight on how Colombo has set itself apart as a travel destination, how they as pioneers in luxury travel experiences have worked to build unique Colombo-centric experiences, and how efforts to promote Sri Lankan tourism can benefit Colombo as a destination.
CNN Travel’s best destination to visit
No duo could be happier that Colombo has been listed as one of CNN Travel’s recommended 2022 travel destinations than Udaya Wickramage and Brindley Wijeysooria, the conceptualisers of Sensory Indulgences, who have been working tirelessly to boost tourism in Sri Lanka for many years both in their own respective careers and together through Sensory Indulgences. Their efforts have seen many tourists, both local and international, tour and explore Colombo and its lesser-known, lesser-visited spots.
Like many others, the pair has observed and experienced the evolution of Colombo over the years. However, it is their belief that Colombo has not been subjected to significant change except in terms of development. “Colombo is the same as it once was. For instance, the buildings are still standing tall. The food stalls usually found along the Galle Face Green are still seen today. Therefore, nothing much has changed, but only developed and modified. As a result, the way in which we showcase Colombo to the world has also changed,” said Wijeysooria.
Speaking on CNN Travel recognising Colombo as a destination and looking back at how Sensory Indulgences has always built Colombo into its experiences, Wickramage shared: “We foresaw the opportunities in Colombo that many did not. It has been proven so. Hence, it was a great decision to have invested in Colombo and we will never regret it.”
Noting that while this recognition had validated the importance of Colombo, Wickramage stressed that in order for travellers to continue to choose Colombo, new concepts and exciting adventures must be introduced and provided constantly. “Every destination matters, especially the lesser explored destinations. Therefore, we need to draw attention to such places and promote them amongst travellers. Colombo has thus far done well and we expect for it to thrive even more in the future.”
Mastering the correct formula
We Sri Lankans can all attest that a visit to Sri Lanka would be incomplete without a tour of Colombo – it’s a city filled with action and vibrant colours and flavours. But how do we make sure that visitors know this and see Colombo for the unforgettable destination it is? “It is simply a matter of mastering the correct formula of knowing where to look and who to work with in order to experience Colombo at its finest,” Wickramage said, adding that despite all Colombo has to offer, it is still overlooked, even to date. “Itineraries have ceased to include Colombo,” supplied Wickramage, adding: “Bookings to stay two to three nights in Colombo reduced significantly. Developments of highways, airports, and transportation modes led to travellers bypassing Colombo. However, things have begun to change for the better.”
Colombo’s step-sister treatment as a destination is mostly down to places like Galle, Kandy, and many other places across Sri Lanka being able to welcome foreign travellers immediately following their landing in the island. Hence, many make the decision to avoid the inconvenience of travelling to the city, also hoping to save time and money during their stay.
The limited awareness of travellers and inadequate publicity given by local companies also influences such decisions and Wijeysooria stressed that more effective convincing of travellers to visit Colombo was needed, including smart marketing and promotional strategies that would assist travel projects. Promoting Colombo is vital to Colombo’s tourism businesses and hotels, “There is an oversupply of rooms at hotels in Colombo but insufficient guests. Therefore, we need more travellers to visit Colombo in order to prevent businesses and hotels from collapsing.”
It is also important to keep in mind what makes Colombo such a pleasant destination and to work to keep it that way. Pollution, for example, is directly linked with overcrowding and is one of the main causes that leads to a decline in tourism.
Large and famously touristy cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok have faced numerous challenges owing to increased levels of pollution and overcrowding, and Sri Lanka is no stranger to pollution. These factors have begun to threaten the city of Colombo and its tourism, leading to many tourists boycotting Colombo.
“Measures must be taken to control overcrowding in Colombo. Overcrowding has many negative impacts, especially on tourism, as tourists do not wish to linger in crowded locations. Furthermore, overcrowding leads to the cleanliness of the city limits being compromised. We can only invite travellers to visit this great city if it is presentable,” stated Wickramage.
A destination with year-round activities
Sensory Indulgences takes pride in its heritage and has contributed to putting Sri Lanka (and Colombo) back on the map. The unique adventures created by Sensory Indulgences have undoubtedly played a part in the recent recognition of Colombo. “We were born and bred in Colombo and we are extremely proud of our upbringing. We also feel a responsibility to contribute to showcasing our heritage to the world,” said Wickramage, adding that this has been Sensory Indulgence’s mandate since its inception.
Having realised the untapped potential of Colombo and its ability to bring together different cultures, Sensory Indulgences provides the perfect combination of experiences to indulge the senses upon visiting Colombo.
Some of their unique experiences include a tour of Colombo, either by tuk or on foot to explore the streets and monumental buildings of this great city, and food tours and cooking classes that afford the perfect opportunity to satisfy one’s taste buds and to experience the varied flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine.
“The activities we offer can also be customised to suit the needs and expectations of the client,” Wijeysooria explained, sharing that in addition to the abovementioned activities and many other experiences offered, Sensory Indulgences was also amongst the first to organise tours of the ancient kingdom of Kotte. The tour, arranged in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology, blends cycling with stories of the once-great kingdom, and is not to be missed.
One may be surprised to find that the majority of the activities curated by Sensory Indulgences within the limits of Colombo are active and in high demand, thus affirming the existence of opportunities in Colombo, given that entrepreneurs are willing to be creative, innovative, and to take risks.
The pair’s ‘think bigger, go bigger’ attitude fuels their passion to introduce novel experiences to travellers daily. “We are constantly on the lookout for new activities in Colombo that may interest our clients during their visits. The unique experiences we offer are the result of weeks of research, conceptualising, and discussions. Hence we intend to walk the talk and look forward to adding more adventures to the travel itineraries of our clients in the near future,” added Wijeysooria.
Supporting the local community
A booming tourism industry contributes immensely to uplifting the livelihoods of the local community. Likewise, a downfall in the tourism sector, as we have seen with the pandemic, can leave local businesses and communities helpless.While most establishments focus on engaging skilled professionals to perform tasks, Sensory Indulgences focuses on providing opportunities to locals, thereby showing appreciation and support to the local community.
Numerous projects initiated by Sensory Indulgences aim to highlight the services rendered by the locals, their professionalism, and positive impact on the tourism sector of the country. Wijeysooria and Wickramage further emphasised the importance of looking beyond the mishaps. While certain posts shared on social media platforms tend to pinpoint unpleasant experiences faced by customers (usually owing to the occasional mistakes and poor quality services of local vendors), the duo believes that the actions of the few should not reflect negatively upon the whole.
“It is the small steps that lead to bigger changes,” said Wickramage. “We offer tuk-tuk safaris to our clients and the drivers are all part of the local community. This is one method we have employed to provide the most genuine experiences in Sri Lanka, by engaging the locals in our projects. One may be taken by surprise upon discovering their professionalism and customer service standards.”
Sensory Indulgences has succeeded in keeping it real and providing an experience of a lifetime. Wijeysooria further stated: “We welcome anyone and everyone. Above all else we openly invite travellers to join us and to gather an experience they will cherish forever.We assure you that the experiences we have put together will give you a taste of Sri Lankan culture at its best. Hence, nothing has been staged or pre-planned; it is as authentic as it can get.”
Website – Sensory Indulgences
FB – @experiencesl
IG – @sensoryindulgencessl
