Written on November 20, 2010 at 10:08 PM by Lasith

The beach at Mount Lavinia

Filed under Beaches, People I've met {one comment}

Location: Colombo, Western Province
Date of visit: 9th November 2010

My trip to Colombo would not have been complete without a visit to the city’s most popular beach destination – Mt. Lavinia, also known as Galkissa in Sinhalese. Situated about 12 km south of Fort on Galle Road, Mt. Lavinia is certainly a “must-do” during your visit.

Getting There

The easiest way there is a tuk-tuk ride that should cost about LKR 300 from Bambalapitiya or a little more further away from Fort or Pettah. Alternative any bus that goes down Galle Road, like routes 100 or 101 or 102 should get you there.

Legend of Lovina Aponsuwa & The Governor

There are several legends surrounding the origin of the town’s name, but the most romantic is one about an affair of the second British Governor of Ceylon (an earlier name for Sri Lanka) with a low caste mestizo dancer. The story goes that in 1805, during the welcome party for the Governor, Sir Thomas Maitland, he became mesmerized by the beauty of Lovina Aponsuwa, a half Portuguese and half Sinhalese dancer.

A clandestine romance soon ensued between the two, and it is rumored that Lovina used to sneak into Sir Thomas’ countryside mansion through a secret underground tunnel from her father’s house. As a token of his affection, Governor Maitland named his home Mansion Mount Lavinia after his lover. Soon the surrounding town also took on the name and was officially endorsed when the Governor used the postal address “Mt. Lavinia, Ceylon” while writing to the British Secretary of State.

Mount Lavinia Hotel

I started the day with breakfast at the Mount Lavinia Hotel and what used to be Sir Thomas Maitland’s luxurious Governor’s mansion. As you enter the premises you are greeted by the Lady Lavinia (as Lovina Aponsuwa became known) whose statue stands in the middle of a grand fountain. I made my way to The Terrace restaurant that offers some breathtaking beach views and also a good continental breakfast for about LKR 800. I certainly recommend a visit and remember to pay with your American Express card to get 15% off.

Keeping inline with its romantic history, the hotel has become a popular wedding destination for not only locals but also foreigners. On any auspicious wedding date you are bound to run into several couples posing for wedding photographs in the lobby and on the beach.

Golden Mile Restaurants

Having had breakfast I went for a walk along the beach, heading north back in the direction of the city. Adjacent to the hotel is a popular stretch of restaurants, commonly called the Golden Mile. While the menus at these beach restaurants might be somewhat limited, the fresh seafood is exquisite and certainly worth a visit for the true seafood enthusiast. One of my favorites is an East-Asian themed place called Loon Tao that serves a single dish for about LKR 800. Another popular favorite is the Golden Mile restaurant that also offers live music on some evenings.

Laal, The Rock Fisherman

Photo doesn't existWalking further north along the beach, the coastline is dotted by several fishing villages and at about 10:30 am most of the boats were heading into sea for the day. Also along the shore you see several independent fishermen, like my new friend Laal. Laal is a professional fisherman I met and was rock fishing along the shore for Flatfish. He doesn’t own a boat but tells me that the deep rocky shoreline is home to plenty of fish. On a good day he is able to catch about 10 fish, selling each for about LKR 150 – 200 and earning him a daily wage of about LKR 2000.

The suburban shoreline outside Colombo gives a good glimpse of life in some of the low-income fishing villages in the country. However, I would caution walking alone after dark as lighting could be bad and some of the neighborhoods are questionable.

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