Ebert Silva Holidays commences Colombo City Tour open deck rides

Ebert Silva Holidays commenced the exciting Colombo City Tour Open Deck double decker city tours last weekend amidst much enthusiasm and interest from Sri Lankans young and old. Colombo City Tour showcases Sri Lanka’s premier city to both Sri Lankans as well as foreign nationals and is a venture by Sri Lanka Tourism and Ebert Silva Holidays with unmatched panoramic views of the city in its big red Open Deck double decker coaches. 

As the country embraces the ‘new normal’ Sri Lankans eagerly came on board to enjoy the ‘Heritage of Colombo’ and ‘Colombo at Night’ weekend tours. It was an opportunity to responsibly break free from restricted activities and have a refreshing and joyous open deck sightseeing experience in the city of Colombo. The tours conform to strict health guidelines ensuring maximum safety and precautionary measures to safeguard passengers and team members against the pandemic. Temperature checks, sanitisation and protection with facemasks are mandatory for passengers and all onboard throughout tours. 

Known as ‘Kolon thota’ , the native name of the city meaning ‘port’ became ‘Colombo’ with the advent of the colonial rulers to the island. Today the city is an interesting and colourful tapestry of many races, religions and cultures and showcases a wonderful colonial heritage blended in its many moods. With a rapidly changing skyline Colombo is indeed a unique city of ‘old and new’ that is swiftly unfolding into a spectacular tourist destination in the region.

Both the Heritage of Colombo and Colombo at Night tours with duration of approximately four hours, operate during the weekends sightseeing within the city limits of Colombo and extending to the administrative capital, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte. The tours feature many places of historic significance in the city such as the prison cell of the last King of the Kandyan Kingdom. The humble structure shadowed by the surrounding high rise buildings in Fort is where King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe was temporarily kept a prisoner until he was sent to Vellore, India, in 1815 by the British. 

The old Colombo clock tower and light house on Chatham Street is a lesser known historic treasure in the city as it is even two years older than the ‘Big Ben’ of Westminster in London. It was designed by Lady Steinberg Ward, the wife of the British Governor Sir Henry Ward and built in 1857. Seen also on tour is the President’s House and its surrounding buildings as well as those along York Street which are iconic monuments from the British era.

In the administrative capital the tour will present a thrilling experience of a boat ride for nearly 30 minutes on Diyawanna Lake, which is set amidst the historic backdrop of the 15th Century Kingdom of Kotte. The unique fauna and flora surrounding the Lake can also be observed with charming views of the new Parliament Complex designed by renowned Sri Lankan Architect Geoffrey Bawa. The combined experience of the open deck double decker and the boat ride undoubtedly enhances and enriches the experiences the city of Colombo has to offer to the passengers.

All city tours include live commentaries by professional guides, snack and mineral water, entrance tickets to sites and other experiences and are conducted under strict guidelines that are stipulated by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority ensuring the safety of all those on board.

Ebert Silva Holidays with the Colombo City Tour showcases the history of the city of Colombo and also enable the passengers to get unique views of the new rapid developments of the city. The Port City, the Lotus Tower, numerous new high rise buildings and the emerging exciting skyline of the city signifies the prosperity and the promise of a new era in the near future. Reservations are now open for evening weekend tours on the Colombo City Tour and it is a unique opportunity to experience the city of Colombo with family and friends. Contact details: Hotlines: 0777 772 595 or 0777 599 963; Web: www.colombocitytours.com.