Green side of Colombo

Colombo was once considered a garden city, one of the most verdant in the East. Even today, if you get the opportunity of seeing the capital from the air, you will be surprised by the pockets of green that still exist despite the tide of development. So here is a guide as to where to experience green Colombo and, as importantly, what to look for there.
If you live in Colombo, when was the last time you strolled unhurriedly the length of a side road, pausing to listen for birdcalls, trace the unpredictable path of a butterfly’s flutter, or admire the colourful variety of the trees? When was the last time you walked, rather than drove, between nearby destinations, choosing to enjoy some of the green with which Colombo is graced? When was the last time, faced with a moment of leisure, you escaped to an outdoor urban retreat and fantasised about a Colombo cooled by shade trees, softened by the singing of birds and mellowed by a peppering of clean parks, safe recreation areas for children, and perhaps even lakeside esplanades? Because few people opt for walking there isn’t the realization of how much nature Colombo actually does have to offer the resident and visitor, and how easily accessible its flora and fauna are. Today, the streets of Colombo are not places in which people often idle. Nevertheless, havens do exist, most of them tantalisingly tranquil, where the ecologically aware can indulge their senses and be amply rewarded .