Pettah
A market where each street sells one thing: hardware here, cloth there, spices at the end.
Duration
1 hr – 2 hrs
Best time
Weekday mornings
Open
Closed Sunday
Entry price
Free
Pettah is Colombo's trading quarter, inherited from the Dutch grid, and it works by specialised street: Gabo's Lane for ayurvedic herbs, Sea Street for gold, First Cross Street for electronics, Fifth Cross Street for cloth.
That arrangement comes from colonial trade and has never changed. The market is dense, loud and makes no concessions to visitors — you come to watch the city work, not to shop. The red and white chequered Jami Ul-Alfar mosque is its landmark.
Getting there
Immediately east of Colombo Fort station. The whole quarter is on foot; vehicles crawl through it.
Rules on site
The streets are jammed with vehicles and porters: keep to the side and hold your bag in front. Many shops close on Sunday and on full-moon days, which are public holidays in Sri Lanka.