Galle Face Green is popular with Sri Lankans and visitors alike. Its unique flavour is made up of carts of crunchy, spicy and succulent street food, salty sea breeze, the buzz of children playing freely, lovers wandering aimlessly and friendly games of football and cricket; there’s also a line of vibrant kites that adorn the azure sky dotted with glimpses of skyscrapers.

If you’re lucky enough to habit one of the upscale apartments in Colombo near Galle Face Green like One Galle Face, don’t miss the chance to savour the pulsating energy that seems to embrace this coastal locale on sunny evenings.

Galle Face Green was initially designed by then Governor Sir Henry Ward in the mid-80s for people to watch magnificent sunsets, wander lost in thought and eat ice cream while chatting to a friend.

If you go for a walk in Galle Face Green, don’t forget to taste the delicious prawn or crab ‘vadai’, a snack made out of ground lentils fried in oil topped with a whole small crab or a line of spicy prawns. You could also try the local ‘achcharu’, a concoction of fresh local fruit including mangoes mixed with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and a sprinkling of sugar. If you are in for a full meal, try piquant kottu from one of the regular shops along the Galle Face Green stretch which does a roaring business every evening.

The Galle Face Green is equipped with wooden benches for the contemplative while those who love to get up closer to the sea can stand on the wooden pier and watch blue-green waves break against rocks. On a windy evening, you will see a line of colourful kites decorate the skies above the sea and Galle Face Green. You could even buy your own kite from one of the vendors and join in the fun.

Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life.

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