Lakpahana

Colombo


The place for mass-produced carved elephants in bulk so you can show everyone back home you care. Traditional souvenirs are sold in profusion and this vast store is a cathedral of unintentional kitsch.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Colombo attractions

1. Colombo Racecourse

0.04 MILES

Once the centre of harness racing in Colombo (and a WWII airfield), the landmark grandstands here now face a posh rugby ground, while the buildings…

2. Lionel Wendt Centre

0.18 MILES

Has a constantly changing line-up of cultural events, with regular art exhibitions as well as performances and theatre. It’s worth turning up just to see…

3. University of Colombo

0.31 MILES

The 50-acre University of Colombo campus, which originally opened as the Ceylon Medical School in 1870, is surrounded by long tree-lined avenues lined…

4. Independence Memorial Hall

0.34 MILES

Really a large memorial building to Sri Lanka’s 1948 independence from Britain, this huge stone edifice is loosely based on Kandy’s Audience Hall. It's…

5. National Museum

0.35 MILES

Offering a captivating walk through Sri Lankan history, this delightful Colombo museum sprawls across a gleaming white, neo-Baroque building constructed…

6. National Art Gallery

0.39 MILES

The grandest thing about the National Art Gallery is its name. Next to the National Museum, it has a small collection of portraits and landscapes shown…

7. College House

0.47 MILES

The turreted College House (1912) is a colonial building repurposed for the University of Colombo.

8. Geoffrey Bawa House

0.47 MILES

At the end of this quiet little street is the house where the renowned architect Bawa lived from 1960 to 1970. The house combines his usual love for…