The Road to Liberty: A Tour of Colombo's Seafront Quarter

If you enjoy coffee, do stop at Ceylon Kahawa on Rotunda Gardens. A little spot to grab a cup of Sri Lankan coffee roasted from beans grown at their own estate in Bandarawela.

I also recommend Rohan's Bookstore at Liberty Plaza shopping mall, for booklovers. It showcases books on Sri Lanka and by Sri Lankan writers.

Both the Polwatte Sri Dharmakirti Viharaya and Church of St Michaels and All Angels, which you will pass during your walk, are worth stepping into. There is also a tiny Hindu temple built around a tree, that is somewhat of a blink, and you miss kind of spot, next to the mosque on St Michael's road that might be of interest for those interested in different faiths. Do note that you would need to remove footwear and caps, when you step into temples. The dogs at the Buddhist temple get particularly offended when you walk in wearing a cap. I got barked at once, when I forgot to take my cap off during a very sunny mid-morning walk, and a staff came out to see what was causing the commotion. They only calmed down as soon as I removed my cap, and I have been wondering how they figured out that it is disrespectful to walk into a temple with your cap or hat.

For those who love bustling markets, do step into the Kollupitiya market to see the varieties of fresh produce on the lower floors and imported goods on the upper floors.

If you prefer your coffee at the end of the walk, there is Damn Fine Coffee, another cafe selling locally sourced coffee. It is located on Abdul Gaffoor Mawatha on the ground floor of the FitsAir building, a few minutes' walk from Liberty Plaza.

To avoid the heat of Colombo, it is recommended that the walk be taken early in the morning or later in the afternoon, all year around. However, two locations that you will pass by in your walk have specific opening times, if you want to step in and explore them. The church around 9am and Liberty Plaza at 10am.

Please be mindful when you cross Galle Road and Dharmapala Road. Both these roads have heavy traffic so please pay attention when you cross the road without being distracted by the audio.

The walking route passes through narrow lanes which might not have bright streetlights in the night, so it is safer to do the walk during daylight hours.

I always take an umbrella or a cap with me, because the sun can be quite harsh even by 8am. Additionally, sunblock, a bottle of water, wet wipes and a pair of sunglasses will be helpful.