Tuk Tuks & lots of fishes – Sri Lanka

Munich → Colombo, Sri Lanka: 16 hours. Admittedly, such a long journey is exhausting, but almost everything went smoothly. Next time, though, we’d definitely get the visa online beforehand. On arrival, it costs around €40 per person, and you have to wait in a long line to get it. Online is cheaper—and saves a lot of time.

In Colombo, our very friendly private driver, Newton, greets us with a beautiful orchid garland—a lovely touch—and whisks us in his air-conditioned car to our hotel in Negombo in just 20 minutes. First order of business: relaxing by the pool. But as committed adventurers, we can’t stay idle for long and set off on foot to explore the city. It’s quite hot—around 29°C with high humidity—but that doesn’t slow us down. The Sri Lankans are incredibly friendly and helpful. We hear about a few amazing fish markets, which, as a photographer, of course, really interests me. The catch: we have to wake up very early, because the colorful activity there only lasts from about 6 to 9 a.m.

The next morning, we grab a tuk-tuk (around €6 for a round trip) and find ourselves at 7 a.m. amidst an incredible variety of fish. Luckily, our tuk-tuk driver guides us around and explains the hard work behind being a fisherman. Huge knives lie everywhere, we walk through puddles of blood, and marvel at the different species of fish in every size imaginable. The pungent smell is sometimes hard to bear. Admittedly, some scenes are quite sad—but this is how most people here earn their living.

The second part of the day is a city tour of Colombo with Newton. We leisurely drive from one landmark to another, getting out a few times to take photos. In just a short time, we see 16 different districts. Of course, you could explore on foot or take a tuk-tuk on your own, but that would require a lot more time. The traffic is chaotic, with vehicles weaving in every direction, and we’re very glad we don’t have to drive ourselves.