Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and South Asian traditions.
The town that came into being inside the fort at the time of the Dutch invasion is still in use today. It has a laid-back charm, almost a small city within a city. While many bloggers said it is overrated, I, on the other hand, love the feeling of quaint and beautiful nostalgia.
Sam Villa
There are many accommodations inside the fort which are converted from old colonial heritage homes. We stayed in Sam Villa, a guesthouse that well-placed in the heart of Galle Fort. I think you can book rooms in the guesthouse, but we booked the entire guesthouse from Airbnb. There are totally 5 bedrooms, come with basic amenities.
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| A small courtyard |
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| The common area |
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| Our four poster bed |
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| A nice welcome sign specifically for us |
Sam Villa served wonderful Sri Lankan breakfast. It's really nice to start our day with good food, in a layback ambience.
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| Dining area |
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| I love this bread. Similar texture with our "benggali bread" |
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| Pol Sambol |
Galle Fort
It is very easy to describe Galle to Malaysians who have never been there. It is very similar to Melaka. Ibn Battuta visited it in 1342 and referred to it as Qali (I bet you found Ibn Batuta extremely familiar). Chinese admiral ZhengHe visited Ceylon in 1411 (Well, we call him Laksamana Zheng Ho). We “shared” the same colonial past (Portuguese, Dutch, and British)......
It is very easy to describe Galle to Malaysians who have never been there. It is very similar to Melaka. Ibn Battuta visited it in 1342 and referred to it as Qali (I bet you found Ibn Batuta extremely familiar). Chinese admiral ZhengHe visited Ceylon in 1411 (Well, we call him Laksamana Zheng Ho). We “shared” the same colonial past (Portuguese, Dutch, and British)......
Just like our Penang and Melaka, this jewel is also a Unesco World Heritage Site, and it is also a delight to explore on foot. Wandering its rambling lanes you'll pass stylish cafes, quirky boutiques and impeccably restored hotels owned by local and foreign artists, writers, photographers and designers.
For Penangnites, if you wish to know how does it feel to live in the original Fort Cornwallis, Galle Fort may give you an answer.
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| Lovely purple hue |
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| Galle Fort Lighthouse |
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| A good walk on Galle Fort ramparts |
Instead of trishaws, they have tuk-tuks everywhere :)
I particularly love all the expressive doors of storefronts residence.
We enjoyed our morning walk a lot, before other tourists flock in, before the hustle and bustle started. We especially love the dramatic orange walls of the National Maritime Archaeology Museum.
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| impressive weeping tree at Court Square |
We love spending our time in cafe, hiding from the heat or rain, enjoying the colonial ambience, and have a nice cup of coffee.
We have never left Galle Fort for our entire stay, until the last hours before we departed to Colombo. We went outside of the fort, had some brief window shopping, decided that we love being inside the fort more, and said farewell to Galle.
By the way, here's the photos of rows and rows of clay pot curds -- one of my favorite food in Sri Lanka. Known as mee kiri, this is Sri Lankan curd, traditionally made from buffalo milk. The milk’s high fat content gives it an unmatched creaminess.
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| See those clay pots? |
Our 2019 Sri Lanka Trip:
