Overlooked as a tourist destination until recently, the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo is finally taking its rightful place as more than just the location of the island nation’s main international airport. Its oldest districts, Fort and Pettah, are lined with buildings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from department stores to boutique hotels. Markets rich in the scent of spices and piled high with tropical fruits are never far away, and the ever-changing skyline can be admired and better understood from the heights of the new Colombo Lotus Tower. Nor are you far from the beach at Mount Lavinia, or a wealth of cultural attractions sure to amaze.