Galle

Galle Fort is the most complete colonial-era fortified town in South Asia, and it is still lived in rather than preserved behind glass. Inside the ramparts, streets laid out by the Dutch in the sixteen hundreds are lined with lime-washed villas, a working lighthouse, a mosque, a Dutch Reformed church and dozens of small galleries and coffee shops.

The walls are the main event at the end of the day, when the whole town walks the ramparts and boys leap into the sea from the bastions. Outside the fort, Galle is a busy Sri Lankan city with a cricket ground that hosts test matches against the ocean.

Getting there and when to go: Galle is about 120 km south of Colombo, around two hours by road on the Southern Expressway, or two and a half to three hours on the coastal train from Colombo Fort. The fort is small enough to explore on foot and is at its best in the late afternoon, when the ramparts fill with people watching the sunset. November to April is the dry season on this coast; the fort itself is worth visiting in any month.