2015 Dec 24
Something very special about Christmas is the lights and the décor all around the country. I think I wouldn’t be wrong if I said that this year, we saw central places around Colombo decorated like never before! From entire lawns dangled with beautiful fairy lights to Christmas trees as tall as buildings, kids finally had the opportunity to enjoy the season and really, feel it in them thanks to the decorations in Colombo’s favourite hangout spots by certain banks and most radio and TV stations, and the hotels, that every year take a tiresome effort to introduce an entirely new theme and Christmas fun to their hotels.
We started our ride from the place that’s usually beautifully decorated every year. The roundabout at Town Hall. Well, this years it wasn’t all that bad, but we can say that we’ve seen it so much better. The sparkly and shimmery Christmas cheer sure does add a lot of light and joy to the street that’s mostly crowded with traffic and annoyed drivers. It wasn’t as amazing as we expected it to be, so it was a bit of a let-down, but we can give it a 5/10.
Our next destination, The Arcade, was as beautiful as it can possibly get. I was taken aback when I first walked in and saw a beautiful gingerbread house selling Christmas goodies and right beside that, another house with a board that read ‘Santa’s Workshop’ right above it. This was the first time in Sri Lanka I’ve seen the whole scenario where kids and families can take their Christmas family portrait with Santa. Of course it wasn’t as well thought out and the people around weren’t as engaged in it as we expected them to be, but it was close enough. Kids were screaming and laughing with joy as they got to get on top of reindeers and they for sure, had more to look forward to than just the fish this time. The next highlight was the humungous Christmas tree that adorned the place. In three words, it was beautiful. This is something you most definitely have to check out, I’d give it a 7/10.
Our next stop was Majestic City. Every year they do take great efforts to lighten up the place and since they one of the oldest shopping malls in Colombo, they do need to up their game sometimes to fight against the newly set, more boutique type shopping spaces around town. I was blown away. The huge tree up in front and the décor cut in the shape of circles and trees at both its entrances looked amazing. You walk in, and you’re up for an even bigger surprise. The circles dangling from its roof were so beautifully done it looked better than it has been in a long time. There was a big Christmas tree dome, I’d say on the stairs that was very picturesque, followed by another, massive Christmas tree. The place looked pretty good and we’d give it a 7/10.
Liberty Plaza also looked quite beautiful this year. There wasn’t a specific Christmas décor, in the sense other tiny things dangling around, but the outside was beautifully lit up with fairy lights and there were quite a bunch of Christmas trees inside the place. From the personalised tress inside the branded shops at the new wing, to the Christmas tree and Christmas cheer inside the old wing, Liberty Plaza and Liberty Arcade right next to it, did have a lot to offer. I think I would give it a 6/10. A little bit of more lights and personalized décor would have been spot on.
The Square at Dutch, which was our next stop looked phenomenal. It was my personal favourite out of all the shopping and hangout spaces we visited so far. This is a must take place for your kids. The lights are absolutely going to blow them away. While we were there, we met an Indian couple who told us that they came down because they saw the Square from their hotel room window, and since it looked spectacular from up top, they were eager to really come down and check it out. I can tell you for sure, they weren’t let down. What impressed us the most was the massive Christmas tree right outside the two studio boxes. It was winter wonderland indeed, with the huge fairy lit, décor on the sides and on top of the square. This place is a definite must check out. This was the first time I’ve seen it so beautifully decorated. The idea and concept did add a lot of bling and shimmer to the place. The busy streets saw something new, and I can guarantee you it wasn’t as mundane as the office men walking about everyone morning and evening. We’d give it an 8/10.
Next we thought we’d do a little trip around the hotels. The top hotels in Colombo usually never let us down. With expensive and grand décor to a week of Christmas fun, they will for sure, impress you this year around. Sadly, since the weather or the traffic wasn’t doing us any good, we didn’t really have time to walk into many of them.
The first hotel we walked into was the Kingsbury hotel, Colombo. I must say, their work around the theme of roses must be given credit. The mandatory Kingsbury selfie would be in front of the beautiful bouquets of roses they have right as you enter. Well this year, you’re in for a shock. These huge bouquets were replaced with Christmas tress made of the exact same roses, as big and as wide. Yes, a Christmas tree made of actual live roses, this is something you must let your eyes feast on. All around the hotel we saw their signature décor with roses continue as they dangled down walls or pillars. The coffee shop was beautifully decorated along the themes of a winter wonderland and was made to look like a ginger bread house. The hotel was both picturesque and stunning. We’d give it a 7/10.
When passing by we saw the fairy light at Taj Samudra Hotel, and that was our next stop. The lights and their lawn will blow you away. The Christmas cheer outside the hotel and in their lawn, will literally blow you away. The amount of fairy lights dangling around the branches and leaves of their many trees is insane. In addition to the huge ‘Seasons Greeting’s’ lights on its roof, it’s the lights on the lawn that look spectacular. It was a winter wonderland, beautifully adorned with fairy lights. Walking inside didn’t let us down either. There was a huge Christmas tree right when you enter and a week of Christmas fun, starting off with Carols at the Lattice to a week of fun that really, goes along all the way till January. There’s a lot to expect at Taj this Christmas, and in terms of décor, we’d give it an 8/10.
Our next and last destination was Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo. Every year, I for one patiently wait until they put out their Christmas décor. The driveway, the past few years always looked spot on. This year too, they stuck to their theme colours; blue and purple and had beautifully embellished ornaments made of fairy lights hang down to the driveway. It looked spot on this year around as well. The décor was well thought out and was followed by some stars that looked like blue and purple glow in the dark stars at the entrance… The Christmas cheer and theme did follow us all the way inside. It looked breath-taking and the effort and the decorations need to be well appreciated. I would give it an 8/10.
As said earlier, sadly since time, the weather and traffic didn’t do any help, we couldn’t visit as many places as we wanted to. But the few that we did go to, took our breath away. Colombo hasn’t looked this beautiful in years I’d say, it really did Christmas justice. Make it a family past time maybe, take your kids a ride around Colombo, memories are surely made of these. We at Pulse wish you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We can’t wait to see what these places have planned for us next Christmas! Let’s hope it’s better and bigger!