You may think from my last post that I find Galle, Sri Lanka, to be a terrible town, but I do not.

The fort is nice. The mellow streets feel worlds away from the craziness of the new city. The old Portuguese colonial buildings make you feel like you are in a different time and place.

The lighthouse is beautiful.

Walking along the fort walls at sunset was a lovely experience with the weathered buildings on one side and the sun setting over the ocean on the other.

It was fun to see the mix of people all enjoying the same sights. The foreign tourists in khaki pants. Local women in colorful saris. Other local Muslim women covered from head to toe in flowing fabric.

While the buildings in the fort were mostly neutral shades of cream and beige, the new city was full of color.

The fisherman displaying their catch right by the water was a fascinating sight (and smell).

We enjoyed both the spicy local food in the new city and the tamer tourist food in the fort.

We spent 4 days in Galle, which was way more than we needed, but we wanted time to adjust to a new country. The fort could even be done as a day trip from one of the nearby beach towns. But watching the sunset from the fort’s wall is essential, so staying a night or two in or around the fort would be good, too.