If you didn’t hear already (under what rock were you hiding?), Colombo has been named the ‘must-photograph’ travel destination of 2019 in a new study. The research study was commissioned by Huawei with regard to the upcoming launch of its new P Smart 2019 device and was conducted on more than 1.3 million social media posts, uncovering that the city of Colombo was the location travellers wanted to take a picture of most.
The study also showed that younger travellers are more interested in travelling to lesser-known destinations and take into consideration how ‘Instagrammable’ a destination is before picking their next travel location. The rest of the list is as follows: Yokoma, Japan (2nd), Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda (3rd), Black Forest, Germany (4th), Old San Juan, Puerto Rico (5th), Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (6th), Kartarpur, Pakistan (7th), Wadi Rum, Jordan (8th), and Icy Strait Point, Alaska (9th) and Isle of Harris, Scotland (10th).
Sri Lanka has been garnering a lot of hype as of late, with Lonely Planet ranking Sri Lanka as top country to visit in 2019 and BBC Good Food, naming Sri Lankan cuisine as the No. 1 trending cuisine in 2019.We spoke to some tourists and fellow Sri Lankans and asked them to share their most favourite photographs taken in the beloved city of Colombo. Check out their photos and stories below.
@rovinovic: The beautiful coastline along the bustling city of Colombo.
@helenojansen: I just had one night in Colombo before I travelled to the south of the country, but gosh, the breath-taking views from my hotel of the city skyline will have me visiting Colombo again for a closer exploration of the entire city.
@recipe30: For me, it has to be the awesome food tour we had with Tim and ‘Bob Marley’, our drivers from Tuk Tuk Safari Sri Lanka. 
@karenwsm: My favourite part was admiring the colonial-era buildings and all the fascinating architecture, full of history and character.
@rchithamparam: I love the diversity of this city. From different religions to different cultures, you have hustling markets and areas for fun, and a lot of divine places of worship as well, all in close proximity. 
@leavingthecurb: I love chilling in the sea, off the coast of Colombo. It’s almost magical because if you look forward, you can see the whole skyline and identity of the city and then you turn and you can see the whole Central Highlands, including Adam’s Peak. It’s so ethereal and peaceful.
@wanderphfuel: I’ve always loved how Colombo can be a heady concoction of little wonders, both obvious and inconspicuous. One day I could be trying out some delightful Italian cuisine overlooking the fabulous ocean and the next day I’d be exploring inner streets, looking for local street food and quaint old buildings. The Galle Face Green is also a wonderful spot to do some people watching and enjoy a sunset that on most days is a mesmerising sight.
@snippetsbynadine: I loved the city – from the lush landscapes to the food to the people and their lovely spirit. My regards to the people of Sri Lanka!
@jenny__bush: A city so colourful with delightful architecture.
@internationalflyguy: The sincerity in the kindness of the people in this city is so unique. Everyone welcomes you with a beautiful smile. I also love the new energy that is revitalising and transforming Colombo into an up and coming city.
@kinita.s: Colombo is one of the few (if only) cities in the world that boasts an incredible coastline, but is small and green enough to be liveable and friendly. I can’t think of anywhere else in the world I could live by the sea, get to office in two minutes, and walk to a bar in three minutes, surrounded by sunshine and beautiful architecture.
@buttpacker: I think kindness of the people is the best thing about our stay in Colombo. We even met a lovely couple, who runs a shop that helped us as much as they could for free!
@laura_orlong: I loved so many things about Colombo. I loved the beautifully preserved buildings in Colombo Fort, walking during sunset at Galle Face Beach and watching people enjoy swimming in the ocean, which is rare luxury for a capital city, having sunset drinks at the rooftop bar at my hotel and enjoying live music at Dutch Hospital.
@islander_diaries: For the most beautiful cityscapes and sunsets Colombo never fails to offer.
@helenojansen: I just had one night in Colombo before I travelled to the south of the country, but gosh, the breath-taking views from my hotel of the city skyline will have me visiting Colombo again for a closer exploration of the entire city.
@recipe30: For me, it has to be the awesome food tour we had with Tim and ‘Bob Marley’, our drivers from Tuk Tuk Safari Sri Lanka. @karenwsm: My favourite part was admiring the colonial-era buildings and all the fascinating architecture, full of history and character.
@rchithamparam: I love the diversity of this city. From different religions to different cultures, you have hustling markets and areas for fun, and a lot of divine places of worship as well, all in close proximity. @leavingthecurb: I love chilling in the sea, off the coast of Colombo. It’s almost magical because if you look forward, you can see the whole skyline and identity of the city and then you turn and you can see the whole Central Highlands, including Adam’s Peak. It’s so ethereal and peaceful.@wanderphfuel: I’ve always loved how Colombo can be a heady concoction of little wonders, both obvious and inconspicuous. One day I could be trying out some delightful Italian cuisine overlooking the fabulous ocean and the next day I’d be exploring inner streets, looking for local street food and quaint old buildings. The Galle Face Green is also a wonderful spot to do some people watching and enjoy a sunset that on most days is a mesmerising sight.@snippetsbynadine: I loved the city – from the lush landscapes to the food to the people and their lovely spirit. My regards to the people of Sri Lanka!@jenny__bush: A city so colourful with delightful architecture.@internationalflyguy: The sincerity in the kindness of the people in this city is so unique. Everyone welcomes you with a beautiful smile. I also love the new energy that is revitalising and transforming Colombo into an up and coming city.@kinita.s: Colombo is one of the few (if only) cities in the world that boasts an incredible coastline, but is small and green enough to be liveable and friendly. I can’t think of anywhere else in the world I could live by the sea, get to office in two minutes, and walk to a bar in three minutes, surrounded by sunshine and beautiful architecture.@buttpacker: I think kindness of the people is the best thing about our stay in Colombo. We even met a lovely couple, who runs a shop that helped us as much as they could for free!@laura_orlong: I loved so many things about Colombo. I loved the beautifully preserved buildings in Colombo Fort, walking during sunset at Galle Face Beach and watching people enjoy swimming in the ocean, which is rare luxury for a capital city, having sunset drinks at the rooftop bar at my hotel and enjoying live music at Dutch Hospital.@islander_diaries: For the most beautiful cityscapes and sunsets Colombo never fails to offer.