A Sri Lankan night can be a magical experience but if you want western style nightlife you really are in the wrong country.

In Colombo there are casinos and clubs, which tend to cater for the more affluent and small towns may have a local bar (catering for the more desperate) but these are probably not the sort of place you will want to frequent.

Your hotel management will do their best to entertain you as you sip your overpriced after dinner drinks with your fellow Europeans but believe me, the novelty will soon wear off and even the most love-struck couples will be eager for a change of scenery by the end of the first week.

Touts or beach boys can be a pain in the arse, but do not let that stop you getting to know the locals and if you get invited to visit a Sri Lankan home jump at the chance. Unless your new found friends are Muslim they will almost certainly agree to share a beer with you of an evening so if you enjoy your daytime visit (i.e. if you are not asked for money) suggest getting together for a drink after dinner one night.

The locals may know a reasonable local bar but for a real treat get yourself invited to their home to share a few beers with their family and friends (their friends will turn up anyway so you might as well include them in the invitation). Arrange a time and place for them to pick you up in a three-wheeler (only tourists call them tuk tuks), grab your bug spray and enjoy your evening. It gets lively and even though you will be buying all the beer, it is a relatively cheap night out.

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A funky bar near the Holiday Inn with great cocktails and nice views over Galle Face and the fort.

Sir Mohammed Macan Markar Mawatha, near the Holiday Inn, on the third floor round the back

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