Galle Town (New Town)

Galle Town is the busy local side of the city, useful for markets and transport. It's fine by day but has little for visitors after dark.

Just outside the Fort, Galle Town is where the city does its everyday business: the bus and train stations, the old Dutch market, the fish market, the cricket stadium and busy shopping streets. It's crowded and noisy, with few tourist cafes and almost no nightlife. In the daytime there are plenty of people around and little aggression, but after the shops close the streets empty and it feels less comfortable. Most visitors only pass through for transport or markets and sleep in the Fort. You'll get more staring and less English than inside the walls. It's cheap and very local, and works well for a morning of errands or a meal at a local restaurant.