ARUGAMBAY BEACH SRI LANKA
Hailed as one of the best surfing destinations in the world, many events are held each year under the patronage of Sri Lanka Tourism Authority to promote this beach, the ones to watch are regional championships held each year in May – June. Arugambay is located on southeast corner of the island in close proximity to Kumana, which is one of the best places for birdwatchers, and Lahugala another destination to observe elephants in Sri Lanka.
Further inland rising out of the line of trees in the distance one spots the lonely rock, standing above the rest called Kudumbigala. A stone inscription located here states that the monastery was built and gifted by Nandimithra, one of the ten generals (referred as giants) of King Duttugemunu in the pre-Christian era, Panama is an economical beach vacationers paradise for those with a constricted budget.
BENTOTA BEACH SRI LANKA
Bentota, a mere 45 minutes away from Colombo along the Southern express way, hails as a premier resort town with no less than 15 Star class Hotels clustered together plus numerous other less than 10 rooms boutique style hotels with Sun, surf and sand. This gives the visitor an ideal chance to stay in one and savour many different above water activities, Bentota has always been renowned as the water sport capital of Sri Lanka with the hoteliers in the area actively promoting water sports from adrenaline filled speed boat and jet ski riding, wind surfing, boogie boarding, water skiing, kite surfing, to a leisurely ride on a banana boat for the family & kids.
“Lunuganga” and “The Brief” are places where one should visit and meet the renowned landscaper Doolan Silva a gentleman and a friend, who owns the tropical garden with a famous mural done by Australian artist John Friend.
GALLE BEACH SRI LANKA
The first references of Galle port comes during King Solomons times which is believed to be “Tarish” in the Bible, and cinnamon has been the main export of Sri Lanka starting around 1400 years BC. Southern port of call for many ancient silk route bound ships, the Galle harbour or then known as “Gimhathitha” but the ancient mariner Ibn Battuta referes to it as “Qali” is located 119 kilometers from Colombo. The town reached its peak during the Dutch colonial period remnants’ of it lies today in the form of the UNESCO world heritage site of Galle Fort, which is also acclaimed as the largest remaining fortification in Asia, fortified by every European nation that set foot on the Island such was the importance of this port to their spice trade. Site and sounds of Galle includes, National Maritime museum, St.Mary’s cathedral and the Dutch fort built in 1663.
Two kilometres away is the famous beach resort town of Unawatuna, popular with foreign & local tourist alike for its placid deep blue sea, a fine reef for snorkelling also the only spot where one could spot whale shark the largest know fish in the world and not a shark, and one should also know that sharks are unheard of in Sri Lankan waters. The area is also frequented by turtles to lay eggs.
HIKKADUWA BEACH SRI LANKA
In 1940, the Hikkaduwa Rocky Islets were declared sanctuaries and was limited to the land boundaries of these rocky islets. In 1998 it was upgraded to the status of a nature reserve and later to a national park. The famed Coral Gardens and Telwatte Bird Sanctuary are the main attractions of Hikkaduwe which lies 98km from Colombo.
Foreign and local tourist come to see the famous “coral gardens” of Hikkaduwe, for the tourist who doesn’t like to get their feet wet glass bottom boats are available while others snorkel to reach them which are filled with brightly coloured corals and marine life.
INDURUWA BEACH SRI LANKA
Nestled along a small ravine in the west coast, was once a sleepy fishing village today however it has turned into a major hotspot for tourists looking for white sandy beaches with perfect surf to relax in. The town caters all types of accommodation facilities from star class to beach villa style accommodation.
KALPITIYA BEACH SRI LANKA
The Sinhalese chronicle Mahavamsa states that prince Vijaya landed in a place not too far from the present day Kalpitiya. A sandy headland which keeps the Kalpitiya lagoon sheltered from the Indian Ocean, the blue water with a calm surface beacons the kite surfers to try the breeze coming across the peninsular towards the land and enjoy a trouble free ride without the hassle of a sudden guest, which as every kite surfer knows can be a trifle more than tricky to handle on a board.
Kalpitiya is also the best place to see Dolphins and during the season you can witness Dolphin pods up to 1000 to 1500 members at most given times. We can arrange accommodation in a basic holiday cottage or a nice beach villa in Kalpitiya area or get a boat ride organised from Negombo and proceed to Kalpitya by sea, known hotspot for reef sharks, manta rays and occasionally turtles, in our opinion a week’s holiday here of snorkelling and diving will barely scratch the surface of what’s on offer.
KALUTARA BEACH SRI LANKA
The city gets its name from the “Kaluganga” river which flows past famous “Gangathilake” Temple with a hollow “stupa” and adored inside with many paintings, sits on the former location of the Kalutara British fort. First mentioned in the 11th century where a Tamil prince made this a temporary capital but was unable to hold it against the Sinhalese forces from the south. Today the region is more famous for lush coconut palms and the capital for rush and reed ware products along with the toddy tapper’s ropes running from coconut tree to coconut tree, a common sight in Kaluthara.
MADIHA BEACH SRI LANKA
MIRISSA BEACH SRI LANKA
The BBC documentary titled “Ocean Giants” featuring the mesmeric world of Whales and Dolphins, and the scientist’s effort to shed light on their habits and why they grow so large were filmed around Mirissa Sri Lanka and according to them 30 Blue Whales were sighted in a single day!
One of the best places in the world to see one of the only recorded resident blue whale colonies in their natural habitat. Dolphins are regularly spotted on whale watching trips organized from Mirissa and Dondra head on the south coast.
NEGOMBO BEACH SRI LANKA
Negombo, Situated six kilometres, a mere stones throwaway from the International airport of Sri Lanka, is a characteristic predominantly Christian fishing town with narrow streets and small boutiques and many a historic churches to visit and see, with its routes running back to the arrival of the Portuguese. Negombo is an ideal place to enjoy the traditional fishing methods of Sri Lanka, the out rigger canoe, the swifter catamaran and the lagoon famous for its promfret, lagoon crab & lobster during season. A resort town dotted with many hotels and restaurants and the famous lagoon, where one could take a ride in a out rigger sailing canoe and experience the authentic fisherman’s life.
NILAVELI BEACH SRI LANKA
Is a stretch of beach which is situated approximately 16 kilometres North of Trincomalle, passing a thriving lagoon on either side and lush coconut palm groves and hordes of cattle, note that the people in the area are predominantly Hindu and consider the cows sacred. Arriving at the hamlet of “Errakkandy”, a sharp right turn will take you down a gravel road to Nilaweli beach, almost a kilometre of in lenght, white sandy beach with gentle surf. Across the beach about two kilometres into the ocean you will see the famous pigeon island, named due to rock pigeons roosting on it by the hundreds and crystal clear water around it to snorkel on to the clear depths of a reef. Further up North you will see a cluster of reddish rocks which are referred to as the red rock beach.
PASIKUDA BEACH SRI LANKA
Pasikuda, meaning “green-algae-bay” is situated in Eastern seaboard of Sri Lanka between Kalkuda and the Indian Ocean, approximately 35 kilometers from Batticaloa Town. The turquoise blue waters of the bay attracts local and foreign tourist to this wide sandy place under the hot tropical sun to surf, swim or just frolic in the water. Many other activities are available from kite surfing, boogie boarding to surfing and sailing across in a canoe.
Long out of reach due to the civil conflict in Sri Lanka, is now re-emerging as a tourist hot spot in the East of Sri Lanka. Coconut palms and palmyrah tree adorn the shores of this area, due to the semi-arid state, Sun screen and a large brimmed hat is recommended along with lots of liquid, to keep the heat under control.
POLHENA BEACH SRI LANKA
RANNA BEACH SRI LANKA
A sleepy off the track hamlet, famous as a secluded beach and ideal as a honeymooner’s getaway with strolls down almost six kilometres of beach hand in hand, famous for turtle landings, it is known that adjoining Rekawa beach is frequented by four of the six known types of turtles in the world. We suggest you to take a stroll down this pristine beach during the months of January to April & full moon “poya” days of the year to see these ancient wonderers of the sea labour onto the shore to lay eggs and disappear into the night, a amazing sight indeed. The Kalametiya bird sanctuary is a stone’s throw away and the ancient rock monastery of Mulkirigala inhabited by Buddhist priests from the 2nd century BC, also know as the 2nd lion rock is half an hour away.
TANGALLE BEACH SRI LANKA
The resort township of Tangalle, lying in the Deep South with nothing between it and Antarctica has some of the most beautiful un-crowded beaches in the island from Pallikkudawa to the famous pigeon bay with a small rocky islet off to a side to which one could walk over, where on one side a reef guards a rock pool with a myriad of marine life. The surf breaks here with the sound of gunfire at times and a little further off is the fisheries harbour of Tangalle where deep sea fishing vessels anchor.
TALALLA BEACH SRI LANKA
Squirreled away down muddy dirt tracks, this is one of those near-pristine beaches that really does define all the tropical-beach postcard clichés. This 1km-long curve of sand is mostly unspoiled by tourism development; the major man-made feature here is small fishing boats.You can reach Talalla’s narrow access road from two points on the main road; the best is at the 171km marker
TRINCOMALEE BEACH SRI LANKA
One of the finest natural deepwater harbours in the world, located in the eastern seaboard of Sri Lanka approximately 245km from Colombo. There is an account of “Gokanna”, as it was known during the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa period, attracting great sea fares in the calibre Marco Polo and Ptolemy. The empire building British fortified it with fort Fredrick, which stands guard to this day with cannons intact, the approach of the natural harbour the other is the small Dutch fort both stand together. Famous swami rock (lovers leap) is inside the fort where one could dive into the deep water off a cliff next to one of the “Koneswaran” one of the oldest Hindu kovils on the Island. Most of the beaches in the area are wide and the water is crystal clear and one place not to miss is the marble beach, best you use the selections of hotels that will give you a bird’s eye view of the China bay.
About 16 km further north you’ll find yourself in “Nilaweli” beach with the famous Pigeon Island, the corals around the island is a great place to snorkel in our opinion and red rocks lying just 2 km offshore are reachable by small boat. The village of “Kanniyai” holds 07 wells that contain water from moderately warm water to very hot they are famous for their medicinal properties.
In our opinion Trincomalle has everything on offer whether it be a beach stay, diving to a shipwreck, snorkelling in crystal clear water, whale watching across the bay, kite surfing all this in city built on a headland, which naturally protects the massive harbour behind it, also a naval station of Sri Lanka navy.
UNAWATUNA BEACH SRI LANKA
Two kilometres away from Galle is the famous beach resort town of Unawatuna, popular with foreign & local tourist alike for its placid turquoise blue sea, a fine reef for snorkelling also the only spot where one could spot whale shark, the largest know fish in the world and not a shark, and one should also know that sharks are unheard of in Sri Lankan waters. The area is also frequented by turtles to lay eggs. Those of who are familier with the Indian epic of Valmiki Ramayana will no doubt be thrilled to know that when Rama dropped to the ground hit by powerful arrows fell unconscious and to bring him back to life Hanuman the monkey cheif was instructed to bring herbs from Himalaya. Hanuman being under a spell of forgetfulness due to cheeky behaviour forgot the name of the herb and lifted the whole mountain onto his back returned and parts of it fell off in five places in Sri Lanka and “Una-Watuna” or “Oh! Dropped a piece”.
WELIGAMA BEACH SRI LANKA
The Chronicles gives an interesting account of “Mahavalukagama” meaning big sandy city, today known as Weligama, where King Parakramabahu I sent his general, Rakkha to suppress the southern province, and the city has always been a port city with its half moon bay where many a ship anchored from time immoral. When approaching this picturesque Baytown in the Southeast of the island from Colombo, you will notice a curious little island with turquoise blue water around it called Taprobane on map but with many other local names which we leave for you to find along with the reasons, the other curiosity that you will notice is fisherman on stilts with fishing rods in hand seated motionless on the cross arm waiting like a rather curious bird, a method which is unique to this area. A sleepy town with pristine beach and strong surf is ideal for windsurfing and sail for the expert and novice alike. Join a deep sea fishing trip or join up on an out rigger canoe for a ride across the bay or on a sail boat to experience the best of Weligama bay.