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BENTOTA
62 km. south of Colombo , The Bentota Ganga makes a large curve to the south before turning to flow northward into the Indian Ocean . At this point, river and sea form a narrow spit of land almost three kilometers long which is a dream location for hotels. Some of these are accessible only by boat. North of Bentota, where there is only a hundred-meter-wide strip of sand between river and sea in places, there is no room for a road. This is why some houses have no land access.
The wide Bentota River and its lagoon like hinterland are ideal for boat trips. One destination might be the monastery of “Galapatha Vihara”, although the only relic of the past here is a stone door-frame dating from the 12th century; however, it does allow visitors to survey a modern, brightly-painted temple. |
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| BERUWELA
56 km. south of Colombo , Beruwela marks the beginning of a 130 km. stretch of beach where resort development has taken immense strides in the past few years.
Anyone who prefers to stay near the coast, on the other hand, will have to put up with the potholes when traveling west. The unexpectedly broad curve of the bay ends with a small raised spit of land: the sea swirls powerfully against the rocky projection from the west, but the attractively decorated, snow-white “Kechchimalai Mosque” stands firm on the hill (malai), defying the strong winds. Though it does not date back to the first Moors (the Islamic section of the population) in Sri Lanka , it is one of the island's oldest mosques. It is a reminder of the fact that this sheltered bay was the first place that Arabs landed on the island, probably some time in the eighth century, after which they settled down and stayed. Many of their fellow-Muslims were to follow them. Beruwala population is still predominantly Moorish, mainly employed either in fishing or the gem trade.
A long stone wall east of the mosque provides a secure anchorage for hundreds of colorful fishing boats. The larger boats are suitable for deep-sea fishing and go out on tours of about one week, generally with a four-man crew, to fish the grounds of the Maldive Islands some 400 nautical miles - 740 kilometers - away. The smaller boats, dugout canoes equipped with outriggers, tend to fish at night close to the coast. The fish are auctioned off every morning on the beach opposite the Rest House. Traveling hawkers come on bikes, get some crushed ice from one of the ice factory's waiting trucks, pack their fish into a wooden crate, and fasten it onto their carriers.
HIKKADUWA
98 km. south of Colombo , Hikkaduwa - under-water kingdom of a myriad many-colored tropical fish. Here are the most accessible coral gardens in all the world-a beautiful under-water realm of coral towers and battlements, grottoes and castles and waving fingers of sea fern. Glass bottomed boats help you see this fascinating under sea world.
The resort of Hikkaduwa extends for several miles along the coast. Some people see it as the incarnation of a tropical paradise; for others, it is the embodiment of a tourist nightmare. Both views are equally justified. The coast, especially the southern section, is wonderful and the quiet hinterland has an exceptional charm; at the same time, no other resort in Sri Lanka has such a large concentration of hotels, guest houses, restaurants and souvenir shops.
You can be served here in any language and do not have to go without spaghetti carbonara, German cheesecake, or English breakfasts. Many tourists who come back to Hikkaduwa time and again and feel very much at home here are attracted by the wide range of tourist facilities at moderate prices and the professional way special tourist needs are dealt with.
AMBALANGODA
A half hour's drive from Bentota is Ambalangoda, home of the traditional mask-makers, devil dancing and of puppet shows. The gaily-colored masks are usually worn by dancers performing exorcism ceremonies and reflect the craftsman's skill. They range in height from a few inches to three feet and make wonderful wall hangings.
The town is a center for a still-thriving form of southwest-coast folk art: mask carving and dancing. The two are inextricably linked.
There are two totally different types of dance-dramas in the area: kolam, uplifting and instructional, and sanni yakuma, a form of ritual healing through exorcism. Kolam plays always require the figures of the king and queen, since they are said to have invented the mask dances. The royal couple wear very elaborate, high masks, and move accordingly with slow dignity. They form a framework for various funny, serious or didactic Buddhist dance-dramas, usually set in a village environment.
The sanni yakuma actually belongs to the area of traditional medicine. If a sick person does not get better after either Ayurvedic (traditional treatment using herbal medicines) or taking Western medicines, this is thought to be due to demons who interfere with the relationship between the sick person and his social environment, thus causing illness. The ritual, in which not only the performance of various dances but also cleansing ceremonies play an important role, consists of luring the demons, appeasing them (paying!), and finally driving them away. The leader of the 18 sanniyas, or illness demons, is called Maha Kola. His mask face is frightening; it also bears the 18 sanniyas, nine on the left and nine on the right, each of them representing a different illness. In addition, each individual sanniya has its own characteristic mask. You can buy an informative booklet about masks and dances at the museum.
KALUTARA
Forty three Kilometers south of Colombo is a beach resort which offers pleasant beaches and luxury accommodation. Home of the mangosteen fruit and some of Sri Lanka 's finest basketry. Forty three Kilometers south of Colombo is a beach resort which offers pleasant beaches and luxury accommodation. Home of the mangosteen fruit and some of Sri Lanka 's finest basketry.
KOGGALA
A beach resort with an interesting museum of southern folk art and culture within walking distance of the hotels.
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| TRINCOMALEE
257 km. from Colombo , Trincomalee is One of the world's finest natural harbors made Trincomalee a much sought after naval base during two World Wars.
This ancient harbour town predates the 6th Century and was fought over by several foreign powers since the Danes first landed here in 1617 and flexed their muscles on behalf of their Dutch friends. The trophy was of course the magnificent natural harbour, the largest in the world and strategically vital in this maritime era. The Portuguese built a fort here in 1624 but in 1639, the Dutch grabbed Trincomalee back from them. The British then ousted the Dutch in 1782, only to be driven away that same year by the French Navy, on behalf of the Dutch! This military version of musical chairs reflected the power struggles taking place in Europe . Finally, Trincomalee became England 's first hold on the island in 1795. During World War II, the harbour served as a major British Naval Base and is now the chief port of the Sri Lankan Navy.
Places of interest to visit include Fort Frederick , originally built by the Portuguese. It's used as a military base now, but visitors are allowed to walk through the fort in order to visit the Koneswaram Kovil (temple) . Koneswaram is popular with pilgrims, and the view of the harbour from the temple road is amazing. About 100m from the fort gate, you'll find Wellesley Lodge , where the Duke of Wellington recovered from an illness in 1799.
You can also visit the hot springs at Kanniyal - some 8kms northwest of Trinco. The well-kept Commonwealth War Cemetery is also on the Nilaveli road, and is the resting place of those who died here during World War II.
NILAVELI
14 km. from Trincomalee, known as Nilaweli, shallow beach goes up to half a mile into the sea and often one would share bathing spots with schools of flying fish and an occasional crab. Nilaveli was the venue for the 1985 International Fun board Championships. All water sports are available here including fishing and sea angling. Whale watching in the sanctuary is a specialty
You can hire a boat from the hotel at Nilaveli and go out to Pigeon Island , where there's good diving and snorkelling. The coral reef here is absolutely beautiful, and underwater photographers will discover a whole new world teeming with life beneath these calm seas.
UNAWATUNA
The beach has been acclaimed amongst 12 best beaches in the world. Galle and its environs offer quieter, charming guesthouses run by locals, some in old buildings - often such hideaways turn to be the more pleasant alternative. |
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MOUNT LAVINIA
Just 12 km. south of Colombo , Mount Lavinia is an immediate city suburb and the beach is one of the better known even in colonial times. It lies alongside a wind swept headland jutting into the waters of the Indian Ocean . The sand is the softest and the waves calm and clear. The Governor's House built in 1805 by Sir Thomas Maitland, now forms part of the famous Mount Lavinia Hotel.
NEGOMBO
A characteristic fishing town 37km. north of Colombo , it is a mere 6 km. from the International Airport . Set amid lush groves of coconut palms, it breathes the spirit of the sea, this is one of Sri Lanka 's oldest fishing villages, having a quiet charm reflected in its Churches dating back to the 17th century. The beaches are beautiful and you will enjoy watching the fishermen bring in their daily haul of fish.
To protect the harbor entrance, the Portuguese and Dutch built a small fort at the northern end of the lagoon; you can visit its gate buildings (1678), behind which the prison is located. On its eastern side is the downtown area, which extends one kilometer to the railway station. To the north begins the beach, its first two kilometers dominated by fishermen (fish market one kilometer from the fort), the next three kilometers the province of the tourists, with rows of hotels.
Negombo is a gourmet's paradise with seafood in plenty. Old world fishing craft like the outrigger canoe and the catamaran bring seer, skipjack, herring and mullet, pomfret and amber - jack while lobster and prawns are caught in the lagoon. At night the resort takes on carnival atmosphere as little pubs, discos and pizzerias outdo each other to attract visitor interest.
A Canal at the Coast
For the Portuguese and Dutch colonial rulers, Negombo was an ideal collection point and export harbor for cinnamon. Inland, and parallel to the coast, they built a canal from Kelani Ganga to the lagoon in Negombo (called the Hamilton Canal, or Dutch Canal) and then continued it northwards to the lagoon at Puttalam. This 100-kilometer waterway not only provided access to the cinnamon gardens, but also meant that shipping was not affected by the weather during the southwest monsoon period, which normally jeopardized coastal shipping. Today, the canals are hardly used any longer for inland shipping; it's mainly tourist boats which from time to time venture into their calm waters to drift by the coconut groves, lush private gardens, marshlands and small towns.
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