Itinerary

1. Bentota, Kosgoda, ambalangoda, hikkaduwa, galle

   With your Sri Lankan guide, go:

   Bentota Boat Safari
   

   • Go on a Bentota Boat Safari for two hours. See Beauty of Bentota Mangrove Lagoon and Animals.

   • Visit a Mangrove Lagoon, a wonderful river near the hotel, and the 3rd largest river of Sri Lanka. Crocodiles are rare now but there are plenty of water monitors and river birds.

   • Cruise along the river, detached from the rest of Sri Lanka, wallowing in one’s own –wonder at the magnificence of the riverine scenery.

   Kosgoda Turtle Farm

   

   • The period between September – November is the turtle-nesting season, which sees 5 of the 7 species of sea turtles waddling towards the southern coast of Sri Lanka to lay their eggs for the next generation.

   • Located 35 km from the Villas, the Sea Turtle Farm and Hatchery is a non-profit organization that helps ensure the next generation of sea turtles survive the hazards of poaching and other environmental concerns.

   • Witness the organization’s commendable work by touring the facility and catch a glimpse of the tiny baby turtles paddling about their large cement tanks. You are also welcome to be a part of this worthy cause by donating to the facility. Or prepare for a night watch as the wonders of nature unfold outside of the Villa when the majestic sea turtle merges to lay her precious cargo.

   Meetiyagoda Moonstone Mines

   

   • A moonstone is grey in colour and feels cool and smooth to the touch. When polished it has a glow like of the moon. Have you ever wondered where that pretty little moonstone on your finger actually comes from?

   • Moonstones are in the semi-precious category and are an important component of the Sri Lankan gem industry. The finest are bluish in colour and are found in high concentrations in heading inland 7 km to Mitiyagoda, between Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa.

   • Moonstone has been mined in these sweltering forests forever and the moonstone mines, little more than muddy rabbit holes, 6 m or 7 m long, are fascinating as is the process of filtering out the precious stones, cutting them up and polishing them up ready for sale. At the Moonstone Factory, you can see or even go down into a narrow shaft where the stones are mined.

   Hikkaduwa Boat Trips, Snorkeling & Scuba Diving 

   

   • The park is home to a shallow fringing reef which sits only a few meters beneath the surface, thus making it a perfect area for snorkelling and scuba diving.

   • The main reef itself is a typical fringing coral reef with a shallow crest and a sheltered lagoon and only has an average depth of fewer than 2 meters below the surface. The reef begins at the fishing harbour and extends south for around 4 kilometres.

   • Quite simply, the reason people visit Hikkaduwa National Park is for the excellent snorkelling and scuba diving the reef provides. There are around 60 species of hard coral along with over 170 species of tropical reef fish in the fringing reef at Hikkaduwa National Park. Visitors to the reef can find large stands of cabbage-type Montipora corals and small stands of branching Acropora corals. There is also an abundance of boulder type and encrusting corals. In terms of fish, divers can expect to see angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, snapper, wrasses, trevally, and various species of a sea turtle.

   Galle Dutch Fort

   

   • Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. It is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 423 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.

   • The fort has a colourful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. The heritage value of the fort has been recognized by the UNESCO and the site has been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage Site under criteria IV, for its unique exposition of "an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries".