Negombo to Bentota Temple, River Safari, Beach and Garden
You will be picked up from your hotel in Negombo and travel to your first stop of the day, Kande Viharaya Temple.
You will see a dominating statue of the Buddha as you approach Kande Viharaya. Set on an 18th-century hilltop temple, this 160 feet tall statue of the Buddha sitting cross-legged is believed to be one of the tallest in the world. The temple was initially discovered in 1734 and has since been a significant site for worshippers. It is also known to be one of the most sacred temples on the island.
Within the sacred premises, you'll find a stupa, a 300-year-old Bodhi Tree in the garden, a Relic Chamber - the oldest structure within the holy site - the Upulvan Devalaya, and other temples, including Kataragama and Pattini Devalaya.
Go on a boat safari on the Bentota River, the third largest river in the country, and spot an array of reptiles and birds, including crocodiles, snakes, bats, and lizards. It is a delightfully relaxing cruise that takes you through a canopy of mangroves into the magnificence of riverine scenery, away from the world as you know it. Venture deep into these mangroves with your instructor and experience this unique adventure in Bentota.
Proceed to spend some quality time at Bentota Beach. Bentota Beach is the ultimate tropical paradise destination on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. It offers a glimpse of Sri Lanka's biodiversity, the excitement of water sports, and the bliss of enjoying the soft sandy beach. The beach runs for miles and is relatively clean, so whether you want to take a stroll along the shore or relax in the sun, it is an ideal place.
Visit Lunuganga Garden, in the heart of Sri Lanka's most tropical region. Lunuganga is a more miniature garden of immaculate cultivation than a barely tamed fecundity threatening to topple into the wilderness. The site is only about 500 m long and 300 m at its widest, but in its composition as a series of discrete yet unified spaces, it creates the impression of an enchanted garden that can be explored for days. There is no place where the park can be apprehended as a whole. Instead, it can be fully experienced only through movement. Different sequences through the garden offer varying rhythms, moods, and perspectives, with new moments of anticipation and discovery. It is as much a work of scenography or choreography as it is of architecture and garden art.
At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back at your hotel in Negombo.
