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Bentota has Splendid beaches. Watersports facilities and Turtle Farms.
Bentota is hosting the famous Sri Lankan Jeweler, Aida. It also delivers an ancient art of healing called Ayurveda.
The area is famous for its toddy production, an alcoholic beverage made out of coconut nectar.
At Bentota you may also meet a lot of other turists. Germans like the Bentota Surf hotel. Arabs prefer the Taj.
Bentota has its own post office, police station and railway station.
Please notice that some hotels are located on the other (land) side of the railroad trail.
Across the river you will find the small town of Alutgama. Here are countless small shops, but also a Food City and an ASB department store.
We can recommand a fishing trip on the Indian Ocean and a boat tour on Bentota river, where you will see many Birds and different Reptiles.
Unawatuna (Galle district) Jungle Beach.
Unawatuna is a coastal village in the Galle district of Sri Lanka.
It is a major tourist attraction and famous for its beautiful beach and corals.
The small bay is graced with golden sands and a calm turquoise sea.
Unawatuna offers beachside cafes, bars and restaurants come alive with music at night.
Find a place to stay at Unawatuna.
COLOMBO - day tour
Culture / Shopping / Night Life
Colombo is the capital and largest city of Sri Lanka. The largest and one of the busiest ports in Sri Lanka is located here.
In Colombo you will find old colonial buildings and new towering skyscrapers side by side. During the day the streets swarm with people and vehicles of all kinds. The trade in Colombo is brisk. The sea front, where the milky waves lap against the edges of the town, is a very popular picnic spot for the residents of Colombo.
Many appreciate the varying architecture, the fine dining and shopping opportunities, which Colombo offers.
On a city tour in Colombo you may visit and enjoy
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Gangaramaya Temple and Simamalaka shrine on an island in Beira Lake
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National Zoological Gardens in Dehiwala
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Colombo white House/ Museum/ Independence Hall/ Viharamahadevi park/ Galle face green
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Shopping at Odel, House of Fashion, Cotton Collection, Learther Collection, Crest Creat, Bare Foot, Majestic City, Liberty Plaza or Laksala
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Pettah Bazaar with shops and street stalls, which offers the most fantastic bargains and have an amasing range of goods.
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At night Pubs, Bars, Casinos (clubs) and Live entertainment in more places
We can pick you up from the airport, in Colombo, Negombo or anywhere on the south coast, take you to wherever you prefer to go in Colombo - and bring you back to your hotel or a new destination.
Call us at tel: +94 77 971 7284 - or use the Travelinlanka Contact form for more information
For detailed information about Colombo please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombo
SPECIALMADE ROUND TOURS IN SRI LANKA
Testpilot's version:
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DAY 1. We arrived in Katunayake Airport in the early morning of September 17th and were welcomed by a smiling Hemantha.
Soon we were on the way to Negombo beach for a most welcome breakfast rest, followed by a bit of shopping in Arbico supermarket. Afterwards the tour to Dambulla started. On the way we made small stops, whenever we spotted something interesting, ex. the first wild monkeys and for lunch at Kurunegalla lake. The wan was very confortable, so some of us had a nap as well. In the late afternoon we the reached the Pelwehera Village Resort, where the kids jumped into the pool, while the grown-ups relaxed with a drink at the pool side. The rooms were nice, the staff most friendly - and we enjoyed a good dinner buffet before turning in. |
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DAY 2 After breakfast we visited the Sigiriya Rock, but did not claim it. Anyhow the rock is a magnificent sight. We chose to spend time at the Dambulla Cave Tempel instead. It is quite a claim to reach the tempel. We stopped counting steps after 300. The monkeys stole our flowers and it was very hot, but at the top the view was fantaistic. Hemantha hired a guide, and we all had an interesting and educational tour through the caves.
In the afternoon, after lunch in a local restaurant, where we learned to eat the Sri Lankan way, we drove towards Kandy. Again we made several stops, ex. to have a freshly squeezed juice, but at last we could check into the Serene Garden Hotel. Here it is possible to have a spacious family room with a large balcony. The teenager of the family was pleased to find a WI-FI connection. Dinner and breakfast at the hotel were very good. Absolutely a recommandable place to stay.
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On DAY 3 we visited the Pinawalla Elephant Orphanage, made a very interesting visit to a Spice and Herbal Garden. Only the prices of their product are much too high (but negotiable, it turned out). In the road we met a woman with 2 porcupines, which we were allowed to fotograph for money. In the evening the program was a performance of the Kandy Dancers, fire walking included. Great show.
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DAY 4 started with a guided tour in the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa). A fascinating place and a must see!
At noon we took off to find the Samandhi Nature Resort about 1 hour's drive from Kandy. It was not exacly easy to find and the road was a challenge even to Hemantha, but what a surprise once you get there. Silence, only the sound of the surrounding nature.
The hotel's interior is rustic and a bit primitive, but in a pleasant way. We spent the afternoon with a bath in the river, coffee drinking on the terrace in front of the room while we enjoyed the view to the jungle and small honey birds in particular. 3 of the hotel's friendly dogs often came to visit and quickly learned tricks for treats. The evening ended with a delicious dinner and a pleasant full body massage for some of us, while others had a small, laughing Sinhala course by Hemantha.
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DAY 5 the tour towards Nuwara Eliya continued through the hill country. The spectacular views with countless waterfalls are replaced by the green tea plantations. Again wild monkeys close to the road. A tour, lunch and small shopping at a tea factory.
It starts to rain - and the last part of the way to Nuwara Eliya it is getting foggy and cold. Once we reach the odd King Fern Cottage, which reminded of a Hundertwasserhaus, we were freezing (some said it was near 16 celcius.) - and only the staff's kindness and a fireplace saved our mood.
Even though the nature is worth a visit.
The King Fern cottage was a popular place for backpackers.
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DAY 6 After a short city tour we decided to leave the wet Nuwara Eliya. A pity, because the place is really pretty and well worth a visit, but the family is hungry for warmth. At Ella it is still raining, so we view the grand waterfall in the rain. Late in the afternoon we arrive in Tissamaharama at the Priyankara Hotel. All warm and happy again! The hotel has nice rooms with balconies, overviewing a paddy field and a dock pond. Only nuisance is the mosquitos and currently construction noise.
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DAY 7 starts at 7 o'clock. A jeep picks us up for a Yala safari. After a 40 minutes long rough ride we reach the safari park and a mandatory ranger joins us. Birds and animals in the park are not easy to spot, but the driver and ranger know how to find them. Deers and peacooks are easy to find. After a while we also spot a leopard. Elephants in small herds and male, single ones with big tusks. Even we witnessed an elephant fight! Another leopard lying under a tree. Last, but not least small and big crocodiles with wide open mouth to cool down. Binoculars are required, as you never get really close to any of the animals. (300mm lense or better on camera is recommended)
In the park is a tsunami memorial next to the ruins of a tsunami struck guest house. People died there, but the ranger tells, that the animals escaped.
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DAY 8 Hemantha arranged surprise Birthday cake for breakfast for one of us. The children found it a great idea!
After breakfast we drove down the coast, passed Tangalle and Dikwella to see the famous blow hole (Hummanaya) in Kudawella. The blow hole is natural fountain, caused when sea water rushes through a submerged cavern and is pushed upwards. It is really impressive. A new small museum explains about the natural phenomenon and the big sea creatures in the ocean outside Sri Lanka.
After Matara we reached Mirissa and our hotel, Mirissa Palace, situated on a cliff 100 feet above sea level and offering a paramount view of the Indian Ocean. Cozy, private bungalows with all amenities and a nice swimming pool were waiting for us.
Candle light dinner under the stars. Hemantha provided samples of sea food.
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DAY 9 While the girls preferred the swimming pool, the 3 of us went to the nearby town of Weligama to do a bit of shopping and one of us to have a hair cut and a shave at the local barber shop. Weligama has some nice sea food restaurants, but we went back to take the 'lazy' girls to lunch at the sand beach in the Mirissa Beach Club. Our 7 year old collects sea shells.
We also seach for a whale watching tour, but unfortunately it was not the season for it.
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DAY 10 Sun rise over the Indian Ocean. Catamarans cruise around in the first sunrays on the sea below us. Peacocks and chipmunks puttering around the garden. A glorious morning! We do not feel like leaving, but the tour must go on. We made a short visit to the well preserved Galle Fort, before continuing to Hikkaduwa, where we want to see the coral reef. In Hikkaduwa they built a boot house to manage the boot trafic. There is a lot of loud arguing, before we get on board a glass bottom boat. The coral reef is a sad sight, only a few is alive and species of fish are few as well. Far from the exciting underwater experience it was years back! Apart from that, you see the fish better outside the boat than through the glass bottom. Turtles were nowhere to be seen, although they are still there (or were, last year in a different spot). The short boat trip is hardly worth the money. We drove on, only made a stop at the Peraliya Buddha Statue, a tsunami memorial for all the train passengers and residents of Peraliya, who died in the first wave of the tsunami. Our final destination was Bentota.
In Bentota we checked into the Surf Hotel (earlier known as Lihiniya Surf Hotel). It has resently been renovated, and whether you like it or not, may be a matter of taste. The former cozy atmosphere has disappeared in the new strict lines. However the beautiful sandy beach is still there ...
But missing wifi.. ???... |
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DAY 11-14 We stayed in Bentota, enjoying the beach life. One day we went fishing with one of the local fishemen. It was quite an exiting boat ride over the waves! We only caught 3 small fish, but it was fun anyway. Don't do it, if you have a tendency to seasickness. Instead you may go for a more peaceful trip on the Bentota River. You may see the eagles fly or spot a giant monitor lizard or crocodile in the mangrove. If not a man in a boat will find you and show off a baby crocodile (for money).
We met a number of sales people, but made the best bargain with 90 year old Charles, who has a shop across the railroad tracks from the hotel.
On the last day we left Bentota at noon, made a bit of shopping and sightseeing in Colombo, before continuing to Katunayake. Trafic was heavy and left us with little time to say good bye to Hemantha, who took good care of us all for 2 weeks.
Our vacation was a great experience! Thank you so much, Hemantha!
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Travelinlanka arrange tours for all:
Day tour or Round tour.
Special interest tours: adventure, nature, beach, waters sports, ayuverdic and health package, honeymoon.
We will arrange rooms for you in hotels, ranking from 3 to 5 stars - or if you prefer in appartmets or private villas.
Pick your preferred tour from the menu to the right - or find the places, you like to see in Sri Lanka
- and we will create a tailermade tour for you.
Email your choice to: tour(at)travelinlanka.net - and we will contact you within a few days!
The Green Road
Nature and Wild Life / Hill Country / Tea Garden / Water Falls / Lakes / Rivers / Water Sports / Fresh Sea Food / Palm Beaches / Shopping Malls.
Dambulla/Kandy/Nuwara Eliya/Bentota/Colombo/Negombo
( 10 Nights and 11 Days Round Tour )
This tour is preferred by many of our Middle East visitors.
Day 01- Arrival and Wellcome in Colombo Airport - Transfer to your Hotel in Dambulla
Day 02- Dambulla
Day 03- Leave to Kandy
Day 04- Kandy
Day 05- Kandy
Day 06- Leave to Nuwara Eliya
Day 07- Nuwara Eliya
Day 08- Leave to Bentota
Day 09- Bentota
Day 10- Leave to Negombo
Day 11- Departure to the Sweet Home
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Places to see and Things to do in and around Dambulla: Sigiriya Rock fortress and Museum |
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Places to see in and around Kandy: Elephant Orphanage in Pinnewala |
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Things to do in and around Kandy: Elephant rides, watch elephants bath, get great photos
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Places to see and Things to do in Nuwara Eliya: Tea garden / Tea plucking and Tea Factory Visit |
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Places to see and Things to do in Bentota area: Bentota Madu river nature Safari boat tour |
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On the way to Negombo you may visit: Colombo National Zoological gardenColombo White House / National Museum Independence Square Viharamahadevi Park / Galle Face Green area Shopping at Odel / House Of Fashion / Majestic City/ Liberty Plaza / Crest Cest / Dsi / Leather and Cotton Collection / Beverly Street / Nolimit Pettah Bazzar with Shops and Street Stalls Lagoon and Fish market in Negombo Negombo Beach Park |
To order or inquire about this tour please Contact Us
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