Things to See in Sri Lanka - the South Coast

Beautiful Tropical Island off Southern tip of India.

Sep 5, 2008

Now is the time to take advantage of off season prices and a favourable exchange rate before the regular tourists fly in between November and February

The coastal road south of Sri Lanka's capital and international airport of Colombo that stretches 300 kilometres all the way to the wildlife sanctuary of Yala has some of the prettiest seaside scenery on this island. From the picturesque view as one crosses the bridge over the river at Moratuwa or the Black River (Kalu Ganga), to the vistas of sea, sand and palm trees that greet the traveller around virtually every bend of this coastal road, this is picture postcard tropical island scenery.

Hotels: There are hotels ranging from posh five star palaces like The Lighthouse and Bentota Beach Hotel to more modest yet comfortable places that provide picturesque views, friendly service and good food.

Weligama. A short way south of Galle is this little fishing village. Stop here to admire the stilt fishermen, perched on their stilts in the sea with their rods, fishing just as their ancestors have been doing since way back when.

The walled city of Galle: Now a UNESCO world heritage site, the 17th century Dutch fort with its two well preserved churches – one dating from British times and the other, even older, built by the Dutch - is one of the highlights of the south. Visitors to the well preserved Dutch church will admire its beautiful stained glass windows, ornate inlaid gravestones and raised pulpit reminiscent of a kerk in Holland or South Africa. From the church, it is but a short distance to the old lighthouse and a peaceful stroll along the ramparts to enjoy the sea breezes and the sunset.

Unawatuna Bay: certainly one of the island's most picturesque tropical beaches is at Unawatuna Bay - and is best described in the words of renowned author the late Sir Arthur Clarke“…it is always the same: the slender palm trees leaning over the white sand, the warm sun sparkling on the waves as they break on the inshore reef, the outrigger fishing boats drawn up high on the beach….”. The seashore stretches northward from the Unawatuna Beach Resort to the spit of land sticking out into the sea with the white stupa of its Buddhist temple visible through the trees. The sea itself is said to be not as calm as it used to be in years gone by – but although the waves could be a trifle rough, it is still good for an afternoon dip in the warm tropical sea.

Hambantota: The sleepy old town of Hambantota, the site of Sri Lanka’s “solar-powered” salterns used to consist of dry zone vegetation and little else. But things are changing with the new harbour coming up here. The Peacock Beach Hotel, set in tranquil surroundings, overlooking the bay with a beautiful view of foam capped sea from the rooms is just what a traveller looking for relaxation needs. A walk along the sea beach in the early evening and coming back to sip a quiet drink in the balcony overlooking the bay with the sound of waves breaking onto the sea shore - what better way to spend the end of the day?

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