The
town famous for it's wooden masks and puppets, also
has a fair share of beautiful white sandy beaches.
There are several famous Buddhist temples close
to Ambalangoda. Accommodation in the area are most
small scale guest houses.
Beruwala
The
most popular beach resorts of the south coast area
starting around here and streaches towards Galle
and beyond. There are many large hotels catering
the tourists but are often busy during the weekends
with local tourists.
Benthota
South
of Beruwala, Bentota is another major beach resort
of the island with many large hotels with beach
fronts, beautiful sandy beaches and shallow waters.
There is a popular fresh water lagoon which is a
popular water racing location
Hikkaduwa.
The
popular surfing town with magnificient coral reefs
with abundance of tropical fish, beautiful clear
waters and white sand beaches, ship wrecks for diving
Hikkaduwa is a place for all the water sports you
could imagine, and plenty of hotels, shops and restaurants
.
Unawatuna
120
km. from Colombo. 4 Km south of Galle) has probably
the best beach in the west coast of Sri Lanka, a
popular tourist destination is a also a breeding
ground for turtles. Legend say that Unwatuna was
created from a piece of earth from Himalaya, that
had fallen from Hanuman in the Ramayanaya epic.
Galle
VOC-City
Galle with lighthouse
"Photo
by Jan Willem Bruggink"
The capital of the southern province
is a city with a colourful history. UNESCO declared
World Heritage Site the magnificent Dutch fort is
the most popular attraction of the town. 300 year
old Dutch atmosphere is still very much alive around
the fort and amidst its many historical buildings
not invaded by the skyscrapers. The beautiful beach
of Unawatuna is just 6km south east of the city
centre.
Matara
Southern
most major town in Sri Lanka and the terminus of
the coastal rail line has also been under the Portuguese
and Dutch rule. The star shaped fort at Matara is
an unusual and a unique structure. There are several
beautiful and less crowded beaches along the coast
between Galle and Matara and the closest to the
town is at Polhena. Another attraction is a 25m
high colourful Buddha statue built at Veherahena
Temple.
The temple is about 2 kM from the town centre and
about 1 Km inland from Pallimulla on the main road.
South
of Beruwala, Bentota is another major beach resort
of the island with many large hotels with beach
fronts, beautiful sandy beaches and shallow waters.
120
km. from Colombo. 4 Km south of Galle) has probably
the best beach in the west coast of Sri Lanka, a
popular tourist destination is a also a breeding
ground for turtles. Legend say that Unwatuna was
created from a piece of earth from Himalaya, that
had fallen from Hanuman in the Ramayanaya epic.
