Excursions

ADAM'S PEAK (2243 M.ü.M)

Also called Sri Pada, actually designates the footprint on the summit. The mountain is one of the most important pilgrimage sites. The place of pilgrimage is for Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. On the summit you will find an inhabited monastery with a 1.8-meter footprint worshiped by Buddhists as the footprint of the Buddha.

Every Monday the colorful market in Aluthgama takes place. The market runs from the railway line towards Dharga Town. Here you will find vegetables, fish, tea, spices and clothes. To walk around at the market and deal a bit gives you a wonderful feeling out the real Sri Lanka life. The market is full of sound and excitement.

Close to Aluthgama, on Kande Vihara, the sacred mountain, is the largest seated Buddha figure of Sri Lanka. It is about 50 meters high and about 45 meters wide. It was completed in 2008 after many years of construction. The Kande Vihara Temple is a daily attraction for countless of believers.

Sri Lanka has an old tradition in making furniture and wood. Along the south and west coast there are some beautiful antique shops with furniture, pictures, doors, lamps, and other very decorative objects from the colonial era. If you are interested: the goods can also be shipped to Europe. A full day trip is recommended here

There are about 56,000 inhabitants in the city of Ambalangoda. This is a the center of folk culture of the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. The city is famous for the mask carvings and cultural dance. This city is more about the locals than tourists.

In the Ariyapala Mask Museum, a nice introduction to the folk culture of the masks and the meaning behind it. In the museum you will learn a lot about the history behind the masks. In the production area you will be able to admire the colorful and with much patience and skill created masks. Masks of demons, gods and heroes are made according to ancient tradition. A visit to the shop next door is a must. For more information

Enjoy the awesome views from the Ambuluwawa tower. If you are in the area it is worth a short stop.

Anuradhapura was founded in the 4th century BC in the vicinity of the Sri Mahabodhi tree and with this it was the first capital of Sri Lanka. Anuradapura is called the Holy City and since 1982 a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The tree Sri Mahabodhi is a place of pilgrimage. According to tradition, this poplar fig grew from a branch of that tree in Bodhhartha (northern India) under which Siddhartha Gautama is said to have attained his enlightenment.

We visit an Ayurvedic pharmacy. You can spend hours here. Powder, tea, cream, herbs, oils and other products are sold here. Everything for the body, mind and soul. Products for detoxification, hair removal, skin, eyes, ears and lips. Everything for men and women.

We normally go for the river safari on the Bentota River, but also very popular is the Madu River. The ecosystem around the rivers is very diverse. During the river cruise for some hours we will see the mangrove forests, birds, fish and if we are lucky even a crocodile or two. The river safari is very suitable for children.

Bevis Bawa Brief Garden is a worthwhile destination for tourists in the region of the Beruwela / Bentota. It is located about 10 kilometers northeast of Aluthgama by the village Kalawila. The English landscape garden has been gradually created from 1929 by the owner Bevis Bawa from a former rubber plantation. The tour through the garden does not take long. Sometimes the path leads through jungle-like places, sometimes it opens the view over artificial visual axes. Opening hours 08.00-17.00, admission is chargeable. http://briefgarden.com

Sri Lanka is one of the largest manufacturers of cinnamon in the world. On this excursion, we visit a company that produce cinnamon in the area. We learn how cinnamon is produced, how cinnamon is grown, harvested and processed. We see the end products of the cinnamon production and can also buy some products: cinnamon sticks, cinnamon powder, cinnamon oil etc..

The Golden Temple of Dambulla, since 1991 a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is one of the largest temples in the country and is located about 70 km north of Kandy. Famous are the Buddhist cave temples. In the temples there are historical paintings and statues, 153 Buddha statues, three of kings, and four of gods, two of which are Hindu gods (Visha and Ganesh), created in the 12th century. The paintings depict the life of Buddha, including Buddha's temptation by the demon Mara and Buddha's first sermon.

A trip to Galle Fort is part of every trip to Sri Lanka. Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that invites you to linger, stroll, shop, eat and enjoy. The Portuguese began to build the port city in the 16th century, the Dutch took over the city in the 17th century and finished the work. Subsequently, it was used for the most part by the English, after it was taken over by the Dutch in 1796. The lighthouse and the city walls are the landmarks of the city. Galle Fort has a lot to offer: lots of small streets, colonial style buildings, charming shops, exclusive hotels, good food and much more.

Herman Teas in Ahangama calls himself an independent global luxury tea brand. The plantation is located in the southern province of Ahangama. The passion of Malinga Herman Gunaratne, "Mr Herman", is it to produces tea in the family-run factory. In addition to the production of black tea, Mr. Herman also produces one of the world's most expensive teas - the "Virgin White Tea“. We take a little walk in the plantation, drink a cup of tea, visit the small factory and if we are lucky, we can will even have small tasting. For more information

Kataragama is for all Sri Lankans a very important site. It is a multi-religious city and the absolute favorite place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and the indigenous Vedda communities of Sri Lanka, where the god Muruga is the main deity. It is a rapidly growing community surrounded by jungles in the deep south of Sri Lanka. Kataragama is also the entry city for safaris to the Yala National park.

The Lunuganga Estate was the home of the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. He bought the estate in 1949. The 15 acre property is located on the shores of Dedduwa Lake, in Bentota. Bawa called the property Lunuganga, which means Salt River in Sinhala. Bawa continued to develop the house and the gardens in Lunuganga for forty years, until his death in May 2003. Since Bawa's death in 2003, Lunuganga has been run by a group of his close friends who make up the Lunuganga Trust. The gardens are now open to the public and the buildings on the estate are managed as a seasonal country house hotel.

Enjoy a morning in the elephant sanctuary. Here old, sick or disabled elephants are looked after in a natural environment. Come early and enjoy the baby feeding. In 2022 one lady elephant gave birth to twins. This was an exciting news.

From 1017 - 1235 after the demise of the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa became the second capital of Sri Lanka. During this time Polonnaruwa housed the tooth relic Buddha, which is kept today in Kandy. Parakrama's reign brought a golden age for the island. Numerous artificial lakes e.g. Parakrama Samuara at Polonnaruwa, area-wide irrigation systems, agriculture was able to bring in particular good records of rice cultivation during the dry season.

A monolith, which is the ruin of a historic fortress known as the Lion's Rock. The rock of Sigiriya rises more than 200 meters high and is one of the most important sights in Sri Lanka. Since 1982, Sigiriya Rock is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Sigiriya is located in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. Once there was a fortress on the rock. Even today you can see the remains of it here. Famous are also the murals of Sigiriya, which can be admired during the Ascension.

Excursions for shopping are always very popular. The following products can be found at very good prices or from good quality: tea, moonstones and gemstones, Ayurvedic products, dresses, wood carving items like masks or Buddhas, cinnamon, spices, antiques, etc. Come with us for a day or half a day of Shopping. We can take you close by in the region, go to Colombo or to Galle.

A visit to the turtle farm is well worth it. Here you get to know the different types of turtles. We understand how the animals lay their eggs, what they eat, how to look after them, etc. In the farm we can see the newborn turtles, old turtles, disabled ones and even some few albino turtles. If you dare you can touch certain varieties as well.

Among the most popular national parks in Sri Lanka is Uda Walawe in the south of the country. Especially the many free-living elephants make it a popular destination. The approximately 300 square kilometers large park was declared a nature reserve in 1972. In addition to some forests, there are mainly open grasslands here. Accordingly, there are good opportunities for animal sightings, especially at rivers and waterholes.

Yala National Park is Sri Lanka's most popular and most visited national park. Yala National Park is the oldest nature reserve in Sri Lanka. There are about 30 mammals and over 130 bird species to watch. Most commonly seen are elephants, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, mongooses, monkeys and, of course, the diversity of birds. The park can only be visited with a local guide. We start this day trip early in the morning. We want to be in the park at 6am. The tour in the park is done in an open safari jeep.

Would you like to see the biggest mammals of this planet close up? Then come on the boat in the Indian Ocean on the south coast. From Mirissa, whale watching is recommended. The tour starts at 06.00 in the morning. If you are lucky dolphins are also seen.

You stay in Sri Lanka for a longer time and look for some more travel destinations. Read more here.