This one-day tour allows you to explore some of the best attractions on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Visit the beautiful Lunuganga estate, once home to the renowned architect Sir Geoffrey Bawa, and learn about sea turtles at the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery. Finally, enjoy a Madu River Safari in Balapitiya, a truly engaging experience with nature.
Highlights:
- A first-hand view of the home of one of Sri Lanka's most famous architects
- Gain knowledge about sea turtles
- Engage with touch pools and the opportunity to hold and feed sea turtles
- Explore the high biodiversity wetlands of Balapitiya and see the animals, birds, and plants that inhabit them
- A chance to visit a free-range fish massage parlor
- Opportunity to purchase fresh cinnamon harvested locally
Includes:
- Transport throughout the tour in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Service of an English-speaking chauffeur guide
- One liter of bottled mineral water per person
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- All taxes and service charges
Excludes:
Experience:
Your tour will begin at 08:00 hrs from your hotel in Mirissa, where your chauffeur will pick you up. Bring a packed breakfast if you are unable to eat at the hotel. You will arrive in Bentota at approximately 10:30 hrs.
The first stop will be Lunuganga Estate, the country home of the renowned architect Sir Geoffrey Bawa, who lived there from 1947 until his death in 1998. He used the estate as an experimental lab for his architectural designs, adding various features to the buildings and gardens. The estate is now open to the public, and some buildings have been converted into a country house hotel. The tour of the estate will take about two hours.
Next, proceed to Kosgoda at approximately 11:30 hrs to visit the Turtle Hatchery. Here, you will spend 30 to 40 minutes learning about sea turtles and their conservation. The hatchery's touch pools allow you to handle baby sea turtles. You will also see fully grown turtles receiving treatment for injuries.
At approximately 12:30 hrs, proceed to Balapitiya. You may stop for lunch en route at a place of your choice. Then, around 14:00 hrs, enjoy a relaxing boat safari on Madu River.
Balapitiya, a small town located in marshy wetlands, is part of a high biodiversity zone fed by the lagoon created by Madu River as it flows into the Indian Ocean. Your safari will take you through the dense mangrove forests along the river and introduce you to the diverse wildlife that calls this area home. Your guide will also take you to larger free-standing islands, including one with an old Buddhist monastery. Cinnamon harvesting is a significant industry in the area.
One of the unique features of the safari is the fish massage. The massage parlor is a hut built on stilts in the river, w
