About this experience
This full-day private tour follows the south-west coast of Sri Lanka from Colombo to Galle, threading together a turtle hatchery, a river safari through mangrove channels, a fish-pool experience, and an afternoon inside one of Asia's best-preserved colonial forts. The route is laid out so that each stop arrives at roughly the right time of day, and a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking chauffeur guide connects every point on the itinerary.
The day begins at 07:30 with a hotel pick-up in Colombo. The first stop, reached by around 08:30, is the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery on the south-west coast, where five species of endangered sea turtle come ashore to nest. The hatchery runs a care programme that protects nests until the eggs hatch and looks after injured adults in its pools. Visitors can see, touch and feed the hatchlings, and observe adult turtles that are being treated on site. Entrance tickets for the hatchery are included in the tour.
From Kosgoda the route continues to Balapitiya on the Madu River, where a boat safari sets off through a dense network of mangrove passages. The river is home to crocodiles and water monitors that can often be seen basking on the banks. The boat calls at a small island where cinnamon is harvested in the traditional manner, and there is a fish-pool experience in the calm dark water of the river — the sort of moment that makes children and adults alike want to linger.
Lunch is taken at a restaurant of your own choosing at around 13:00, at your own expense, before the tour continues to Galle. The old city and fort occupy the southern tip of the promontory. Galle Fort was built by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century and later substantially enlarged by the Dutch; it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cobblestoned streets inside carry Dutch names and are lined with Dutch-gabled buildings housing cafes, boutiques and guesthouses. The afternoon takes in the lighthouse on the seaward ramparts, the Maritime Museum and the Galle National Museum.
The tour wraps up at approximately 17:30, and the return drive to Colombo brings the day to a close by around 19:30. A litre of bottled water per person is provided, and the vehicle is air-conditioned throughout. Children from the age of five are welcome. Comfortable walking shoes are advised, particularly for the rampart walk at Galle Fort. Road traffic on the coastal highway can be unpredictable, so timings are approximate, and photography stops along the way can be arranged wherever there is a suitable place to park.
