Travelling south along Sri Lanka’s western coast? Make a pit stop at the city of Kalutara to take in some interesting sights and enjoy a few watersports activities.
Why Kalutara?
If you want to experience a less embellished and more natural side of Sri Lanka, Kalutara is a good city to add to your itinerary. Its beaches and locales are less crowded than those of the more popular coastal tourist towns such as Bentota, which lies about a half-hour’s drive away.
Sights to See
Kalutara has several attractions that will intrigue visitors, ranging from a temple (the Kalutara Bodhiya) and castle (Richmond Castle) to a scenic waterfall (the Thudugala Waterfall). If you’re sick of travelling by car or on foot, consider taking a tuk-tuk or cycle tour of these destinations instead. Many a Kalutara resort such as the AVANI Kalutara Resort among others, offers such excursions.
Where is it?
Kalutara is located on the western side of the island, right on the coast. It’s further south from the commercial capital of Colombo and resides in between the relatively well-known coastal towns of Wadduwa and Beruwela. From Colombo or the international airport, Kalutara is less than a two-hour drive away.
Watersports
Being a seaside town, one of the main things to do here includes watersports activities such as jet skiing, as well as banana boat and other float rides out on the water. A great many of these activities are actually available out on the lagoon, rather than in the sea. If you want to try them out, check with your hotel. If they don’t arrange such activities in-house, they should at least be able to provide you with some information on the independent watersports centres in the area.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+