Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity, but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes. A study prepared for International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2009 estimated that 13 million people went whale watching globally in 2008. Whale watching generates $2.1 billion per annum in tourism revenue worldwide, employing around 13,000 workers.
2.9 KM | 6 Min
Mirissa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in the Matara District of the Southern Province. It is approximately 150 kilometres south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 4 metres above sea level. Mirissa's beach and nightlife make it a popular tourist destination. It is also a fishing port and one of the island's main whale and dolphin watching locations.
3.5 KM | 7 MinYala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka, bordering the Indian Ocean. The park consists of five blocks, two of which are now open to the public, and also adjoining parks. The blocks have individual names such as, Ruhuna National Park, and Kumana National Park or 'Yala East' for the adjoining area. It is situated in the southeast region of the country, and lies in Southern Province and Uva Province.
131 KM | 1 Hr 54 Min
Kataragama is a pilgrimage town sacred to Buddhist, Hindu and indigenous Vedda people of Sri Lanka. People from South India also go there to worship. The town has the Kataragama temple, a shrine dedicated to Skanda Kumara also known as Kataragama deviyo. Kataragama is located in the Monaragala District of Uva province, Sri Lanka. It is 228 km ESE of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.
131 KM | 1Hr 59 MinSithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist monastery located in Hambantota District, South Eastern Sri Lanka. Situated 18 km east of the pilgrimage town Katharagama, it is believed to have been built in the 2nd century B.C by king Kavantissa. Sithulpawwa Vihara can be reached by travelling 18 miles along the Tissamaharama-Yodhakandiya road towards the Yala National Park. The name Sithulpawwa is derived from the word "Chiththala Pabbatha", which means the hill of the quiet mind.
144 KM | 2 Hr 31 Min
Moonstone, considered to be the most valuable variety of feldspar, is the opalescent variety of orthoclase (an opaque to transparent potassium feldspar). Its schiller or adularescence is caused by the intergrowth of two different types of feldspar, with different refractive indexes. Like labradorite, it has an opalescent quality, caused by the reflection of light from the internal structure. Moonstone is usually whitish-blue, but can be colorless, yellow, orange, gray, or even reddish.
58.7 KM | 1 Hr 8 MinThe small town of Ambalangoda is famous for its masks and puppet crafts. Through the years, locals from the area have mastered the art of creating intricate, eerie and colourful masks and puppets, most of which have played an interesting part in the culture and heritage of the island. The masks, in particular, were once known to have been used in exorcisms and to ward off evils and certain illnesses from villagers.
68.7 KM | 1 Hr 10 Min
Kushtarajagala of the Weligama Divisional Secretariat Division can be reached on Matara – Colombo Road in the town limits at Weligama near Agrabodhi Vihara. This colossal image of Avalokiteshvara of 383 cm in height is sculptured in a niche of the rock. It could be ascribed to 6-7 c.A.D when the features are taken into account. The upper part of the statue is uncovered and the lower part is covered with a dhoti and a decorative girdle.
5.4 KM | 9 MinThe area is also famous for its distinct stilt fishermen,[5] who erect a single pole in the chest-deep water on the beach, just few meters off-shore, where they perch on a cross bar and using bamboo fishing rods cast their lines out beyond the surf break to catch small fish.
3.3 KM | 6 Min
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a forest reserve and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Sinharaja is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic and many of them are considered rare. 50% of Sri Lankan's endemics species of animals (especially butterfly, amphibians, birds, snakes and fish species). It is home to 95% endemic birds.
Patna Sliding Rock, locally know as the Patna Burus Gala is one of the newer destinations discovered local travelers. The location is situated inside Patna Division in Enesalwatta estate belonging to Maturata Plantations in Deniyaya.
At this location the river flows over a number of wide rocks with gentle slopes and at end of the each rock lies a shallow pool. Due to the gentle water flow over the smooth rock surface, number of natural water slides are created on the rock.
Birds Park is a home to endemic and exotic birds with over 180 varieties and around 3200 birds. The park which is located in the Southern part of the island expands on a landscape of 35 acres dedicated for bird enthusiast and for those who study ornithology.
98.7 KM | 1 Hr 34 MinMirijjawila Botanical Garden is one of the five botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. The other botanical gardens are Peradeniya Botanical Garden, Hakgala Botanical Garden, Henarathgoda Botanical Garden and Seetawaka Botanical Garden.
100 KM | 1 Hr 26 Min
Madunagala Hot Water Springs lie amoung vast paddyfields between Sooriyawewa and Ridiyagama, Today this hot water well is one of the most popular destinations for the pilgrims to the South. The spring was first recorded by Leonard Woolf, Assistant Government Agent of Hambanthota (1908-11) in his diaries recording the haphazard journey through wild animal infested jungles and boat rides to reach the hot spring where he had taken sample to be analysed.
87.8 KM | 1 Hr 21 MinThe Black Fort is the most ancient part of the Galle Fort which was built by the Portuguese. This fort was built in 1588 and was called “Santa Cruz”. After Galle was coneded to Dutch it was known as the “Black Fort” , ” Zwart Fort” or the “Zwart Bastian”.
36.4 KM | 43 Min
Sri Lanka is an island famed for its beautiful tropical beaches. Of the coastal cities in Sri Lanka, Unawatuna is especially renowned for its sunny climes, white beaches, and fun parties. What is not very well-known about this place, is that it is also a place of many folktales and legends.
Amongst these, one of these is the legend of Rumassala Hill.
Hikkaduwa National Park is one of the three marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The national park contains a fringing coral reef of high degree of biodiversity. The area was declared a wildlife sanctuary on May 18, 1979, and then on August 14, 1988, upgraded to a nature reserve with extended land area.
56.1 KM | 59 Min