Galle

Choose to Experience Galle

• A stroll inside the Galle Fort

  • The old Town of Galle, is considered a UNESCO heritage site for being a prime example of a fortified city built by Europeans in the South and South-East Asian region. The Fort to this date has preserved the blending of European architectural styles with South Asian traditions even in the buildings that are newly constructed.
    
    The maritime museum inside the Fort will take you back a few centuries with its artifacts showing the history and the culture at the time. A walk along the rampart takes you by the light house, the old armory and many other monuments. The city inside the Fort built on a grid, consists of many café and restaurants. The newly laid out cobble stoned roads and the refurbished homes give this city a fresh look yet preserving the old architecture. The mosque, the Anglican Church, and some of the old mansions that are now turned in to government buildings and hotels add to the uniqueness of this city built inside coral and granite walls.

• A visit to a Turtle Hatchery

  • There are many Turtle hatcheries along the southern coast especially in the Galle District. The almost extinct sea turtles that live off the coast of Sri Lanka come to shore at night to lay their eggs. The time between laying of eggs and hatching is 60 days, during which time, the eggs are unprotected. Unfortunately, these eggs are sometimes consumed by humans, or shells are used for the making of ornaments and therefore the hatcheries have taken it upon themselves to safe guard the eggs until they are hatched. The new borns are released to the ocean at night and the survival rate is estimated to be only 1 in 1000. These hatcheries also give home to disabled turtles and one can pet these when visiting a hatchery.

• A breathtaking boat ride in the Madu Ganga (River)

  • The experiential traveller should expect the unexpected during a boat trip down Madu river! Riding through the naturally made arches of mangroves is a welcoming sight to this large waterway consisting of 64 islands which is also home to hundreds of species of plants, birds and animals. The boat ride of about 1.5 hours will take you to a cinnamon Island where you will learn the art of peeling cinnamon, learn the medicinal value of cinnamon and could purchase cinnamon oil, powder and sticks if you wish. You will also disembark at the pier to yet another Island – a temple - in the middle of the lake. Kothduwa temple as it is known is an Island by itself where the boat is the mode of transportation for monks and devotees alike. By now you will be half way through the journey and it is time to pamper yourself. There is a natural fish spa in the middle of the river, where you could stop and put your feet in for a gentle "clean-up" and massage for a nominal fee. If you didn't bring in a bottle of water for this journey out in the sun, not to worry as there is a "shop" constructed in the middle of the river for passersby to stop and have a "thambili" – the king coconut water or a bottled water!

• Rumassala – rich in biodiversity

  • Rumassala hills, according to folklore and the Indian epic – Ramayana is where medicinal plants brought from the Himalayas to treat injured Indian soldiers were accidently dropped. The hills which is home to many rare medicinal plants to this day also has a Nature Field Centre that provides educational information about the biodiversity of the area for school children and other visitors. The hills also provide you with magnificent views of the Galle bay, town of Galle and the Dutch Fort. A short walk down to the beach takes you to one of the untouched pristine beaches in the Island where seas are calmer providing better swimming and snorkeling conditions from November to April.