SANDY BEACHES, HISTORIC FORTS &CHARMING TOWNS
THE STRETCH FROM GALLE TO MATARA IS A TREASURE TROVE OF HISTORY AND NATUR. IT ALSO OFFERS AWINDOW INTO SRI LANKAN LIFE, ACCORDING TO AJAY KAMALAKARAN.
Most Indian package tourists go to the resorts of Bentota and spend a couple of days before heading upcountry. Sri Lankas beautiful coastline is, however, at its best by the southern tip of the island.
Galle, 116 kilometres south of Colombo, is famous for its 17th century Dutch fort, which is an outstanding collection of centuries- old structures and buildings.
Like in Jaisalmer, the fort in Galle is a living piece of history with offices, shops and normal day- to- day life. The ocean side fort also has a great view of the cricket stadium and is a popular place to watch a match.
The city was badly affected by the tsunami, but 7 years later, there are no scars to be seen. The Indian Government played a major role in the reconstruction of houses and this is a fact often narrated by friendly locals. February and March are a great time to go whale watching. Recently, the worlds largest whale was spotted in the waters off Galle.
A stones throw away from Galle is one of many places that are a part of Ramayana folklore in the country: Rohmastala. The hill top with stunning views of the Indian Ocean is where Hanuman was believed to have dropped some Himalayan herbs.
There is a small statue of the monkey- god as well as a Global Peace Pagoda that was built by the Japanese.
Not mentioned in any guidebook, is a forest trail from Rohmastala that leads directly to the beach of Unawatuna. In the middle of this three- kilometre trek is an ancient Kali temple.
Unawatuna, unfortunately, has been mentioned in most travel guides and is over- commercialised.
Southern Sri Lanka is blessed with an abundance of beaches, with Mirissa being this authors pick of the lot. The white sandy beach of Mirissa has all the dramatic imagery to be classified as paradise: white sands, rows of coconut trees, green rolling hills and crystal clear and blue water.
Welligama is another beautiful beach in the vicinity, but more than the sand and the water, it is famous for the 'stilt fishermen.'Fishermen sit on stilts for hours on end in an attempt to get a rich bounty. After a picture of a stilt fisherman came on the cover of a Lonely Planet, many of the fisher folk demand money to be photographed. Expect to pay more if you have a professional camera.
Just 45 kilometres away from Galle is Matara, the hometown of legendary cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya.
The city on the southern tip of Sri Lanka also boasts of a Dutch Fort and a set of important temples.
Sri Lankans believe that the Hindu god Murugan or Kataragama first set foot on the island in Matara. A temple has been built to mark the exact place where the god 'landed.'Matara also has a famous island temple that can be reached by walking on a hanging bridge. While, there have been no reported cases of people falling off the bridge, a walk on it is not for the faint- hearted! Mataras most unique attraction is Dondra, which is geographically the southernmost point in Sri Lanka. A white lighthouse stands proudly at the point where the Indian subcontinent officially ends. It is quite a fascinating sight to see the greenish- blue waters of the Indian Ocean enter a collection of small natural harbours, which house green villages.
Matara doesn't look very different from a small town in Kerala and a nice way to spend an evening there is to explore its quiet lanes on bicycle.
Sri Lanka is still a very rural country and no trip to the island would be complete without a visit to a village. Koggala, which is close to Matara, is the birthplace of the great writer Martin Wickramasinghe. His home has been converted into a Sri Lankan village, folk and art museum. The Koggala Lagoon, which the writer describes so eloquently in his books, is a wonderful place to enjoy a moonlit ride on a traditional boat and reflect on the treasures of the Emerald Island.
The author is a travel writer and blogs at http:// ajayinbombay. blogspot. com M
Facts for the Traveller
Visas: An electronic travel authorisation can be obtained online for a 30- day stay ($ 10) in the country.
This facility is also available at the Bandaranaike Airport in Colombo, but there is a surcharge.
Flights: The cheapest way to get to Colombo is from Chennai, with the sector being among the most competitive in the world. There are direct trains and buses to Galle from Colombo, with the rides taking about 3 hours. There is also a new expressway that gets you to Galle in an hour. A good option would be to take the expressway one way and drive on the old coastal road so that you can stop at many of the attractions on the way.
Hotels: Guesthouses at Hikkaduwa offer rooms with tariffs starting at around US$ 8. The higher end hotels in Hikkaduwa offer luxury rooms with full board from US$ 70. Most of the beach resorts between Hikkaduwa and Matara have small beachside guesthouses that suit all budgets.
Nearby Places of Interest: For those looking for panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, both Kirinda and Usanagoda are easily accessible by road. The latter is a unique mix of Panchgani and Goa with a collection of cacti and desert plants.