Bentota
Across the river from Aluthgama, you can find refuge in
Bentota a gentle leafy sprawl
of hotels and guest houses spread along the coast. The
sea is calm here, as are the waters of the river, the
bentota Ganga, which is ideal for watersports and boat
rides as far as 35km (23 miles) upstream. travel just
5km (3miles) up the lazy river in the noonday sun ( or
take the Elpitiya road, south of the bridge) and explore
the few remains of the Galapata Vihara,
dating back to the 12th Century. This is no ordinary
temple; legend claims it was built by a minister pf Parakramabahu
the Great (AD 1153 -86) who was responsible for most of
the wonders at the Medievel city of Polonnaruwa galapata
temple is said to have been linked by a maze of subterranean
tunnels with other temples in the area.
When the British discovered Bentota and built a rest house
for their officers en route from Colombo to Galle, it
was a peaceful place to escape to. That tranquillity however
was some what shattered after a modern complex, the National
Holiday Resort, was built. It comprises a shopping
centre, post office several hotels and a marketplace where
you can practise your bargaining skills to buy drums,
masks and handmade lace.
Since being built to a design by Geoffrey Bawa in the
1970s, the Holiday Resort has been spruced up and expanded.
The Bentota Beach Hotel, built on the site side and the
sea on the other, has opened again after undergoing renovations,
and hopes to recapture its former glory in the days when
it was regarded as Sri lanka's premier beach hotel.
Challenging it is the new taj Exotica Resort perched
atop a flattened bluff at the southern end of the main
Bentota beach. Its ambience is international and somewhat
intimidating, but it does have a glorious swimming pool
overlooking the beach on both sides of the bluff.
Bentota caters for well-behaved tourists of all budgets
with guest houses, such as the delightful Goldi just behind
taj Exotica and the Susantha Hotel behind the railway
station, for independent visitors. The Bentota Aida Ayurveda
Hotel is a collection of Pavilions beside the river where
ayurvedic herbal treatments add a new dimensions to Bentota's
charm.
The Calm seas from November to April make it ideal for
snorkelling diving sailing wind surfing, water-skiing,
and deep -sea fishing from an outrigger canoe. The Waters
and beach of bentota also attract a great number of turtles.
The sea turtles Project ( open
daily, 6am -6pm: entrance fee) at the southern tip of
town, is one of the many turtle eggs until they hatch.
Small tanks contain hundreds of one -to-three days-old
turtles, as well as some larger ones, including an albino,
kept for show.
Further south is Induruwa The
secret of this small and peaceful Village will surely
not last long. Flat basketware is the Village speciality
and the market on Tuesday attracts buyers from Colombo,
so stop and have a look before it all gets whisked away.
In the Sri lankan Handicraft Centres
(open daily) on the right of the Galle road as
you leave Bentota heading south, you can see basket weavers
at work and visit Papier mache workshops.
Sri Lanka's first and original turtle hatchery is 5km
(3miles) south of Induruwa in Kosgoda reputedly the best
beach for turtle-watching and signposted off the Galle
Road. If you have not had your fill of baby turtles already,
the Victor Hasselblad Turtle Hatchery
stays open daily from 6am -6pm.
Southwards, visible on the inland side of the Galle Road,
just north of Balapitiya is what looks like a Dutch church
and a Buddhist temple but it was built in the time of
the Dutch and so was influenced by their style of architecture.
However, as many of the island's inhabitants will bear
out, this cultural confusion does not make it any less
Buddhist. The Sri Pushparama Vihara
beside it houses some interesting murals. In Balapitiya
itself, you will cross the Madu Ganga, along which you
can take boat rides past a host of tiny islands, only
a few of which are inhabited.
