Tour Highlights

• Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery
• Stilt Fishermen in Weligama
• Galle Fort
• Tsunami Photo Museum in Talwatte
• Madhu River Boat Safari
• Bentota Beach

Galle

Galle, the epic southern capital, is the intersection where classic Dutch architecture meets a tropical setting creating a vivid atmosphere in beauty. Walk the Dutch haunted streets listening to the creaks of wooden saloon doors and observe how European architecture mingles with South Asian traditions today flooding cultural enthusiasts on a global scale. Its original ramparts and bastions preserved up to date showcase evidences of a heritage preserved for more than 3 ½ centuries. Walk clockwise within the fort to observe the ‘old gate’ carrying the British coat of arms. Flanking the old gate is the Zwart bastion – the oldest of all – and the lighthouse standing 18 feet in its glory next to the Point Utrecht Bastion. This Dutch bliss is painted with streets that spread in a rectangular grid pattern pierced with houses carrying Dutch colonial style verandas. Hop into the Dutch Hospital Shopping Complex to be mesmerized by an array of souvenir selections. However, its hallmark stands a reality where the Dutch Fort remains a working community with its usual buzz of administrative offices, court complex, commercial buildings, churches and southern folks frequenting its streets bracing the air of the Elysium of architecture, Galle!

Experience the charms of Galle and Sri Lanka’s southwest coast on a day trip from Colombo, with an expert driver-guide.

Tour Brief

Meet your guide at your Colombo or Negombo hotel at 7am for a 12-hour day tour of Galle, Sri Lanka. Begin at the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery, home to seven species of marine turtles and other wild sea life. Continue to Weligama and gaze at the stilt fishermen hauling their catch in the middle of the clear blue water. Visit Galle Fort, a Portuguese built and Dutch fortified 16th century fort with a complex history. Learn how the city’s strategic location made it a hub for sea trade and a landing point for the island’s colonial rulers. Stop by the Tsunami Photo Museum in Talwatte, which documents the devastating 2004 tsunami that struck Sri Lanka. Enjoy a local lunch before proceeding to wildlife-rich Madhu River and the pristine Bentota Beach. At the conclusion of the tour, you will return to Colombo.

Inclusions

• Entrance fees
• Fuel surcharge
• Local taxes
• Bottled water
• Driver/guide
• Hotel or port pickup and drop-off
• Lunch

Exclusions

• Food and drinks
• Gratuities (optional)