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Sri Lanka is a small island in the Indian Ocean, just north of the Equator, and has a tropical climate, with hot, humid weather all year round. Selected travelling points are located in the south coastal region of the country. So, you can feel hot climate condition except during monsoon season. These are the few points you can visit on the southern coastline.
Kaluthara Bodiya
Kaluthara bodiya is one of the ancient places in Sri Lanka among the Buddhist peoples. It was identified as one of the 32 saplings of the original Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi planted in B.C. during the reign of king Devanampiyatissa in Anuradhapura. Now we can worship Kaluthara Stupaya, Bodiya and Buddha statue here. In the middle of the large Stupa, the small Stupa is located. On the inside of the largest Stupa, many Jathaka stories are painted. The view of this place is charming. This temple is situated at the Kaluthara river.
Richmond Castle
This construction was done by Padikara Mudali Nanayakkara Rajawasala Appuhamilage Don Arthur de Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardena. This palace combines the local central courtyard tradition, Roman-Dutch architecture, Indian Royal architecture, and a slight touch of Greek design. This place is a copy of the Indian palace. This is a two-story building consisting of sixteen rooms, nighty nine doors and thirty-four windows. The court has the unique process of ventilation, which helps keep a relaxed environment. The palace owners could not have children; because of that they requested to bequeathed their properties to the Public Trustee, and requested that the castle be converted into a children’s home. This is located from 2Km away from Kaluthara Town.
Kosgoda turtle Care Center
Sri Lanka’s southern coast is the Turtle Care Centre, situated at Kosgoda Beach. The centre was founded in 1981 and is located in the beach community of Kosgoda in South Western Australia. Kosgoda serves as the nesting ground for all five species of turtles that come to Sri Lanka. This is not the case with many other island-area hatcheries, where just some of the species are present on the beaches.
The facility primarily serves as a hatchery and makes great efforts to boost the hatching and survival rate of young turtles. However, the Care Center also treats and releases sick or injured turtles back into the ocean after treating them. In addition,
- The staff searches the beach at night for female sea turtles that emerge from the water to lay eggs.
- Until the mother has finished laying the eggs and has returned to the ocean, they guard the mother from a distance while she is in the nesting stage.
- To keep the eggs safe from predators and careless human behavior, the eggs are moved from the beach to the hatchery.
- Fishers are additionally compensated for bringing any turtle eggs they locate to the hatchery.
- In a safe environment, the eggs grow and hatch. It can take 45 to 60 days to complete.
- If there are no issues, the newly hatched turtles are released into the water that same day.
This is done to limit the human influence on their way of life as much as possible.
The Kosgoda Turtle Care Centre is a wonderful place to enjoy yourself while learning about and appreciating nature. Visit it while on vacation in Sri Lanka since it is interactive and family-friendly.
Kande Viharaya
Under the direction of ven. Udugama Chandrasara thero was then chief incumbent of Galapatha Raja Maha Vihara and a student of ven. Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero, the temple, was established by ven. Karapagala Dewamitta thero in 1734. Since then, the temple has undergone periodic state-sponsored renovations and development projects that have helped it grow into one of the nation’s most important Buddhist shrines. Due to the work of Ven. Hikkaduwa Sri Sumangala Thero, the Kshethrarama Pirivena, a school for monks, was attached to the temple in 1904. The Pirivena serves as a hub for Buddhist education throughout the nation and is run by the Kande Vihara.
The sacred Bodhi tree with its encircling octagonal-shaped wall, the image house, and the Stupa are all regarded as among the temple’s ancient structures. It is thought that the Bodhi tree is older than 300 years. The great Stupa of the temple, built in 1935, was created to surround a smaller stupa built in 1783 by Ven. Udugama Chandrasara Thero.
The temple became increasingly well-liked by local devotees when the foundation stone for a massive Samadhi Buddha statue exhibiting the Bhoomisparsha Mudra was put there in 2002. The completed monument was unveiled to the public in 2007. The statue is one of the tallest seated Buddha statues in the world at 48.8 m (160 ft) in height.
Mirissa Coconut Hill
It is situated at a headland with a coconut plantation and is a well-liked tourist destination in the nation. Despite privately held territory, Coconut Tree Hill is one of Sri Lanka’s most popular Instagram spots. In his book A Visit to Ceylon, published in 1881, Ernst Haeckel depicted the “red cliffs” of Mirissa at dusk and wrote, “They seem to blaze like coal…” The hill has been suggested to tourists as a location to see the dawn. The Mirissa beach, which connects to Weligama across the Weligama bay, is where the hill is situated. One of the “hidden beaches” has been referred to as Mirissa beach.
Hikkaduwa coral reef
A typical shallow fringing reef, the Hikkaduwa coral reef has an average depth of about 5 meters (16 ft). The coral reef acts as a natural breakwater and slows coastal erosion. The national park’s four kilometres of coastline. The average width of the coast is 5 to 50 meters, depending on the season and climate. Here, scuba diving is a well-liked pastime. You can take a boat ride to see the coral reef in this area.
Rumassala Hill
Rumassala Hill is a well-known destination and a natural beauty rich in myths. It is only a little more than 5 kilometres from the Galle Fort residences of Taru Villas. According to the Ramayana’s history, the hill is considered to be a part of the Himalayan Mountain Range because it is home to rare plants that can only be found there. Rumassala Hill, which has been designated a wildlife sanctuary, is the ideal location for birdwatchers because it is a haven for both endemic and migratory birds.
Jungle Beach
In Rumassala, Galle, there is a famous and stunning beach called Jungle Beach. In the past, this beach was kept a secret. It was referred to as the “White Dam” during the time. The waves don’t get too rough here since the corals serve as a natural breakwater. The variety of fish species seen in coral reefs is also something exceptional.
A shallow, safe bath can be found at Jungle Beach. The Rumassala forest is what gives the beach at the base of the Rumassala hills its name. A challenging hike through the Rumassala jungle leads to Jungle Beach. At Jungle Beach, there are white dunes, a calm blue sea, and a wave-free beach.
It is not a very deep sea. So that even young children can bathe safely; the other is that the waves in this area are not very powerful. There is, therefore, no issue. On the beach in the bush, there is a little café where you may relax. A location with numerous breathtaking views where you can take your cherished family and friends. You can go rapidly and take in that beauty as well. You may reach this beach by strolling 100 meters via the Rumassala Reserve. Unawatuna to Jungle Beach in 6 minutes (2.7 kilometres).
Galle Fort
With its distinctive combination of European and Asian characteristics, Galle Fort transforms the area into a cultural melting pot, as evidenced by the buildings lining the cobblestone streets that are whitewashed in the Dutch style. Travel to Sri Lanka’s Galle Fort, the most southwesterly point of the nation, and take advantage of all the lovely things to do there. You can visit the best café, restaurant, shopping, and lighthouse and see the sunset from here.
Katharagama Kiri Vehera and Dewalaya
An ancient stupa called Kiri Vehera can be seen in Sri Lanka’s Kataragama. This Stupa is thought to have been constructed by King Mahasena, a local king of the Kataragama region, in the third century B.C. Kiri Vehera, one of the nation’s most well-known Buddhist pilgrimage sites, is one of the Solosmasthana, the 16 most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in pre-colonial Sri Lanka. This Stupa, which is 95 feet tall and has a 280-foot circumference, lies 800 meters north of the well-known Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya. Currently, Venerable Kobawaka Dhamminda Thera serves as Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya’s Chief Prelate.
A temple complex called Ruhunu Kathragama Dewalaya is devoted to the Hindu War God Murugan and the Buddhist guardian deity Kataragama deviyo. It is one of the few places of worship in Sri Lanka that Vedda, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists revered. It was a remote rainforest shrine for most of the last millennia; presently, an all-weather road leads to it. Buddhists oversee the shrines and the neighbouring Kiri Vehera, Hindus oversee the Teyvai and Shiva shrines, and Muslims oversee the mosque.
Sella Katharagama
Sella Kataragama is one of the important places in Katharagama. Sella to Kataragama is separated by about 4 km. Skanda Kumar and Valliamma’s love could be swiftly seen at this distance. Valli’s cave is located within Sella Kataragma’s one-mile tunnel. There is a modest Ganesh shrine that pilgrims frequent. Tradition claims that this is where Walliamma first encountered the elephant while leading Kataragma to the well. There are numerous Kovils in Sella Katharagma. They are Saman Devalaya, Valliamma Kovil, Kataragama Kovil, Siva Kovil, Ganapathi Kovil, and Siva Kovil.
Sithulpawwa
In the Hambantota District of South Eastern Sri Lanka, there is a historic Buddhist monastery called Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya. It is thought to have been constructed by king Kavantissa in the second century B.C. It is located 18 kilometres east of the pilgrimage town of Katharagama. Travelling 18 kilometres on the Tissamaharama-Yodhakandiya route in the direction of Yala National Park will bring you to Sithulpawwa Vihara. The term “Chiththala Pabbatha,” which means “the hill of the tranquil mind,” is the source of the name Sithulpawwa.
Both a place of prayer for followers and a centre for Buddhist study for Buddhist monks, this monastery served both purposes. The monastery grounds are littered with Anuradhapura-era paintings and the remains of stone Buddha and Bodhisattva statues, image houses, and circular relic houses. Ven. Metaramba Hemarathana Nayake Thera is the Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Vihara’s current chief incumbent. King Gajabahu placed a stone inscription where it states that the tax received from the court must be paid to the monks of this monastery. This temple is located in the middle of the jangle, so you can watch animals (Especially elephants) while visiting this temple. Yala
Yala is a national park combined with a stringent nature reserve. The park, divided into five blocks, protects an area of land covering nearly 130,000 hectares and consists of light trees, scrubs, grasslands, tanks, and lagoons. The public can now access two blocks.
Yala was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1900 and as a national park in 1938. It is located in Sri Lanka’s southeast, abutting the expansive Indian Ocean. Ironically, the park was first used as a hunting area for the affluent when Britain was in power. Two hundred fifteen bird species and 44 different types of mammals may be found in Yala. The largest concentration of leopards, stately elephants, sloth bears, sambars, jackals, spotted dear, peacocks, and crocodiles are just a few of its most well-known inhabitants. The best time to visit Yala is between February and July, when the water level of the park is relatively low, bringing animals into the open. You can make an appointment for the trip and Bangalow via the official site of the Yala National Park site.
Featured Image Credit: ksl
