To More Inquiry
5% Off Your Next Trip. Hurry Up For your new Tour! Book Your Tour
Bentota is situated on the Northern boundary of the Southern Province in the district of Galle. This area attracts tourists due to its picturesque beauty, especially its lovely palm-fringed beaches. The Portuguese Fort with large buildings had been converted into a Rest House by the Dutch, subsequently it had been converted into a Holiday Resort by the British due to its beautiful location and salubrious climate, and now the Bentota Beach Hotel is located there.
Many fascinating rural life styles and traditional occupations may be seen in and around Bentota. These include river fishing, coir manufacturing, wood carving, gem cutting, pottery, basket weaving, and tapping of toddy (toddy tappers moving from one coconut tree to the other through ropes can be seen daily). Toddy is an alcoholic drink which is the fermented sap of coconut flowers.
Bentota is also rich in birdlife and some rare species can be seen at river banks, lagoons and in the surrounding woods.
Bentota is a tourist hotspot with highly attractive holiday resorts ranging from ultra-luxury to budget hotels. Bentota is famous for water sports; diving, wind surfing, snorkeling, water skiing, boating, and deep sea fishing.
Bentota can be reached by public or private transport through Galle Road, (62 km from Colombo), by Train, or through the Southern Highway via Aluthgama (Interchange - Wellipenna -11 Km to Aluthgama).
Bem Vehera temple can be reached through Elpitiya road. This temple has 600 year old Bo Tree propagated from the original Sacred Bo Tree of Anuradhapura, Sri Maha Bodhi. Remains of an ancient shrine room, stupa, and preaching halls can be seen here.
The historic Galapatha Raja Maha Vihara dates back to the 11th century. In the stupa on the rock outcrop the Sacred Tooth Relic of Sri Anubuddha Maha Kasyapa Arahat is said to have been enshrined. The original image house was destroyed by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Stone inscriptions, stone carvings, ponds and carved pillars can be seen here
The annual perahera (procession) conducted by the temple is held on a grand scale in August. It is a great tourist attraction, as the temple is located in the heart of the Bentota tourist complex.
Wanawasa Temple is an attractive place which can be reached by climbing a small hill. It is about 4-5 km from the main road. This is an ancient forest hermitage used by monks for meditation. There is a tunnel the inside of which is cold even on very hot days The remains of old meditation halls and buildings can be seen here. This tunnel is said to have been linked by a network of tunnels with the other temples in the area.
