Lying only forty minutes away from Sri Lanka’s bustling city of Colombo is the majestic town of Kalutara, a place equally renowned for its lavish beaches as well as its historical heritage. The sheer scope of things to do in Kalutara is fairly vast will bestow upon anyone visiting the locale with numerous memorable experiences. For the adventurous tourist, Kalutara has no shortage of accommodation to cater to any budget, ranging from affordable guest houses, to elegant havens such as the AVANI Kalutara Resort & Spa.
The real superstar of all of Kalutara’s attractions is the Gangatilake Stupa, also known as the Kalutara Vihara. It is a massive three-storey high dagoba iconic for its gleaming white surface exterior. It is widely regarded as being the only stupa of its size in the world to be completely hollow. The interior of the stupa is lavishly decorated with paintings entailing the life of the Buddha. Another Buddhist heritage site is the Kalutara Bodhiya, which is mentioned in ancient Buddhist texts to be the site where one of the thirty two saplings of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi Tree of Anuradhapura was planted.
Kalutara’s Calido Beach is widely regarded to be one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful. Calido Beach is a thin piece of land that runs between the Kalu Ganga and the sea. The beach was recently declared a tourist zone by the government of Sri Lanka. Calido Beach however is only one of Kalutara’s many beaches that are regarded as being some of the best in the world, due to their fine white sand and un-spoilt nature. If one is to visit any of Kalutara’s beaches, one is sure to also come across one of many Basket centers selling various soft hand-woven items such as purses, coasters, hats and of course, baskets.
Kalutara is one of those rare places where one can experience rich historical heritage while basking in the splendor of pristine natural beauty. So take the time to visit Kalutara for an unforgettable vacation.
Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.
You might also like
