Bentota is a popular resort town only an hour and a half from Colombo. The beaches of Bentota bring locals on day trips as well as foreigners who want to soak up some tropical sun. AVANI Bentota Resort & Spa is a popular hotel boasting the design of world renowned architect, Geoffrey Bawa. The sea is suitable for swimming and paddling or if you want to jump on board a jet ski, a number of the hotels offer water sports. There is also water skiing, mono skiing, wake boarding, banana boat rides, wind surfing and cannoning.
The Bentota River, also known as the Madu Ganga, offers a different kind of adventure. To discover its wonders book a Bentota river cruise. Sri Lanka has a number of wetland ecosystems, this mighty river belongs to the country’s second largest wetland, known as the Madu Ganga Wetland. The Madu Ganga itself has an average depth of about four meters. It flows into the sea at Balapitiya. The unique river takes in water from the sea at low tide and later in the day flushes fresh water back out.
There are several different boating safaris that you can pick from for a guided tour. The river is flanked by shady mangrove forests that have grown on the banks. Additionally, there are thirty two mangrove laden islands, spread out along the river. The wetland is home to over three hundred plant varieties. Plenty of birds can be seen flitting through the overhead canopy. Water birds like herons, kingfishers, and cormorants reside in the shrubbery. Water monitors also make an appearance from time to time along the edges or hunting in the water. Close to two hundred and fifty species of vertebrate animals call the river network home.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.
You might also like
