I kick off my sandals and put my winter pale toes in the silky white and warm sand, and it feels like heaven! I close my eyes, and all I can hear are the waves hitting the beach.
After a long, dark and snowful winter back in Norway, arriving at Bentota beach was just what we needed and had longed for all autumn and winter. It was a dream come through!
As part of the 70th birthday celebration of my mom, Espen and I took my parents to Sri Lanka for their first time. After two days of sightseeing in Colombo city, we did what we came to Sri Lanka for – The three S`s = Sea, Sand, and Sun ♥
Espen and I have earlier been to Mirissa Beach and Tangalle Beach, and love both places, but this time we wanted to start our round trip a little closer to Colombo (a 2-hour drive).
Our choice fell on Bentota, where none of us had been before. We had no expectations, but what a surprise! I would say that Bentota has some of the best and most beautiful beaches in the whole of Sri Lanka.
Located by the Bentota Ganga lagoon, the Bentota area has several big and posh hotels as well as some excellent boutique hotels. The main town is Aluthgama, which is more like a small and fairly chaotic village on the main road that goes along the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. Aluthgama also has a train station.
Aluthgama Town
Aluthgama Train Station
Many of the nice hotels in the Bentota area have well known Ayurveda centers, which is a traditional Sri Lankan medicine in the form of spas with herbal and spice treatment and massage.
Bentota Beach
There are several lovely beaches in the Bentota area, like the Moragalla Beach (just where the Bentota Ganga river meets the ocean) and Ventura Beach. They are more informally referred to simply as Bentota Beach, and together they make a very long stretch of fine white sand.
The sandy strip of Bentota Beach that runs parallel to Bentota Lagoon (or Bentota Ganga) is nicknamed Paradise Island as it is like a long narrow peninsula out in the ocean. It is a well-deserved name in my opinion.
Although Bentota Beach is stunning and has several big and posh hotels, it has strangely few people; it was almost empty the three days we spent there. But that was just fine by us.
The Bentota lagoon and beach is the perfect place for enjoying water sports. You can hire equipment or join a course or take a trip deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, canoeing, diving, windsurfing, waterskiing, or jet-skiing. There are several local tour operators located right by the beach, like the Sunshine Water Sports Center and Diyakawa Water Sports.
River Safari On Bentota Ganga
One of the most popular activities in Bentota, beside beach bumming and water sports, is going on a boat trip on the river Bentota Ganga.
We did that one late afternoon when the sun was getting weaker, and we had a very nice and peaceful river safari lasting for about three hours.
We hired a boat and driver from the hotel we stayed at, which took us upstream of the river through the jungle. We saw lots of beautiful and colorful birds and eagles, as well as a crocodile (!) and snakes. We enjoyed it, especially my dad who loves birds.
Bentota Market
The Monday market in Aluthgama town is the highlight of the week among the locals in the Bentota area.
People from all over the southwest coast, especially women, come here to shop groceries, vegetables, clothes, and all kinds of nick-nacks for the whole week.
Luckily we were in Bentota on a Monday and could visit this bustling market. We bought lots of deliciously fresh vegetables and exotic fruits, as well as some gifts to bring back home to friends and family.
As you might know from my “Fruity Friday” series on this blog, I simply L-O-V-E ♥ fruits!
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