From Colombo to Galle: A Day Trip Exploring the Western Coast of Sri Lanka

Yesterday we took a road trip south to explore the western coast of Sri Lanka. Dave and I went back and forth for days about whether we wanted to do this tour. It would be a lot of time spent in a van, which didn’t sound great before the very long travel day we have coming up. However, we ultimately decided that we didn’t want to leave here without exploring more of this country. We will likely never come back to Sri Lanka and several locals told us this was a must-see area.

“Long Queues for Petrol” and the Kaluthara Temple

Our journey started early in the morning with our tour guide picking us up from our Airbnb. As we started the drive south, there were tons of cars, tuk-tuks, and motorbikes lined up to get gas, or as our tour guide said “long queues for petrol”. I really love different translations between languages. The long lines were due to a dispute between gas companies. Luckily our driver filled up before we left and the van ran on diesel which was widely available.

The first stop was the Kaluthara Buddhist temple. We weren’t aware that we would be stopping at any temples and Alexis and I weren’t dressed for this. Thankfully, they had scarves we could wrap around our waists. This was the first temple in which we have felt very uncomfortable and out of place. It was a holiday because of the full moon. In Sri Lanka, every full moon day is a public holiday known as a Poya Day. This made the temple very busy and we stood out even more because everyone who comes to worship wears white. It felt like we were invading something special. We didn’t stay very long and didn’t take any pictures.

Bentota Beach and King Coconut Drinks

We ventured on to Bentota beach, where our tour guide bought us king coconut drinks. The kids didn’t like them, but Dave and I did. This beach was quiet, extremely beautiful, and a place we would recommend if you ever travel to Sri Lanka. We enjoyed taking in the view and the cool breeze off the ocean.

Kosgoda Spice and Herbal Garden

Our next stop was the Kosgoda spice and herbal garden. I thought this was going to be about the spices they use for cooking, but it was about spices and herbs used for natural medicine. The intern there told us all about what the different spices and herbs are used for and how they grow. Alexis and I got a little one minute facial demonstration with a natural cream. The intern stated that the cream will help clear your skin of any “marks and crinkles”.

Turtle Sanctuary

We then visited a turtle sanctuary and conservation center. We learned a lot about how they rehabilitate and care for turtles, as well as hatching and releasing baby turtles. The kids got to hold a baby turtle which they loved. I have mixed feelings about places like this, but we learned some interesting things.

Lunch with a View and Some Miscommunication

After the turtle sanctuary we drove to the town of Hikkaduwa, and stopped for lunch. The view was nice and the food was good. Our server engaged us in conversation a lot while we were there, and his English was pretty hard to understand.

A funny example of this is when I thought he asked me “Do you like donut rum?” (imagine this with a thick Indian accent). I repeated it back to him and he did the bobble head gesture they use here that doesn’t really mean yes or no. I looked at Dave and he said “yeah lets try it”, as we both thought this was some type of Sri Lankan drink. I then asked our server if it was good and he gave me a very strange look. He repeated himself again and I realized what he was actually saying was “Do you like Donald Trump”. This is not the first time we have been asked this question this year.

Tsunami Photo Museum and Bamian Buddha Statue

In 2004 there was a massive Tsunami that primarily impacted Indonesia, but also devastated other countries as well. Sri Lanka was impacted in a big way with over 30,000 deaths. It also resulted in the biggest rail disaster in history when the Tsunami wiped a full train off the tracks.

Right next door to our restaurant was a tsunami picture museum and Buddha statue commemorating this tragedy. The small museum showed pictures from the devastation and the huge 60 foot tall Buddha statue was erected as a mark of respect for the 1500 train passengers that died in the Tsunami. The train tracks run directly behind this.

Hikkaduwa Turtle Beach

Turtle beach is the area we had originally planned to stay during our time in Sri Lanka, where you can swim with giant sea turtles. After visiting this beach, I was immediately confident in our decision to forgo this activity and not stay in this area. The beach was over-run with people, dirty, and there were so many tourists crowding around and feeding the turtles (something you’re not supposed to do).

Galle Fort

The Galle Fort is a well-preserved fort, built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and later fortified by the Dutch. It showcases a blend of European and South Asian architectural styles and is a UNESCO world heritage site. It once served as a major port and trading hub, connecting Sri Lanka with merchants from Asia and Europe. This was a little underwhelming. I’m not sure what I expected, but it was a bit of a letdown. We walked along the fort walls, saw a couple of beautiful churches, a beach just outside the walls, and a light house.

Japanese Peace Pagoda and Jungle Beach

The last stop was Jungle beach and a Japanese Peace Pagoda that overlooks the Indian Ocean. This pagoda was built in 2005 and was a gift from the Japanese. There happened to be an American monk there and we enjoyed talking to him. He was from New Jersey and is a Zen Buddhist. His Buddhist order is the order of monks who donated the peace pagoda. Their mission is raising awareness of the dangers of nuclear conflict and the pagoda symbolizes peace and harmony. The view of the ocean was beautiful and this was my favorite part of the day. It felt so peaceful there.

The tour ended at Jungle beach. We walked down the hill, through the jungle to reach this beach. It was nice, but very crowded. We drank some really bad coffee and enjoyed taking in the local vibe.

Return to Colombo

We arrived back at our Airbnb almost exactly 12 hours after we left. It was a long day, but we all truly enjoyed exploring more of Sri Lanka. Although none of the sites blew us away, it was good to see the beauty outside of the city. The next few days will be spent finishing up some school projects, doing laundry, and resting up for our journey on to South Africa.