sri-lanka-13-full-pdf-ebook.pdf

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Galle Fort Tours TOURS
(Church St; tours from Rs 3000; h9am-5pm)
Several of Galle’s tuk-tuk drivers offer tours
around the Fort and town. You can find them
waiting across from the Galle Fort Hotel.
Rates are negotiable, as are the itineraries.
These guys are real characters, so expect to
have fun as you careen about in the back of a
three-wheeler. Longer trips in air-con cars are
also available.

z^ estivals & EventsF

Galle Literary Festival CU lTURAl FeSTivAl
(www.galleliteraryfestival.com) A somewhat an-
nual event this festival usually brings togeth-
er renowned Asian and Western writers, al-
though the schedule can vary depending on
the mood of the volunteers.

4 Sleeping

Each year brings new places to stay within
the walls of the Fort; everything from simple
homestays to enticing boutique hotels. In
high season it’s best to book as demand keeps
spiralling ever upward. The surrounding re-
gion also has a vast range of options.

4 Fort

Pedlar’s Inn Hostel GU eSThOUSe $
(%222 7443; http://www.pedlarsinn.com; 62 lighthouse
St; dm US$12-15, r US$50-60; W) The Pedlar’s
empire has expanded to this new and bright
guesthouse which features very good hostel
rooms. Each has three or four beds and is fan-
cooled. Two private rooms have air-con. You
can rent bikes and serve yourself from the
breakfast bar.

Hotel Weltevreden GU eSThOUSe $
(%222 2650; [email protected]; 104 Pedlar
St; r Rs 2500-5000; W) A heritage-listed Dutch
building, the Hotel Weltevreden has 10 basic
rooms painted in bright colours set around a

well-loved courtyard garden. Plenty of friend-

ly chit-chat with the elderly owner is included

in the room price. Cheaper rooms have shared

bathrooms and are fan-only.

Mrs ND Wijenayake’s

Guest House GU eSThOUSe $

(Beach haven; %223 4663; http://www.beachhaven-galle.

com; 65 lighthouse St; r Rs 2000-5500; aW) The

wonderful Mrs Wijenayake has been playing

host to grateful backpackers forever and her

knowledge of their needs shows in this com-

fy guesthouse. The 12 rooms range from the

clean and simple, with shared bathrooms, to

fancier air-con rooms. The family still talk of

the extended stay by Lonely Planet cofounder

Tony Wheeler in 1977.

Frangipani Motel GU eSThOUSe $

(%222 2324; http://www.frangipanigroup.com; 32 Pedlar

St; r US$24-40; aW) Modern and kitsch, this

family-run guesthouse has eight rooms in two

buildings that straddle Pedlar St. The large

rooms upstairs are airy and bright, with ocean

breezes billowing through the roof slats and a

flower-bedecked bed. There’s a garden full of

songbirds, where you can eat and relax. Some

rooms have balconies.

oSeagreen Guest House GU eSThOUSe $$

(%224 2754; http://www.seagreen-guesthouse.com; 19B

Rampart St; r Rs 4500-8000; aW) The five

whitewashed rooms here feature colourful

Indian textiles and rainwater showers. The

bathrooms are some of the best in this price

range and the rooftop terrace has sublime

sunset views off over the ramparts and far,

far away over a salt-spray Indian Ocean. Some

rooms are fan-only while others have excel-

lent ocean views.

Fort Dew Guesthouse GU eSThOUSe $$

(%222 4365; http://www.fortdew.com; 31 Rampart St; r Rs

4000-9000; aW) Set close to the ancient city

walls, this five-room guesthouse is a real find.

HOLIDAY RENTALS

Sri Lanka’s beautiful southern beaches have been drawing people for decades, many of

whom find leaving harder than they thought and put down roots more permanently. Scores

of private villas and holiday homes dot the sands east and west of Galle. Most are the very

definition of discretion, with high walls keeping the hubbub of the coast road away.

Many of these beautiful properties are available for rent at prices that may surprise: for

as little as US$150 a night, you can have your own beach house. And as you pay more, the

amenities only proliferate, from pools to staff and beyond. Some of the grander properties

are no strangers to the pages of Hello magazine.

Good sources for rentals include the following websites: http://www.villsinsrilanka.com, http://www.

lankarealestate.com and http://www. vrbo.com.