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The Wes

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South of Colombo

The Wes

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The Wes

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& Induruwa

SOUTH OF COLOMBO

Escaping the frenetic and sticky capital for
the road south is a giant sigh of relief. Out go
the congested streets and dark clouds of ex-
haust fumes and in come the sultry beaches
of the Sri Lankan dream. Most independent
travellers focus on surf-obsessed Hikkadu-
wa, but the Bentota area offers quieter, and
even more stunning, beaches, as well as a bi-
zarre twinning of package-holiday hotels and
sumptuous boutique hideaways.

A luthgama, Bentota &

Induruwa

% 034
Protected from noisy Galle Rd by the sluggish
sweep of the Bentota Ganga, the ribbon of
golden sand that makes up Bentota beach is
a glorious holiday sun-and-fun playground.
While it’s primarily dominated by big package
hotels, it also has a number of smaller places
catering to independent travellers. There are
more such places in Aluthgama, a small town
on the main road between Beruwela and Ben-
tota. Many of the pricier places to stay listed
here also have respected Ayurveda centres.
Aluthgama has a raucous fish market, local
shops and the main train station in the area. In-
duruwa doesn’t really have a centre – it’s spread
out along the coast.
In 2014, clashes erupted between sup-
porters of a militant Buddhist group (Bodu
Bala Sena) and the local Muslim population,
following a rally organised by the Buddhist
hardliners. Up to four people were killed,
many were injured, and a number of proper-
ties were destroyed. At the time of research,
there had been no further incidents.

1 Sights

If it’s a beach you want, then it’s a beach
you’re going to get; the Bentota area is home
to some of the best beaches in all the country.
Yet there is something altogether odd about
these magnificent stretches of sand – despite
the huge number of hotels and the fact that
most people come to Sri Lanka for the three
S’s of sun, sand and surf, the beaches at the
southern end of this strip are remarkably
empty of people. Quite why this is we’re not
sure, but if the sands of nearby Hikkaduwa
are a bit too trodden for your liking, then
Bentota might be the place for you. Further
watery fun is also available on the calm waters
of the Bentota Ganga, though pollution can
be an issue here.

Aluthgama has a bustling market every

Monday, located across the train line, to-

wards Dharga Town. A few kilometres inland

on the south bank of the river is the Galapo-

ta Temple, which is said to date from the

12th century. To reach it, cross the bridge and

take the side road to your left after 500m.

Brief Garden gARDENS

(%227 4462, 077 350 9290; http://www.briefgarden.com;

admission Rs 1000; h8am-5pm) Ten kilometres

inland from Bentota is the Brief Garden. A

barely controlled riot of a garden out of The

Jungle Book, the grounds are a lovely place

to get lost. The house, which used to be the

home of Bevis Bawa, brother of renowned ar-

chitect Geoffrey Bawa, has an eclectic range

of artwork on display – from homoerotic

sculpture to a wonderful mural of Sri Lankan

life in the style of Marc Chagall.

To get here, follow the road south from

Aluthgama to Matagama Rd and turn inland

to the village of Dharga Town. From here

you will periodically see yellow signs saying

‘Brief ’, but as everyone knows this place, it’s

easy enough to ask directions. There’s no

public transport.

2 Activities

The vast lagoon and river mouth make this

an excellent area for water sports. Windsurf-

ing, waterskiing, jet-skiing, deep-sea fishing

and everything else watery are offered by

local operators. Sunshine Water Sports

Center (%428 9379; http://www.srilankawatersports.

com; Riverside Rd, Aluthgama; h9am-sunset) and

Diyakawa Water Sports (%077 916 5330; 10

Riverside Rd) are independent operators that

are both right on the riverfront. Besides

renting out a wide range of equipment, they

also run courses, which include windsurfing

(US$130) and waterskiing (US$30). There

are also snorkelling tours, canoeing, deep-sea

fishing and diving courses.

Boat journeys along the Bentota Ganga

(per group US45) are a peaceful, popular and

bird-filled way to pass a late afternoon. Tours

travel through the intricate coves and islands

on the lower stretches of the river, which is

home to more than a hundred bird species.

Most trips last for three hours. Both of the

above companies organise trips, otherwise all

hotels can point you to operators.

4 leeping & EatingS

In among the package-holiday resort bubbles

are a number of divine boutique hotels and