BENTOTA

62 km. south of Colombo , capsule The Bentota Ganga makes a large curve to the south before turning to flow northward into the Indian Ocean . At this point, more about river and sea form a narrow spit of land almost three kilometers long which is a dream location for hotels. Some of these are accessible only by boat. North of Bentota, where there is only a hundred-meter-wide strip of sand between river and sea in places, there is no room for a road. This is why some houses have no land access.

The wide Bentota River and its lagoon like hinterland are ideal for boat trips. One destination might be the monastery of “Galapatha Vihara”, although the only relic of the past here is a stone door-frame dating from the 12th century; however, it does allow visitors to survey a modern, brightly-painted temple.