Just 30 minites drive from hikkaduwa..
RIVER SAFARI (BLUE LAGOON)
Madhu river Safari is the best traditional Lagoon Tour company in balapitiya (Southern province of Sri Lanka). You can enjoy a delightful Boat ride in Blue Lagoon. Let the nature offer you a peaceful break fishing and watching birds, varanus and iguanas living in their natural habitat. Be sure to catch a glimpse of the beautiful history of Buddhism in an ancient and wonderful temple in the lagoon area.
Balapitiya Madu lagoon River (Madu Ganga) Safari is beautiful place to do boat safaris due to picturesque landscapes, beautiful wildlife with many different species of birds, echo system and the very high diversity. In the early evening you will see the fishermen in their canoes lighting lanterns to attract the shellfish into their traps.
Madu River or the Madu Ganga is one of the natures fascinating creations off South West coast in Balapitiya. Madu Ganga is a lagoon with hundreds of islands providing an idyllic setting for a well spent holiday and loads of authentic traditional settings. It may be one of the last remaining tracts of pristine mangrove forests in Sri Lanka.
A cruise on a modern motor boat is the best way to exploring the natural wealth of Madu Ganga, the islands in the wetland are largely inaccessible by road. The inhabitants are also using the boats and more often paddle boats as the means of transport. You can see hundreds of species of plants and animals monkeys eat fruit in the trees, a water monitor lizard glides slowly through the water, and cormorants, egrets and kingfishers wait patiently on the banks, eyeing the water for prey.
The main occupations of the local inhabitants are producing cinnamon and prawn fishing if you take the trip in the evening you will see the fishermen in their canoes lighting lanterns to attract the shellfish into their traps.
It is claimed that the main secret of the Madu Ganga is the tide. On any given day during the low tide the seawater comes inland and mixes with fresh water and in the evening, vice versa creating the magic of nature. Local and foreign tourists can explore the beauty of Madu Ganga through a boat ride that takes a couple of hours.
RdIVER SAFARI What You'll Do
TURTLE HATCHERY
This hatchery is located 5 Km north of Balapitiya . These turtle hatcheries were constructed to rescue and protect turtle eggs because of the rapidly declining numbers of marine turtle in Sri Lankan shores. Marine turtle eggs are purchased from the fisherman and re-buried along the beach and left there for 48 days allowing the eggs ample time to hatch. Thereafter the baby turtles are collected from the beach and kept in tanks for 2-3 days, and released into the ocean to fend off for themselves. The few female turtles that survive will return to their natal shores after ten years to lay their own eggs.Visitors to the hatchery could release baby turtles into the ocean at night; they could also take a glimpse at two very rare albino turtles that are kept at the sea turtle project for conservation .
MOONSTONE
Have you ever wondered where that pretty little moonstone on your finger actually comes from? The beautiful island of Sri Lanka, and home of the highest quality moonstone in the world, lies in the Indian Ocean just off the southern tip of India itself.
Head inland 7km to Mitiyagoda and you can descend (not literally) into the mucky world of mining – 18th-century style! Moonstone has been mined in these sweltering forests forever and the moonstone mines, little more than muddy rabbit holes, 6m or 7m long, are fascinating – as is the process of filtering out the precious stones, cutting them up and polishing them ready for sale.
Entrance is free, but expect a hardcore sales pitch in the on-site shop afterwards. To get there head towards Kahawa and turn inland to Mitiyagoda, after which it’s clearly signed.
One of the best-known primary gem deposits in Sri Lanka is the large pegmatite vein of moonstone at Meetiyagoda, a small village a few miles from the coast in the south-west of the island. The village boasts 10 mines which have been the most important source for top quality blue moonstone.
SPICE GARDEN
Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices. Since ancient times, traders from all over the world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques. Sri Lankan people use spices liberally in their dishes and typically do not follow an exact recipe.
Sri Lanka is famous for its spices and spices gardens. These spice gardens offers tourists memorable visits to various spice plantations in Sri Lanka. In order to promote and uplift spice growing and spice gardens of Sri Lanka a spice council was established with all key industry private and public sector stakeholders. During early historical times Sri Lanka Known as Taprobane, was world renowned for its quality spices. During ancient times the Greeks, Romans and the Arabic maintained their links with Sri Lanka through the spice trade.
Here you will learn about Fragrant clove, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, mace and pepper, and many other favourites such as chocolate and vanilla.
Your guide will explain the different spices and show how some of these spices are grown and processed. A processing and training unit has been set up in the area and farmers are grouped in a cooperative to ensure fair prices. The visit ends at a shop where should you wish to, you may purchase spices.
The Ambalangoda area on the South Western coast of Sri Lanka is renowned for its talented artisans. Ariyapala and Sons is an important landmark in the town of Ambalangoda that famed for its history and expertise mask carving and culture. They sales outlet for wooden masks worn during ritual folk dances and operas, however, are presently produced for home decorations and exportation. All masks are associated with legends and depict humans, demons and animals such as birds or snakes.
This museum is designed to introduce into the richness of the mask tradition of Ambalangoda and to strengthen this cultural heritage. The south-west coast area, specially Ambalangoda is particularly well known for its masks plays and rituals that are performed on different occasions. Among these performances there are two famous ones, the Kolam Maduwa and the rituals to expel evil demons which cause diseases.
ON THE 26TH OF DECEMBER 2004 THE TSUNAMI HIT DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. ALSO IN SRI LANKA MANY LIVES WERE LOST AND THE DAMAGE WAS HUGE. MANY PEOPLE ON THE COAST LOST NEARLY EVERYTHING THEY HAD. THE MUSEUM IS ABOUT THE TSUNAMI AND THE FIRST YEARS AFTER THE TSUNAMI.
This ramshackle, private museum halfway between Hikkaduwa and Ambalangoda tells the story through photographs and newspaper features of that dreadful day in 2004 when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck Hikkaduwa and Sri Lanka. It was also around here where the tsunami washed away a packed commuter train with the loss of over 1200 lives. The images of that ruined train are displayed through photographs in this museum.
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