Alexandra Wendt
Are you looking for exciting things to do in Bentota? Located in the South, Bentota is sought after by most tourists due to its high level of water sport activities combined with panoramic beaches.
The Bentota beach is one of the best places in Sri Lanka for windsurfing with many hotels situated not far off from the beach such as Saman Villas. The necessary gear can be hired at the beach itself to make life easy for you. The Bentota River and Lulu River capsule Bentota into a small peninsula. Besides the ocean, the rivers also offer boat rides and water sports that make it a dual experience for those interested. The waves of Bentota beach are just enough to go on thrilling and fulfilling windsurfing expeditions. It is also ideal for kayaking, jet skiing and stand up paddle boarding. The winds at the Bentota beach are excellent for water sports activities during most times of the year.
This is the home and garden of late Bevis Bawa who was a renowned landscape architect who was instrumental in developing the place since 1929. This is one of the excursions that you must take as the landscaping art together with sculptures done by Bevis and other artists can be viewed here which are fascinating. Before converting it into Bawa's residence and garden, it used to be a rubber plantation. Now the entire estate is turned into a museum with architectural wonders such as the Japanese Garden which you must not miss out during your tour here.
If you are a nature and turtle lover then you must visit the sea turtle project in Bentota where you can get a first-hand idea of how turtles are hatched and conserved. The turtle hatchery is open during the day and you can witness the 5 different types of sea turtles that come to Sri Lankan beaches to lay their eggs. There are various sizes of turtles held in tanks and many turtle hatchlings in separate tanks in large groups that you can take to your palm and have a closer look. The different stages of hatching can be seen in the hatching yard with exact dates when turtle eggs were buried. You can also have the pleasure of releasing a newly hatched three day old turtle into the sea at specific scheduled times.
The Galapota Viharaya is an ancient temple that dates back to the 12th century and is worth visiting for those in search of things to do in Bentota. It is known to have been built by Parakramabahu the Great who was instrumental in building the city of Polonnaruwa. Inside the Galapota Viharaya there are so many ancient artefacts and antiques that you get to see. By the side of the temple there is a maze of connected underground tunnels that lead to openings of other temples in the area. When you go into these caves make sure you don't go by yourself as you can easily get lost inside. There is a special annual religious festival held every January on full moon poya day along with a procession to mark Buddha's visit to Sri Lanka.
