Negombo is the best place to understand how much the Dutch love canals. Built in the middle of a Lagoon, the Hamilton canals which start in Negombo stretch out to Puttalam from the North and Colombo from the South, spanning an area of 120 kilometres in total. Visitors have the option of hiring a local tour guide (all tour guides speak excellent English) and getting an informative tour of the rivers or the canal or alternatively renting bicycles and ride them along the side path of the canal.