Joanna James
Located a one and a half hour drive away from Sri Lanka's commercial capital Colombo, Bentota is one of the country's best beach cities that offers its visitors a lot of things to do and see.
Bevis Bawa, brother of popular architect Geoffrey Bawa built this magical garden and the bungalow located at the centre of the garden. While the construction of the Brief garden started in 1929 it was opened for public viewing in 1970. Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, the stars of the movie Elephant Walk which was filmed in Sri Lanka in 1953 are among the celebrities that have visited the Brief gardens. It is located 10 kilometres inland from Bentota and can be easily visited by a three-wheeler.
Built on the Bentota Ganga, 3 kilometres inland from the beach stretch of Bentota, the Galapata Raja Temple is an ancient temple that was built during the 12th century. Although the temple is home to several beautiful murals, its price possession is a tooth of one Lord Buddha's most prominent disciple, Kasyapa which is held in a dagoba that is more than 2500 years old.
Beruwala is believed to be the first place that Muslim settled into when they arrived on the island in 1024. The Kechimalai Mosque is said to be built on the exact location where the Muslim community first disembarked and is a key location for Muslim devotees at the end of the Ramadan festival. It is one of the fascinating places of worship that forms the multicultural beach stretch of Bentota and its surrounding cities. Visitors are advised to dress modestly when visiting the mosque as it is a highly revered mosque for devotees around the country.
Constructed during 2nd century BC on the instructions of Arahath Mahinda Thero the Kalutara Bodhiya was one of the temples that King Devanampiya Tissa built around 32 saplings from the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree which is located in Anuradhapura. A large number of devotees from all over the country visit this temple to offer flowers and light incense. The temple is so sacred that devotees passing the temple their vehicles stop to show their respect and donate money as an offertory.
The beach stretch of Bentota is home to some of the best boutique hotels Sri Lanka has to offer similar to Saman Villas. There are many places where you can get a relaxing ayurvedic massage that will heal your body, mind and soul. It is also home to many seafood restaurants and bars where you can enjoy a delicious meal and a cold drink while enjoying a good book; making Bentota one of the best places to enjoy the beautiful beaches and warm hospitality that Sri Lanka has to offer.
The turquoise waves that can be found at the beaches of Bentota offer optimal conditions to take part in beach sports similar to surfing, jet skiing and banana boat rides. The city also has spots which are great for diving such as Hundirangala, South Reef and Canoe Rock. Porcupine Fish and lionfish are some of the types of beautiful multicoloured fish that you'll be able to see while diving.
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