5 Reasons to visit Kalutara in Sri Lanka – The attractions that make Kalutara enticing to tourists

The unmistakable adeptness in architecture is what makes Richmond Castle thrive alongside other attractions. Built in the 1990s, the castle boasts rich history colourful with details of romance. The owner of the castle – Mudaliyar Don Arthur De Silva Wijesinghe Siriwardhane – was the officer in charge of the region at the time. His notion of a mansion sprang into his mind while touring India. Moreover, what makes this story more interesting is its entanglement in romance – it is believed that he wanted to build a magnificent castle in an attempt to impress the family of the girl he was in love with. Most of the materials used in building the castle were imported from abroad – which only goes to show the allowance of his wealth. Within its unique architectural charisma are the naturally ventilated interior and the lion head water fountain.

As you loom close to the city, the first sign that tells you that you are in fact getting closer is Kalutara Bodhiya – while you are within the range of the city limits, you can see the pure, glaring whiteness shot into the sky with a shimmer of gold crowning it. It is said that this is one of 32 saplings of Jaya Maha Bodhi planted in Anuradhapura. The history of Kalutara Bodhiya travels as far back as 2320 – this sacred tree attests to the changes the country went through during British, Dutch and Portuguese colonial periods.

The site that bears archaeological importance, Fa Hein Cave has been a topic of conversation since the discovery of 37,000 old human remains. Indeed, the site holds evidence that proves the existence of Mesolithic habitation is Sri Lanka. With many tunnels running deep inside, this cavernous rock is considered to be the largest in Asia – no less than 3000 people can fit into these caves without much difficulty.

The main reason why Sri Lanka pops up in travel magazines and articles is its abundance of beaches which make water sports a possibility. The coastline that skirts the city of Kalutara is admired by tourists and locals in equal measure. Snorkelling, swimming and relaxing on the beach are a few things you can enjoy on your trip to Kalutara – the courtesy of its wide strip of sand. The beach is interspersed with small huts which are stacked with handcrafted items and street food – an invitation to tourists. Beach is so popular that it is lined with Kalutara hotels – complimenting the category of Turyaa Kalutara – spoiling its visitors with choices.

Entrenched between a jungle and a rubber estate, Thudugala Ella is the cascading waters that cut through the thick wilderness. If you are travelling from Colombo, the easiest way is to travel via Kalutara-Katukundara-Matugama road. Once you've arrived at the junction, you can easily find a tuk-tuk to get to the Thudugala rubber estate. As you set off to journeying among the towering rubber trees, you'll be welcomed by the increasing sound of the gushing water. Once you've paced up about 100 meters, you'll be met with this natural beauty shrouded among the clutter of spiralling trees.