Best Reasons to Visit Kalutara – Charming Sights of Sri Lanka

Tucked amid a lush jungle and a rubber estate in Kalutara is Thudugala Ella, a beautiful waterfall that is nestled among the tranquil wilderness. During your holiday at a hotel in Kalutara, Sri Lanka, make it a point to visit this spectacular region. This waterfall is also called "ella uda ella" meaning "the waterfall on a waterfall" when translated from the local language. This is due to the coming together of two separate cascades, which transforms into this splendid waterfall. Once, Thudugala Ella powered a rubber factory in the region with the help of a small hydro-powerplant in the area.

Richmond Castle was once the mansion of N. R. A. D. Arthur De Silva Wijeysinghe Siriwardena, a local mudaliyar who was the son of a wealthy planter. During the time he schooled in Britain, he made friends with a Maharaja, and the mansion was said to be inspired by the latter person's castle. Many of the material that was used to build this castle were imported from abroad and only lime and granite were sourced from the local market. Richmond Castle, which is located approximately 7.2 kilometres from properties like Mermaid Hotel & Club, is hailed as one example that reflects the local heritage.

Fa Hien Caves is a site with archaeological value and it exhibits some of the most ancient shreds of evidence belonging to the Mesolithic era in the country. It is considered the most massive of its kind in Asia and the natural tunnels that run inside have the potential to accommodate over 3000 people. During the excavations that were done sometime back, archaeologists have been able to discover human skulls as well as other weaponry that were fashioned from animal bones and stones. The name "Fa Hien" was given to these caves as a result of the visit made by Fa Hien Thero.

Kalutara Bodhiya is one of the iconic landmarks and is one of the first things you'd see as you enter this eye-catching town. The Bodhi tree here is recognised as one of the saplings that were sprouted from the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, the former capital of ancient Sri Lanka. This has been proved by ancient literature provided by venerable Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thero and several others of his calibre. During the colonial times, this place was used as a fort and served military and administrative purposes of the region. Later on, the first prime minister of Sri Lanka removed other establishments and declared them here as a place that should only be used for religious purposes.

Nestled on the beautiful banks of Kalu Ganga, Bodhinagala Forest Hermitage is a captivating place that is well-hidden from prying eyes in the Dombagaskanda forest reserve. This monastery can be easily accessed via Panadura-Rathnapura main road and is quite known as one of the best places to go bird-watching in Sri Lanka. The monastery itself is spread around an area of 50 acres and it's indeed a calm oasis for those who love to meditate.