Negombo
Negombo is one of the major cities in Sri Lanka located in west coast in mouth of the Negombo Lagoon also known as “Little Rome”. This city owns the charm of Portuguese and Dutch style churches with old paintings, and interesting canals and ramparts built during Portuguese era. Negombo is ideal for quick weekend gateways or as the first stay in Sri Lanka for a tourist as it is 20mins ride from Katunayake International Airport (8.7Km). Another incredible experience would be to witness Island’s largest fish port where you will find more than 500 types edible species of fish. During morning hours large number of boats are lined up to catch fish. To make your stay at Negombo memorable there are many more activities such as, Romantic catamaran dinning, boat rides, Sun bathing in golden sandy beaches, Ayurveda massages, Fishing tour on the Lagoon, shopping for unique handmade jewelries. For accommodation you can find hotels with impressive infrastructure, villas, apartments, guest houses and so many other options with high standard of service for different price ranges. At Negombo you will get to taste authentic Sri Lankan sea food meals.
Kalpitiya
Kalpitiya is located in Puttalam district, North Western Province surrounded by 14 islands and is considered as future of tourism in Sri Lanka. Kalpitiya beach has easy access from Kalpitiya Lagoon on a boat. This is an ideal location for bird lovers as well as for individuals wholove adventurous beach activities and water sports. Bird lovers can view a large varietyof birds from the Kalpitiya lagoon. It is home to spinner dolphins, rare species of Sperm whales and the best time to witness these beautiful creatures is from December to mid-April. You can witness fishing boats leaving in the evening for fishing and returning to the shore early morning. The stunning sunset and sun bathing on the golden sandy beach is a great experience for all visitors. Both tourists and locals are able to go on Boat rides, snorkeling, whale watching, Water sports, canoe rides, Kayaking and wind surfing. Kalpitiya is famous for Kite surfing during May to October.
Trincomalee & Nilaveli
In Trincomalee you will find Sri Lanka’s most amazing widely stretched white sand beaches with magnificent rare sights. It is in east coast of the island 237 Km north east of Colombo. Trincomalee, also known as The Jungle beach has easy access to important cultural hotspots, wildlife and valuable historical sites. During the visit you can explore Fort Frederic old fort built by the Portuguese. Experience beautiful Hindu ceremony at Sri Pathrakali Amman Kovil. At Koneswaram temple you can view the whole Trincomalee bay also experience a beautiful Hindu ceremony. Ten minutes boat ride to Nilaveli, with corals around the island and crystal clear water is ideal for Snorkel gear.
Pasikuda
Pasikuda, meaning “green- algae- Bay” is located 35 kilometers northwest of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. White sandy beaches of Pasikuda are easily accessible from the cities of Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Batticaloa airport is the nearest airport for Pasikudah which has scheduled flights operating from Colombo Bandaranayake International Airport. After successful Tsunami rehabilitation projects, Pasikuda has now become one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Sri Lanka. At Pasikuda you will be able to discover wild life in Batticoloa Lagoon, Dutch Fort as well as make your visit memorable by doing beach activities such as snorkeling, water sports, and scuba diving.
Arugam Bay
Arugam bay is located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s southeast coast. The most obvious and popular activity in arugam bay is Surfing. Arugam bay is a great place for surfer beginners as well as advance level surfers as there are six different points dedicated for surfing, and most importantly it is affordable for learning. By taking a 20 minute tuk tuk outside A-bay you will be able to visit Kumana national park. The best time to catch elephants is around 3 in the evening. You can visit the Elephant Rock, a huge boulder where the lagoon meets the beach to catch a spectacular sunset.
Tangalle
Tangalle is one of the largest cities in Southern Province which is located in Hambantota District. Beaches at Tangalle are astonishingly beautiful and desolate. Due to huge rough waves in south, the beaches at Tangalle are for the people who would love to enjoy sunsets, ocean and nature without doing anything. The coastal area of Tangalle is more like a village. Yet you will be able to find ATM’s, banks and electric shops, this is not an ideal place for shopping but you will be able to find necessities from super markets in the town. You can buy special night tours to see turtles in the evening or in the dark at night when they come to lay eggs in the sand. You can spend time in the Rekhawa lagoon and several small beautiful lagoons or boating on the canals.
Mirissa
Mirissa is one of the main whale and dolphin watching locations in Sri Lanka. It is located in Matara district approximately 150Km south of Colombo. Everything at Mirissa is mainly focused on tourism; night life of Mirissa is one of the reasons why it has become a popular destination among tourists. Mirissa is filled with amazing hotels, villas and restaurants with delicious food for a reasonable price. For a brilliant surfing experience you can reach to Weligama beach in 15 minutes tuk-tuk ride starting from Mirissa. Beautiful Mirissa has so many spots for sun tanning, snorkeling and scuba diving. Best time to visit Mirissa would be November to March.
Unawatuna
Unawatuna beach is more famous among locals and tourists both for its beautiful corals and calm crystal clear blue ocean water. It is located in Galle District approximately 108 Km south of Colombo. You have easy access to Galle Dutch Fort from Unawatuna, it takes only 15 minutes to reach the destination by a tuk tuk. Chilling at jungle beach, Snorkeling, Ayurveda massages, whale watching are some of the activities that you can do during the visit. Galle light house located within the Galle fort would be your perfect spot for photos and catch an amazing sunset. Unawatuna is also a great place for shopping, you will find unique handmade accessories and batik clothes.
Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa is located in South Coast of Sri Lanka located in Southern Province. It is an ideal place for snorkeling. If you are going with young kids who are too young for snorkeling you can hire a glass bottom boat ride to view corals and sea life from above. At Hikkaduwa you can spot turtles and watch them being released to the sea. Best time to visit Hikkaduwa would be November to April. By visiting coral sanctuary which is located a few hundred meters offshore you will be able to see seventy varieties of multi-colored corals. Some of the nearby places to visit from Hikkaduwa would be Galle fort, Sri Pushparama Temple, Seenigama Vihara. Apart from visiting beach you can go on a river safari in Madhu river near Balapitiya one of largest rivers in Hikkaduwa.
Bentota
Bentota which is a resort town is located near its long Bentota Beach stretches north on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast. This is also known as Paradise Island, parallel to Bentota Lagoon. Bentota is popular for trekking, water activities, whale watching and snorkeling. From Bentota you can visit to Kande Viharaya and take history lesson about Sri Lanka. Bentota has easy access to Balapitiya Madhu River and Cinnamon Island which is famous for surfing and diving. Bentota has amazing view points and a great place to experience Ayurveda treatment.
