Amangalla

The south coast of Sri Lanka is considered one of the best places in the world to see Blue Whales, and sometimes also Sperm Whales. Additionally, large pods of spinner dolphins frolic in the calm waters of the continental shelf south of Dondra Head. Mirissa harbour is 40 minutes drive to the south of Galle, and is home to several craft that we use for our whale and dolphin watching. To see the whales you must start early and travel to the edge of the continental shelf, 6 km from Dondra Head, the most southerly point of Sri Lanka. We send a butler along with you and provide cold drinks and snacks. Follow a morning trip or begin an afternoon trip by heading to Mirissa Hills for their legendary rice and curry lunch after the trip. This is generally possible from late November to early April, though can sometimes be done at other times of year if the sea is calm enough.

The fort is best seen on foot. This can be a private walk with our Amangalla fort map, a historical tour with your butler, or a ramparts stroll at sunset. The Fort was established by the Portuguese in 1505 when a small foreign trading post was established. In 1640, the Dutch captured Galle, and by 1663 had constructed great ramparts and massive bastions to protect their interests. Within these ramparts, narrow streets are lined with houses displaying their Dutch and English heritage. Flanked by pillared verandahs, these colonial homes and government offices remain in use today.

There are many wonderful temples here on this blessed isle. Three of our favourites are Yatagala, Rhummasala and Nawamunisaya, all are within 30 minutes drive of the Fort. Yatagala Temple is one of the oldest in the region, and set in a beautiful valley of rice paddies and jungle. At the top of 120 steps, Yatagala is a 1,200 year old rock temple with a beautiful image room. A 1,000 year old Bo tree and a wonderful mediation cave, one of the most serene spots on the island. We can arrange a Buddhist blessing for you by the local monks at Yatagala if you wish. Rhummasala is a new temple, built by the Japanese on the magical headland across the bay from the Fort, a stunning location. With breathtaking views back to Galle, the stupa is one of beautiful Zen simplicity on a huge scale. Nawamunisaya (Nawa meaning 9 and Saya Sanskrit for stupa) is the most simple of all the three temples, located in a small village close by the sea. It has a very special story. Built by a woman who lived a life with no children, a Brahmin fortune-teller advised her to make an offering to ensure she would be blessed with children in next life. Determined to be a mother, she proceeded to build a temple composed of one large and eight smaller stupas, to represent the children of her next life. There is a small pre-school located within the grounds, should you like to visit during the morning and meet the children, just let us know.

Handunugoda is 25 minutes drive to the south of Galle and is one of the lowest lying tea estates in Sri Lanka. As well as tea they also have rubber and cinnamon plantations. Walk through the rolling hills of the tea estate, and a step back in time with tea and cakes on the verandah of the planters bungalow, accompanied by the elegant stories of the planter himself. A tour of the old workings of the factory follow, where they still use the original English machines. Finally, to the tasting room, to try a myriad of teas, including the unique ‘White Tea’ that only they produce in Sri Lanka.

The best tour of all takes you away from Amangalla for the whole day, and immerses you in the world of Geoffrey Bawa. He was Sri Lanka’s most influential and prolific architect and South Asia’s leading guru of tropical architecture. An oeuvre spanning almost 50 years encompassed a wide range of work, mostly in south-west Sri Lanka. An hour drive to Bentota takes you to the heart of his buildings and his home. Visit hotels, private houses and have lunch at Lunaganga, his most striking achievement. Lunaganga was his own house and garden fashioned from an abandoned rubber estate. This project occupied him for fifty years, and he used it as a test bed for his emerging ideas. The result is a series of outdoor rooms conceived with an exquisite sense of theatre as a civilised wilderness on a quiet backwater in the greater garden of Sri Lanka. On the return to Galle visit more of his hotels ending with cocktails overlooking the sunset from the Lighthouse Bar.