Amanwella

The quaint village of Palapotta, a 25-minutes drive from Amanwella through scenic Beliatta road, is home to the family of master-potter Vilamansana Mahathmaya. For many years, Vilamansana and family have molded by hand, with the aid of simple tools, clay pots for curd bowls, and various sizes of pots for water storage and open-fire home cooking. The terracotta clay raw material is sourced from two nearby riverbeds, and cooking of semi-finished products is amazingly done in open pits with a mixture of wood, rice and coconut husk.

The south coast of Sri Lanka is considered one of the best places in the world to see Blue Whales, and to see Blue and Sperm Whales together. As well as the whales, large pods of spinner dolphins frolic in the calm waters of the continental shelf south of Dondra Head. Occasional turtles are common too.

Is located 10km east of Tangalle and home to one of the most important sea turtle nesting sites in Sri Lanka, visited by 5 different species which lay their eggs in the sand here every night throughout the year. The best time to see turtles is between January and April. Periods throughout the year when there is a full moon are also good because there are both more turtles and more light to see them by. Rekawa’s record is apparently 23 turtles in one night, and there’s allegedly always been at least one turtle every night.

Provide an abundance of opportunities to see wildlife in its original habitat around Amanwella. Bundala National Park is 1¼ hours east of Tangalle. This area of open scrub around the coast offers great opportunities for bird watching (with around 150 reported species) and the occasional sighting of elephants and crocodiles. The salt pans attract a vast number of migratory shore birds, making this 6,216 hectare park one of the most important wetlands in Sri Lanka. The best time to visit Bundala is between November and March when the winter migratory birds arrive. Numerous grey languor monkeys populate the larger trees and in the scrub jungle you may also come across jackals, hares and spotted deer. We recommend a morning visit to Bundala, departing at 6.30am. Once inside the park, guests are transferred to a 4WD jeep and accompanied by a park tracker. A five to six hour trip at USD320 for one, USD370 for two, USD420 for three and USD600 for four (includes transfers, entrance fees, park tracker and 4WD, food and beverages).* UdaWalawe National Park is situated 1½ hours north-east of Tangalle. This is one of the island’s most popular national parks totalling 30,800 hectares in size and bordering a reservoir. It is best known for its elephants (estimated to number around 400, including six tuskers) and bird watching opportunities. It is primaril7 open parkland traversed by a main river and numerous streams which makes elephant sightings particularly accessible. Often the pachyderms can be seen in herds of up to 100 or more. Other animals which may be sighted here include spotted deer, langur monkeys, jackals, hares, Monitor lizards, migratory birds, wild boar and water buffalo.

Is situated ½ hour north of Tangalle. It is a monastic site on an isolated 210m high rock that rises almost vertically out of the surrounding forest. The rock was the site of an important discovery, the Tikaola-leaf scripts discovered in the 19th century by George Tumour. These scripts offered a key to the translation of Sri Lanka’s most informative ancient text, the “Mahavamsa”. The stepped path is separated by platforms where cave temples, featuring murals and Buddha images, can be explored. We recommend an early morning or late afternoon visit to Mulgirigala when the temperature is cooler. If you leave at 4.00pm, you can enjoy sunset at the top of the rock. The climb to the top can be quite tiring (over 500 steps) and modest attire is recommended.