Here are some local guides and TukTuk drivers that have been recommended by our guests.

TUKTUK DRIVERS POLHENA MADIHA MATARA SRI LANKA

COLOMBO

Sameer – was the driver / guide for OskarandDan

Best contact is via WhatsApp  +94764880581

Champaka Gunawardana

Bentota & all island

Champaker speaks good English and studied in Russia where he got his degree in tourism. He is now back in his motherland of Sri Lanka, where he is an official guide and a good driver. He has an airconditioned luxurious and comfortable 6 seater bus.

Raj Mahal Inn is a self-catering accommodation located in Wadduwa. The property is centrally situated by the railway station and amongst famous hotels, just 100 meters from the beautiful beach of Wadduwa.

The property has a fully air conditioned deluxe double room and a non-air conditioned natural villa.

With free Wi-Fi Internet access, the apartment and private room contains tea and coffee facilities, an LED flat-screen TV, and a DVD player.

The apartments both have Sri Lankan teak wood furniture with private bathrooms and complimentary toiletries. Extras include a sofa, bed linens, a fan, and mosquito vaporizers

At Raj Mahal Inn, you will find a garden and a snack bar where you can enjoy tasty traditional food, sea food, and fresh tropical juices. Laundry and ironing services are offered, and so too are car and bicycle rental services. You can also enjoy a nice Ayurvedic body massage and yoga during your stay here.

The place takes a very convenient location in Wadduwa city. Not far from beach, stops to get a train or a bus to continue your trip. The place is very clean and tide. Rooms are big, spacy with a beautiful bathroom (it’s floor is uniquely designed…covered with raw stones, to massage your feet after you got off the bath). For your convenience there is also a kitchen where you can cook your own food. The owner Raj a very nice person with a good skills of English, so no problem with communication.

Raj and his family ensured we had the best visit possible. From our beautiful and clean room (and probably the best bathroom in SL!!) to the delicious food and fresh juices, all prepared by Raj himself, I cannot fault this place. Definitely opt for the Sri Lankan breakfast – a huge fruit platter with a huge assortment of curry, rice and hoppers was definitely one of our highlights here and the best way to start the day! Conveniently located just by the train station and a short stroll from the beach, the RajMahal Inn is in my eyes one of the best guesthouses in Sri Lanka.

Balapitiya is a coastal town, in south west Sri Lanka. It is located in the Southern Province in Sri Lanka. Situated 80 km (50 mi) south of Colombo, about a two-hour drive from the capital. It is the nearest town to the Maduganga River.

A two hour drive south from Colombo, either along the costal road or by train, you’ll find Balapitiya, a small, picturesque village with golden soft beaches.
A great destination for those who are looking for the “real Sri Lanka“, away from the main-stream tourist resorts.

Attractions in Balapitiya

Sri Lanka’s South coast is a hub of activity which abounds with things to do and places to visit. Strategically located a short distance away from most of the major attractions of the area, Balapitiya is the ideal place from which to set out to explore these sites close to Ahungalla.

Things to do include embarking on boat safaris and visits to places that have religious and cultural significance.

Enjoy a boat safari on the Madhu Ganga (river) that will take you past historical island temples, shady mangrove forests and many birds & amphibians inhabiting the surroundings.

The ancient temple Kothduwa Raja Viharaya is located on an island in the centre of the river. The temple which is said to have once housed the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha also has a 130 year old Bo tree in its premises.

The town of Ambalangoda is known as the centre for mask-making in Sri Lanka and a visit to the mask museum will provide one with an insight into the history of Sri Lankan masks and their significance to the local culture.

Just 40 minutes away from Balapitiya is Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a remnant of the Dutch-colonial occupation in Sri Lanka. A place of historical and archaeological significance, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious community exists within the walls of this 17th century fortification which also boasts of many restaurants, shops and boutique hotels.

The beautifully landscaped Lunuganga and Brief Gardens, are two must visit places in Bentota, located a short distance from Balapitiya.

While Balapitiya still seems “untouched” by mass tourism its only a short drive away from Bentota, one of Sri Lanka’s major beach resorts.
To the south Aluthgama, famous for its mask carving, the surfers paradise of Hikkaduwa and the historical city of Galle are within easy reach.

Sweet water lagoons and the Maadu river with their amazing flora and fauna are making Balapitiya also attractive for ECO tourists and bird watchers.

An important administrative site from the time of the British era, Balapitiya has many mansions and estates which are now converted into boutique villas and hotels.

Madu Ganga

The Madu Ganga is a shallow water body in south-west Sri Lanka, which enters the sea at Balapitiya.

The Buddhist Amarapura Nikaya sect had its first upasampada (higher ordination ceremony) on a fleet of boats anchored upon it in 1803. The Buddhist Kothduwa temple is situated on an isolated island in the lake. Together with the smaller Randombe Lake, to which it is connected by two narrow channels, it forms the Madu Ganga wetland. Its estuary and the many mangrove islets on it constitute a complex coastal wetland ecosystem. In has high ecological, biological and aesthetic significance, being home to 303 species of plants belonging to 95 families and to 248 species of vertebrate animals. It might be one of the last remaining tracts of pristine mangrove forests in Sri Lanka.

The inhabitants of its islets produce peeled cinnamon and cinnamon oil.
The Maduganga Wetland was declared in 2003, in terms of the Ramsar Convention.

Madu river

The bio-diversity of the Madu River is of monumental signification when considering the wide ranges of aquatic and avian life as well as wetland dwelling amphibians, reptiles, mammals that inhabit the environs of this natural treasure. A total of 11 species of agnatic mollusks and 14 land dwelling mollusks are found in this system. 70 species of fish, 31 types of reptiles, and 50 kinds of butterflies are just some of colorful array of wildlife that inhabits this abundantly bustling eco-system.
Bird watchers will be pleased to know that 111 species of bird have been identified in the mangrove formed environs of the river, and has been known to host several types of migratory birds.

Apart from the bountifully wondrous ecological treasures to be sighted, the river safari will also appeal on a level of historical and cultural experiences with visit to the numerous islets and atolls that are scattered along with the river. Around 25 such landmasses reported found in madu river with some of these islets are home to local communities who have traditionally inhabited the lands as it populaces’ of witch some are engaged in the lucrative vocation of cinnamon peeling. The islet known as ‘Koth duwa’ is home to an ancient Buddhist temple that dates back to the days of Sinhala kings of lankawa. The islet known as ‘Maduwa’ and ‘Katuduwa’ has been places of refuge of king Dhathusena and king Mugalan respectively.

The wetland of the Madu River holds a mangrove spread of close to 61 hectares. This natural wonder has proven of immense bio-ecological value with 14 out of the 24 varieties of mangroves of sri lanka , being found in this environment. Amongst this spectacular natural treasure is the Lumnitzera Littoria plant which is variety unique to the plant life found in this system. The world organization for nature conservation has identified 302 varieties of plants in the wetland areas surrounding the Madu River from which 19 are indigenous to this area.

Many species of birds are found in many of the island around the lagoon. Most of the migrated birds from other countries also can be seen. In most of these islands there are some people who earn their living by peeling cinnamon. Most of the guest watches the cinnamon peeling.

Special days and National Holidays in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has special celebrations and holidays and many of these are based when the moon is full, you will notice that a day of celebration ensues.

Poya Day is not a single day but a name for any holiday in Sri Lanka that is held to mark a full moon.

Some of these “Poya Days” are extra special (big poya day) and are celebrated with other religions besides Buddhism. This is a great opportunity to explore as far as Buddhist history and culture and that there are often events to attend on Poya Days.

The Buddhist lunar calendar and moon-phase system is used in Sri Lanka. The vast majority of Sri Lankans (70 percent) are Buddhist and most of the population celebrates the monthly Poya Day and treats the day as of religious significance.

On poya day the moon is largest and brightest when it is full is the rationale behind full moons being occasions for celebration. In Sinhalese, “poya” is derived from a word meaning “fast day,” which explains why many Buddhists go to temple and fast during Poya day. Poya day is a public holiday and government offices are closed.

On Poya Days, Sri Lankan workers are legally guaranteed a paid off-work day, unless they are paid time and a half by their employer during Poya Day hours.

Most businesses and commercial offices  will be closed, and alcoholic beverages and meat are not allowed to be sold until the Poya is over. Tourists in international hotels will generally be unaffected.

Each full moon, and each corresponding Poya Day, has its own name and specific events it is meant to commemorate. These will be events related to Buddha and Buddhism.

Key events remembered on Poya Days include:

• Buddha’s birthday – Vesak Full Moon Poya Day
• Buddha’s enlightenment
• Buddha’s sending out of 60 disciples as missionaries
• Personal visits Buddha made to Sri Lanka
• Arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka – Poson Full Moon Poya Day
• First Buddhist Council held after Buddha’s death
• Buddha’s first sermon and the arrival of the Tooth Relic in Sri Lanka – Esala Full Moon Poya Day

Four ideas for things to do in Sri Lanka on any of the various Poya Days are:

• The May Poya Day, which is the single-most important of all the Poya Days, you will see the streets crowded with people and colourful lights and decorations on every hand. In memory of the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha, you will see alms houses lining the roads and food stalls with authentic Sri Lankan dishes and desserts there as well.

• For the August Poya Day, visit Kandy in the centre of the island. there, the “Esala Festival”. You can see fire-walking, extreme acts of “penance,” gigantic cultural parades, dancers and musicians, and some truly amazing domesticated elephants.

• On any Poya Day, visit the Temple of the Tooth, which contains a tooth of the Buddha himself. The possessor of the tooth of Buddha was once thought to give authority to govern the kingdom that Kandy and the royal palace of Kandy is right next to the temple.

• Visit the Sri Mahabodhi Temple in Anuradhapura, where you can see a bodhi tree thought to be directly derived from the bodhi tree in India under which Buddha was first enlightened. “Bodhi” is a word meaning “enlightenment,” but the tree itself is a kind of a fig tree. Every Buddhist temple has a bodhi tree planted by it, but only a few claim to have a tree from a sapling of the “original” bodhi tree. Bodhi trees have heart-shaped leaves and are represented in much Buddhist artwork as well.

Special days and National Holidays in Sri Lanka in 2017

2018 Public Holidays in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka – Poya Days

Polhena beach is about 2 km inside to the Matara city.

This is ideal place for scuba diving, surfing, sunbathing.

This is a very famous destinations because of the natural swimming pool created by the coral reef.

There is not only one beach; it consists of bunches of beaches along the coastline.