Bentota

Bentota beach is also pretty popular for scuba, surfing, snorkeling, Diving, jet skiing, slow boat, speed boat, banana ride, wave surfing, and also wind surfing are just a few ways in which the town keeps its visitors engrossed. Based on the views generated by the tourist who have visited this beach, if you want to take pleasure in a absolutely warm and quiet holidays then it are an perfect place for you.Though enjoying the eye infectious view of the Bentota seashore another thing that caught the attention of many tourists is the stunning River Cruise. Bentota has become a much sought after holiday destination for water sports lovers because of its unique location, partly surrounded by the sea and the river. It is highly recommended by natives who have taken the 3 hour journey on boat of the river. People have witnessed different kinds of animals, birds, reptiles for example mongoose, crocodile, monitor, iguana in their natural habitats, which makes it an animal’s lover daydream as well.

 

Madu River Boat Ride

The estuary of the Madu Ganga River is a complex coastal ecosystem of mangroves and islands. It is situated in and around Balapitiya in the Southern Province within the Wet zone of Southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka. It passes through the wet zone of Sri Lanka opening up into the large Madu Lagoon on its way to the Indian Ocean Maadu Estuary is perhaps one of the last remaining tracts of pristine mangrove forests in Sri Lanka, with a rich biodiversity.  The Madu River is very rich in biodiversity.

History states there used to be 64 islands along Madu River. However most seem to have sunk under the water, as only 25 islands are reported today and all are covered in forests and shrubs.

It is created of two low water bodies, Maduganga and smaller Random be Lake, connected by two narrow channels. 14 of the 24 species of mangroves are found in this area. It is motivating to note that mangroves play an enormous part in preventing erosion. The value of the mangroves was understood in December 2004, during the overwhelming tsunami, when forest acted as a natural barrier caring the region. The large growths of mangrove trees have caused a chain of ecological gain. The soil protected by the mangrove trees is extremely lush. This has caused a rich growth of other bog plants. On the islands and shores relatively undisturbed mangrove vegetation contains a rich biodiversity qualifying the wetland for 7 Criteria of International Importance. The Madu River area adjoining the river are all muddy marshlands enclosed in mangrove forests. The forest covers over 150 acres.

Many internationally/countrywide endangered, endemic and rare species – for examples Shrea affinis, an endemic and endangered plant, Mugger vulnerable (IUCN Red Book) and CITES-listed Purple-faced Leaf Monkey, endangered, Estuarine Crocodile, Flapshell Turtle, Indian Python (Python molurus) discover shelter here. The lagoon provides the breeding, spawning and fattening ground for many fish species and supports 1.2 % of the Little Green Heron biogeographically residents. Maduganga helps in flood control by storing water during monsoon rains and retains nutrient run-off from nearby cinnamon plantations. The main profession of the restricted people is fishing and agriculture (cinnamon and coconut). Poaching of wild animals and waterfowl is sadly increasing, and extensive use of fertilizers and consequent abundant growth of invasive species, e.g. Najas marinas or Annona glabra, are factors of concern.

Bentota Beach/Water Sports

On the costal route 64Km from Colombo, visitors crossing the Bentota River at Bentota the Southern tip of the Galle district. It is secure to say that this urban is a complete water linked place as almost all activities are done on water, whether it’s the marine or the river.

The Bentota Beach which extends across 7-8 kilometers is truly a symbol of peace, calmness and freshness. It is a trendy place for those who find irresistible water sports as the beach is famous for its bumpy waves, perfect for water skiing and wind surfing.  If you are like to spend your holidays and give yourself a quiet and natural care for, with no bars and restaurants, this is the most refreshing and relaxing spot. One of its strongest points is its hushed environs which according to many communities run the natural and relaxing environment of the beach. There is plenty of space of everyone to settle in rightly and enjoy the sun bath to the fullest.

And also you can get experience with lagoon fishing, fish therapy (foot massage) and canoeing. A motivating thing to be visited of the area is the Open-Air Fish Massage. The fish massage is quite popular all over the world, mainly in East Asian countries. The unique factor about this massage is that the fish are held in their natural surroundings, the river. A large space is sectioned off by nets tied between poles; restricting the fish from leaving that area. Other than that, they are free to move around. The client simply sits on a pier and dips his or her feet into the water.

 

One of the larger populated islets, ‘Koth Duwa’, houses a Buddhist Temple that dates back to the days of the oldest kings of the country. Meanwhile two other islets bear the history of the country by having been the refuges to two different kings, King Dhathusena and King Mugalan.

Maadu rivers offers a great opportunity for boat trips where you can arrange to stop at Kothduwa island with a Buddhist monastery, where the friendly young monks will show you a 150-year-old book made of palm leaves and how they cook on cinnamon wood on an open fire, cinnamon estates and other nature resorts. This unforgettable activity last for over two hours and gives a visitor a chance to travel the secretive passages through the mangrove forests and see the ecology. The cultural heritage is very prominent, with numerous antique temples in the area and on the islands.

The main source of economy for the locals of the Madu Ganga (River) region is the cinnamon industry. The freshly cinnamon this also means that the best quality cinnamon can be buying at bargain prices here.Those who are not in the cinnamon industry, make from fishing or as boat guides. The fishermen either sit atop large branches planted in the water and fish using poles; or they tie nets among poles planted in the water to capture transient fish.

Over 300 species, 19 of which are endemic, have been discovered so far. The region continues to be a treasure trove to biologists and ecologists with many undiscovered species in the unreachable depths of the mangrove forests. The plantlike in turn have supported a huge number of wildlife that depends on them. The largest animal in the region is the wild boar. There are other smaller animals such as monkeys and squirrels, mongoose likewise. There are over 111 bird types identified to live in the region. For avid bird watchers, the mangrove forests are a dream coming true. As well as there are 31 types of reptiles, namely snakes, lizards and crocodiles. There are also over 50 kinds of butterflies and 25 kinds of mollusks found in the Madu River zone.