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 Hikkaduwa Beach © Sri Lanka Tourist Board Attractions Star Fort During their occupation of Sri Lanka the Dutch built a small outpost fort on the north bank of the Nilwala estuary at Matara in the form of a five-pointed star, in order to guard the river crossing. The fort, dating from 1763, now contains a museum featuring a collection of historic paintings and frescoes on wooden panels.Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm  Laughing Buddha © suchitra prints Wewurukaimala Temple Not all Buddhist temples are ancient, nor are they all conservative affairs. The colourful, somewhat garish, modern Wewurukaimala Temple at Dikwella village near Matara is quite an eyeful, featuring hundreds of brightly painted and gilded models depicting scenes from the life of Buddha, and numerous murals, some of them rather ghoulish. There is also a Buddha effigy that is one of the world’s tallest, equalling the height of a five-storey building, which visitors can ascend on the inside to enjoy the view from the top.Opening time: Daily from dawn to dusk Excursions Beaches The southern beaches of Sri Lanka are the most popular for tourists, the main season extending from October to April when the monsoon has moved on and the sea is calm and tranquil under bright blue skies. Bentota is one of the loveliest resorts on the coastal road, featuring good hotels, watersports and a beach at the river mouth. Divers enjoy Hikkaduwa, where there is a marine sanctuary abundant with coral and tropical fish. Close to Galle is Unawatuna with its beautiful stretch of safe sandy beach. At Kudawella a novel feature is a blowhole that throws huge columns of water into the air when ocean waves break on the rocks. The Kirinda beach just south of the town of Tissa is renowned for offering spectacular scuba diving opportunities.Galle The port town of Galle, about 60 miles (100km) south of Colombo and a short distance west of Matara, is steeped in the heritage of the Dutch presence in Sri Lanka, dominated by the 36-hectare (89-acre) Dutch Fort, built in 1663, with its massive ramparts on a promontory. Inside the walls of the fort is the old part containing Galle houses, Dutch homesteads, museums and churches, as well as the New Oriental Hotel, originally the home of the Dutch governors. The town has a small beach but most sun-lovers find better beaches a little out of town along the coast road.Yala National Park Elephants are the most often-spotted inhabitants of the vast Yala National Park in the southeast of Sri Lanka, east of Matara, but they share the reserve with 130 different species of birds and other creatures like sambhur, spotted deer, sloths, crocodiles, monkeys, wild boar and porcupines. There is also a large concentration of leopards in this, the country's oldest protected area. Most of the reserve is open parkland, but it also contains jungle, beaches, lakes and rivers. Areas of the park were badly damaged by the 2004 tsunami, but most parts are open to the public. The park is somewhat remote, the nearest town being Tissa, and is situated about 190 miles (305km) from Colombo. Yala is also dotted with a number of fascinating archaeological sites, like the Magul Maha Vihara ruins, dating from the 1st century BC.Events  Books © Paull Young Galle Literary Festival The Galle Literary Festival allows visitors the opportunity to appreciate the works of Sri Lankan and international authors, take part in literary discussions and enjoy other activities. Set in and around the UNESCO World Heritage city of Galle, writers from around the country and the world come together for an international celebration of writing, photography, music, ecology, architecture and food! During the day the Galle Literary Festival features writing workshops, panel discussions, topical debates, poetry readings, cooking classes, theatre workshops and literary lunches, while during the night there are poetry slams, jazz performances, late night movies, art showings and photographic exhibitions. There is even a comprehensive children's programme that focuses on art and eco workshops, creative writing and debating.Venue: Galle; Date: January to February 2010, TBA; Time: Wednesday 6pm till late; Thursday 10am till late; Friday and Saturday 9.30am till late; Sunday 9.30am - 3pm; Website: www.galleliteraryfestival.com |
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