Sri Lanka: This time it’s the South Coast
By Sunshine Rover
Northern Hemisphere winter is in the distant horizon and it is zooming in. Where do I want to go for my winter vacation? It should be warm but not too hot. Somewhere with nice scenery would be nice. I like the island scene with great beaches. Where would I find all that…? Sri Lanka is the place to be for all that! It has great beaches for me to relax and absorb golden sunshine, breathtaking scenery everywhere, and more!
As I’ve been to Sri Lanka few times earlier, I now have a pretty good understanding on where to go on certain seasons. During winter season (for Northern Hemisphere), Sri Lanka’s South Coast is the more popular while the East Coast is popular during summer. The reason is that the ocean in the East Coast gets a bit rough during winter, conditions not many will appreciate. South Coast is where the action is during winter.
South Coast offers a lot of excitement on the beaches and the ocean. There are famous beaches that give you the chance to relax and unwind as well as to get active. Unawatuna, Koggala, Tangalle, and Weligama are some examples of where you will be able to enjoy yourself on the golden sandy beaches.
Fun in South Coast extends beyond the beaches to colourful corals and fish—notably in Hikkaduwa. In Hikkaduwa, you can check out these aquatic species hands on or off. If you prefer to just observe them while staying dry, there are boat services with glass bottoms which can give you fantastic views of the splendour beneath. If you’re the hands-on sort of person, you can snorkel or even go diving among the corals and other amazing aquatic life that will refresh your life!
South Coast is not all about taking in excitement at the beaches and the ocean. You can also become a part of conservation of what is endangered—such as the sea turtles. Koggala and Rekawa host well-known turtle hatcheries which you can visit. Once you enter these hatcheries you will be welcomed warmly and you will be given a detailed description of their mission. As the turtles are an endangered species, these teams collect turtle eggs and facilitate hatching on the premises. Once hatched, the baby turtles are kept in safety until they are grown to become fit for the life in open nature. The hatcheries may also allow visitors to hold baby turtles. Visitors are also invited to join the release of the turtles. Once released, these turtles will be starting a new life, the witnessing of which can certainly make your life more meaningful for you.
Excitement on the South Coast is not limited to the ground. As tourism has been booming in the region, businesses have been created or expanded to offer adventures such as paramotoring. You can find paramotoring services in Koggala and Bentota. This is a perfect way to get your adrenaline fix as you will be flying over the shores in open air, wind rushing around you.
There are many more things that you can do in the South Coast to suit your preferences as this region has a vast mix of activities and attractions. Getting here by road from Colombo city or Bandaranaike International Airport (where you enter Sri Lanka) can require few hours of travel. However, there is a cool option of reaching the South Coast, right from the Airport: air travel with Cinnamon Air. In addition to being a premier air taxi in Sri Lanka, they use an amphibian aircraft to serve the destinations in the South Coast (served daily with scheduled flights) so that you can experience landing on water—an experience of a lifetime!
