Ahungalla - Sri Lanka

Take a car south from Colombo or a train and travel some 70 kilometres and in two hours you will arrive at the resort of Bentota continue for a further few kilometres and you will arrive at Heritance hotel in the area of Ahungalla - as the nearest village is Bentota which can be easily reached by local taxi or tuk tuk we have included this description.

Although Bentota has established itself as one of the most renowned resort areas of Sri Lanka, the village itself is little more than a sleepy hamlet where the inhabitants still go about their life much as they have done for years, fishing and tending their small holdings – it is the hotels in the area that have made the resort almost synonymous with a holiday to Sri Lanka, since the first hotel was built here over thirty years ago.

The village is named after the Bentota Ganga which flows into the sea at this point via a large lagoon, which is utilised for many water sports. A number of small outlets selling local crafts including the famous face masks have opened in recent years and there are now a small number of food outlets, although eating out in the evening is still mainly confined to the hotels in the area. There is a Bank in Bentota close to the railway station, but it is necessary to walk across the road bridge into Beruwela to find an ATM, a journey which would take half an hour in the heat.

The beaches of Bentota are unspoilt and it is possible to wander for miles along pristine stretches of sand with only the roar of the surf to disturb you, but be ware of the tropical sun which can be deceivingly strong even on a cloudy day.

Additional Ahungalla information

• The Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela
• Excursions
• Banks & Financial
• Health & Safety
• Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery