Unawatuna Beach

Unawatuna is a coastal town in Galle district of Sri Lanka. It’s a popular place for tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. It’s mainly famous for its glamorous beaches and its stunning colorful corals. Unawatuna is about 5 meters above sea level and it’s known as one of the most breath taking and mind blowing beaches in Asia. The Unawatuna beach stretches almost 4km along the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. Unawatuna Beach is a place where there is, sandy and palm trees which shade the calm blue waters.

Moreover Unawatuna Beach is a good place for people who like to listen to the silent calm waves and explore the blue waters. Besides swimming in the beach it’s famous for a range of water sports like; snorkeling, surfing, sailing, water-skiing and wind surfing. The wreck of the sunken ships in Unawatuna makes the beach more popular especially for the scuba divers. If interested in diving you can take a boat ride to a location of wreck dives which will take 20 – 30 minutes. You can find 3 wrecked British ships called the Rangoon, Tango and lord Nelson which were sunken 10 – 100 years ago. However if you are lucky you could find 14 more wrecked ships. You can find all these ships in the same area, and it’s a popular area which attracts both local and foreign. For beginners or starters there are diving schools in Unawatuna which equips and guide tourists in diving activities and learn some extra skills. Unawatuna is one of the best and safest places for snorkeling and bathing for adults and kids as the beach is protected and surrounded by huge reefs.

Unawatuna is rich in biodiversity. Over 60 species of birds such as Kingfisher, Herons, Sandpipers etc. could be found. Additionally beautiful turtles could be sighted swimming through the blue shimmering calm waters. If tourists are lucky they could spot turtles laying eggs on the shore and be able to swim and feed them. Moreover you can take a nice walk to the pagoda statue enjoying the glazing view.

The best days to go to Unawatuna Beach are during the winter season which is from November-April. In these few months the beaches have fine weather and calm seas. Which are best mainly for families who would want to have a calm and peaceful vacation. However in the in the summer season also known as the offseason which is on May-October it’s more quieter but still popular during the weekends as local crowds from Colombo come to spend the day there.

Charges when travelling to Unawatuna Beach

Airport to Unawatuna {in Uber} Rs: 8000-8500lkr

Airport to Kadawatha {in Uber, TATA NANO} Rs: 1200lkr

Kadawatha to Galle {from bus} Rs: 490lkr

Distance From

Bandaranaike International Airport to Unawatuna-(via Southern Expy/E01) – About 151.3km (About 2hr 13mins)

Colombo to Unawatuna-(via Southern Expy/E01) – About 128.7km (About 2hr 3mins)

Mirissa to Unawatuna-(via-Colombo-Galle-Hambantota-Wellawaya-Rd/Matara Rd/A2) – About 30.3 km (About 48min)

Other Details

Type: Beach

Built: 2300 years ago

Surface Elevation: 5 meters (16ft) above sea level

Sri Lanka - Unawatuna Beach Aerial view 

Sri Pada ( Adam’s Peak )

 

Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak is an ancient pilgrimage site, which has long attracted thousands of pilgrims from all faiths. This conical mountain is 7,360 feet (2,250 meters )high, soaring clear above the surrounding mountain ranges. The mountain is located in the southern reaches of the Central Highlands in the Ratnapura District and Nuwara Eliya district of the Sabaragamuwa Province and Central Province —lying about 40 km northeast of the city of Ratnapura and 32 km southwest of the city of Hatton. The surrounding region is largely forested hills, with no mountain of comparable size nearby.

The region along the mountain is a wildlife reserve, housing many species varying from elephants to leopards, and including many endemic species. The region of Peak Wilderness Sanctuary that encompass the Sri Pada together with Horton Plains National Park and Knuckles Range, all in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka is recognized as a World Heritage Site in the year 2011. 

Sri Pada is derived from Sanskrit, used by the Sinhalese people in a religious context; roughly translated as “the sacred foot”, It refers to the footprint-shaped mark at the summit, which is believed by Buddhists to be that of the Buddha. Christian and Islamic traditions assert that it is the footprint of Adam, left when first setting foot on Earth after having been cast out of paradise, giving it the name “Adam’s Peak”. The legends of Adam are connected to the idea that Sri Lanka was the original Eden, and in the Muslim tradition that Adam was 30 ft tall. Hindu tradition refers to the footprint as that of the Hindu deity Shiva, and thus names the mountain Shiva padam (Shiva’s foot) in Tamil. It is also fabled that the mountain is the legendary mount Trikuta the capital of Ravana during the Ramayana times from where he ruled Lanka. Another Sinhala name for the mountain is Samanalakanda, which refers either to the deity Saman, who is said to live upon and protect the mountain (a shrine dedicated to the deity can be found near the footprint), or to the butterflies (samanalayā) that frequent the mountain during their annual migrations to the region.

The summit of the mountain is a small plateau, and according to measurements it is 74 ft. in length and 24 ft. in breadth. On the top of the Peak broad steps lead up to a walled enclosure containing the rock over which is a tower-like structure. The real footprint on Adam’s Peak is believed to be set in jewels beneath the visible rock. The soles of the Buddha’s feet are said to be flat with all the toes of equal length. On each sole there are one hundred and eight auspicious marks (mangala­lakkhana), with the wheel (chakra) the principal mark at the centre while around it are grouped figures of animals, inhabitants of various worlds and other kinds of symbols. Access to the Adam’s Peak is possible by 6 trails: Hatton-Nallathanni; Ratnapura-Palabaddala; Kuruwita-Erathna; Murraywatte; Mookuwatte; Malimboda; the most popular routes are the Hatton-Nallathanni&Ratnapura-Palabaddala due to the picturesque views and postcard worthy scenery that can be encountered along them. Once a final node is reached (Nallanthanni or Palabaddala or Erathna), there begins the difficult journey through the jungle on foot.

 

Most of the pilgrims use the Hatton route as the journey can be reduced by more than five kilometers even though the slope of this route is much steeper than the others. The greater part of the track leading from the base to the summit consists of thousands of steps built in cement or rough stones. The trails are illuminated with electric light, making night-time ascent possible and safe to do even when accompanied by children. Rest stops and wayside shops along the trails serve refreshments and supplies. On the way up, after a few minutes climb the SamaChatiya, the World Peace Pagoda, can be found.This stupa was built by the famous Japanese Buddhist monk VenNichi Fuji in 1976 and stands out dramatically with the amazing backdrop of Adam’s Peak during the daytime.

The pilgrims’ season to Sri Pada traditionally starts on the full moon of December and ends on the full moon of April, with the crowd increasing during the latter half of the season. During other months it is hard to climb the mountain due to very heavy rain, extreme wind, and thick mist. Most people make the climb by night to reach the mountain top to watch the sun rise over the sea; the sun almost leaps over the eastern horizon drawing a perfect triangle of a shadow of the mountain spreading over the western backdrop of the mountain. As the sun keeps on rising, the shadow shifts towards the base of the mountain until it completely disappears, a grand finale to a breathtaking natural spectacle. Sri Pada is one of the rare places that people of four major religions in the world worship. Devotees of many religions climb the mountain daily to invoke blessings while trekkers enjoy an exhilarating hike through the different access routes to the summit.

Sigiriya the Eighth Wonder of the world

 

Sigiriya is one of the most valuable historical monuments of Sri Lanka. Referred by locals as the Eighth Wonder of the World, this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists annually. It is probably the most visited tourist destination in Sri Lanka.

 

The palace is located in the heart of the island between Dambulla and Habarane on a massive rocky plateau 370 meters above sea level. Entrance to Sigiria can only be purchased at the site!

 

Sigiriya rock plateau, formed from the magma of an extinct volcano, is 200 meters higher than the surrounding jungles. Its view astonishes the visitors with the unique harmony between nature and human imagination.

 The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys, and fountains.

 The surrounding territories of Sigiriya were inhibited for several thousand years. Since the 3rd century BC, the rocky plateau of Sigiriya has served as a monastery. In the second half of the 5th-century king, Kasyapa constructed a royal residence here.

 After his death, Sigiriya again became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, when it was abandoned.

 The main entrance is located on the northern side of the rock. It was designed as a huge stone lion whose feet have survived until today, but the upper parts of the body were destroyed.

 Thanks to this lion, the palace was named Sigiriya. The term Sigiriya originates from the word Sihagri, i.e., Lion Rock.

 The western wall of Sigiriya was almost entirely covered by frescoes created during the reign of Kasyapa. Eighteen frescoes have survived to this day.

 The frescoes depict nude females and are considered to be either portraits of Kadapa’s wives and concubines or priestesses performing religious rituals. Despite the unknown identity of the females depicted in the frescoes, these unique ancient paintings celebrate female beauty and have incredible historical significance.

 One of the most striking features of Sigiriya is its Mirror wall. In the old days, it was polished so thoroughly that the king could see his reflection. The Mirror wall is painted with inscriptions and poems written by the visitors of Sigiriya.

 The most ancient inscriptions are dated from the 8th century. These inscriptions prove that Sigiriya was a tourist destination over a thousand years ago. Today, painting on the wall is strictly prohibited.

Mysterious places in Sri Lanka-

 Mysterious places in Sri Lanka-

Sri Lanka is an island with natural wonders and many miracles since ancient times, where there are many places and events that have no proper explanation even today. There are so many factors that we cannot finish talking about it. Here is the information about such supernatural events and some places that are still being talked about among the people.

Lakegala – Meemure

There are many supernatural stories about this mountain with a wonderful location related to the story of Ravana. The villagers of Meemure say that torches can be seen from the side of this mountain on a clear night. Prof. Merando Obeysekera, who investigated this mountain, says that there is a gateway that can be connected with the universe from this mountain.



 Danigala Kanda – Aralagangwila

Located in the village of Kandegama, the mountain with a wonderful location is said by the local residents to be visited by aliens. A topography that is not found anywhere else in Sri Lanka can be seen in this mountain. How this place was created remains to be seen






Nalanda Gedige – Matale

Located in Matale area, there is a belief among many that this is the media center of Sri Lanka. It is said that this is due to a scientific method of special objects that can absorb the energy from the sun. And there is a belief that the original designer here is King Ravana. It should be mentioned that the original location of Nalanda Gedi has changed due to the reservoir built nearby.

Rumassala mountain range – Galle

Located near the city of Galle, a large number of very rare medicinal plants have been found in the Rumassala mountain, which is related to many supernatural stories. According to the legends of the Ramayana, this is a part of the Himalayas. But Arthur C. Mr. Clark has mentioned that this is part of a meteorite that fell to the earth thousands of years ago.