Unawatuna is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Sri Lanka, and is the most “famous” beach in the country. It is a lovely banana-shaped beach of golden sand and turquoise water, surrounded with green palm trees!
It was the first beach we visited in Sri Lanka. We chose not to stay at one of the fancy and expensive hotels along the beach of Unawatuna, but a few kilometers away at a guesthouse. We walked to the Unawatuna Beach on two day trips.
The beach is popular with tourists, and part of the beach is occupied with sun beds for rent.
In the afternoons Sri Lankan families come to the beach to enjoy some swimming in the sun.
At the west end of the beach there are some rocks and stairs that lead up to a small hill with a pagoda and a big Buddha statue. It’s a nice little walk with a beautiful view overlooking the beach.
Unfortunately Unawatuna is not all paradise. The place was devastated by the tsunami in 2004, and the rebuilding was done in a hurry and many of the owners rebuilt their hotels and restaurants on the actual sand. The result is that half the beach is gone, and there is actually not that much sand left to play on. It´s a shame.
Behind the beach, in between palm trees, is Unawatuna center. It is basically one street full of small nice restaurants and shops selling souvenirs, clothes, water, jewellery and so on.
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Unawatuna Beach is really beautiful, with great swimming, but not our favorite beach in Sri Lanka. Too busy with sellers and too crowded with tourists for our liking. I also got a jelly fish sting on my leg while swimming, which really hurt! That might also have something to do with me not loving this beach too much.
We really loved Mirissa Beach and Tangalla Beach, and we highly recommend going to these two beaches instead of Unawatuna if you are traveling to Sri Lanka and are in for some beach-time.
Where is it:
Unawatuna – 150 km south of Colombo, on the west coast of Sri Lanka.
When to go:
November to March (no rain).
How to get there:
Bus or train from Colombo (2 hours). We took the express train to Galle, and then tuk-tuk to where we stayed.
What we did in Unawatuna:
Enjoyed the beach, wandered around the small shopping street of Unawatuna, did some shopping, and watched the sunset.
Would you like to go Unawatuna Beach? Please mail your comment in the my mail box below, ( basuratravels@gmail.com ) I can help you it. Thank you! If you like this blog post, or find it useful, please share it on social media!
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Throughout our trip around Sri Lanka, the Ancient Cities situated in the inland had been in the back of our mind – To go or not to go? We had postponed the decision all the way, but at the time we were in Kandy city the decision had to be made! We decided to go, and then the followup-question was: Go to which ancient city – Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa? We asked our fellow travellers at the hotel we stayed at in Kandy. Most of them recommended Polonnaruwa, the reason being that even though it is smaller in scale, the ruins and temples are within a much more compact area, and they are in better condition. So with that decision taken, we headed north east to Polonnaruwa!
After a 5 hour car ride (including the walk up Lion Rock Sigiriya) from Kandy, we finally reached Polonnaruwa. We arrived in the evening, so it was dark and we came through a road that did not go nearby the ruins of the Ancient City. We drove through thick jungle, with not many lights from houses or shops, so it felt like being in the middle of nowhere! Had we made the right decision of choosing Polonnaruwa over Anuradhapura? We had not pre-booked any accommodation, so we had to drive around until we found a nice hotel – Seyara Holiday Resort. The owner made us feel really welcome and we felt like home straight away!
The next morning, after a lovely breakfast at the hotel, we took at tuk-tuk into town where we rented bicycles and headed out on the dusty roads through the Ancient City Polonnaruwa.
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The history of Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa was the thriving commercial and religious centre of Sri Lanka some 800 years ago. It consists of a lot of temples and religious buildings. For three centuries it was the royal capital, of both the Chola and Sinhalese kingdoms. In Polonnaruwa it all started in the late 10th century, when the South Indian Chola dynasty had conquered Sri Lanka. The Cholas chose Polonnaruwa as their new capital, and moved the capital from Anuradhapura. Their reasons were apparently that is was a strategically better place to be protected from attacks from the Ruhunu Sinhalese kingdom in the southeast, and that it had LESS mosquitos!!! LOL, it didn`t feel like there was a lack of mosquitos here, especially in the evenings they came out in swarms……
In 1070 though, the Chola dynasty was overtaken by the Sinhalese kingdom (King Vijayabahu I), which kept Polonnaruwa as his capital. And it was during this Sinhalese period that Polonnaruwa really reached its high glory. The second king (King Parakramabahu I, 1153-86) built huge buildings, beautiful parks and a huge lake/ tank of water (25 square km). The third king (King Nisanka Malla, 1187 – 96) tried to match his predecessors`achievements, and ended up bankrupting the kingdom in his attempts!
In the early 13th century the cities glory was fading, it was abandoned, and the capital moved to the western side of the island where Colombo is today. That was the sad end of the era of beautiful Polonnaruwa as a capital.
Top 10 must-sees in the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa
Before we went into the ruins of the Ancient City, we visited the Archaelogical Museum (next to the ticket office). The museum was a good way to see what we had in front of us, but it was not a highlight. It was designed for walking through,with a series of rooms each dedicated to a specific theme. They also had scale models of the buildings and temples of the city, showing how they might have looked like in their glory days with the wooden roofs still intact. But if you are in a hurry, and don`t have that much time in Polonnaruwa, then I would recommend to skip the museum. It is much nicer to see the ruins and temples in real life than on pictures and models at the museum! Here are our top sights of the Ancient City Polonnaruwa:
1. Royal Palace
The first group of ruins you meet after entering the ground of the Ancient City, is the Royal Palace Group. This group of buildings dates from the period of King Parakramabahu I (1153 – 1186). The King`s Royal Palace is a huge structure, measuring 31 m by 13 m, once including 50 rooms supported by 30 columns. Even today it is quite an impressive building, but picture it being seven floors tall with 3 m thick walls, as the archeologists claim it once was!
Today only some of the walls are left, with holes to hold floor beams for two higher floors. If the building really had four more levels above these stone walls, they must have been made of wood says the archeologists. Some crazy king building such a big palace in those days without machines!
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2. Audience Hall
The king`s Audience Hall is one of the best preserved structures in the Royal Palace Group, with beautiful stone carved elephants on the walls.
Each elephant is in a different position and looks different from the other.
It was incredible hot this day, especially around noon, so I had to buy me a lovely hat. Don`t I look fashionable?
The stairs to the Audience Hall was pretty impressive, with beautiful lions on the top of each side.
3. Swimming Pool
In one corner of the palace grounds is the king´s swimming pool, with crocodile-mouth spouts which used to lead fresh water into the pool. Today the water is not that tempting to go swimming in, alien-green as it is!
4. Sacred Quadrangle
The Sacred Quadrangle is a compact group of beautiful and impressive ruins within a raised up platform bounded by a wall. This is the most concentrated collection of buildings in the whole Ancient City, and I would say a must on every visitors list!
In the middle of the Quadrangle is The Vatadage, a circular relic house typical for its kind. The outermost terrace is impressive 18 m in diameter, and has four entrances all flanked by very nice guard stones in beautiful condition.
The Vatadage, 18 m in diameter.
The four entrances all lead to a central dagoba with four Buddhas.
The central dagoba inside the Vatadage, with four Buddhas.
5. Shiva Devale No. 2
This is the oldest building in Polonnaruwa, and dates back to the brief South Indian Chola dynasty period (around 1070), when the Indian invaders established the city. This is one of few Hindu temples on the grounds. It is basically in the same condition as when it was built, due to the fact that it is among the few buildings built entirely of stone.
Shiva Devale No.2, one of few Hindu Temples in Polonnaruwa.
6. Pabalu Vehera
Pabalu Vehera is another typical dagoba, dating back to King Parakramabahu I (1153-1186). This is the third largest dagoba in Polonnaruwa, and in great condition.
Pabalu Vehera, the third largest dagoba in Polonnaruwa.
The daboga Pabalu Vehera is in perfect condition.
7. Rankot Vihara
Rankot Vihara is a huge dagoba in great condition, of impressive 54 meter tall! It is the largest dagoba in Polonnaruwa, the fourth larges in Sri Lanka, and dates back to King Nissanka Malla (1187 – 1196). In between the ruins and temples, we also found traces of the jungle trying to take over the ancient city. Wandering around the impressive structures in such good condition, it is amazing to think about what hard work the archeologists must have had first entering the Ancient City when it was all covered with trees like this one.
Espen in front of the dagoba Rankot Vihara. It is 54 m tall! The biggest dagoba in Polonnaruwa, and the fourth biggest in Sri Lanka.
Polonnaruwa is close to elephant packed national parks. Of course the elephants don`t understand where the national parks ends, and sometimes they walk into areas they are not supposed to be in (like the Ancient City or farmers grounds). All around the jungle there are huts up in trees, for spotting elephants who are lost from the National Parks.
Three hut that is used for spotting elephants.
8. Dagoba Kiri Vihara
The beautiful dagoba Kiri Vihara (meaning “milk white”) was built in honour of the King`s queen. When the archeologists came to the area, and cleared it from the overgrown jungle, the original lime plaster was found in perfect white condition after 700 years! This is the best-preserved unrestored dagoba in Polonnaruwa.
Dagoba Kiri Vihara, built in honor of the king`s queen.
9. Buddha statue at Lankatilaka
The huge Lankatilaka is impressive with its 17 m high walls! Although the roof is gone, it still has a cathedral-like feeling about it, and the aisle lead to a huge standing headless Buddha.
The big Buddha Lankatilaka. The walls are impressive 17 m high!
10. Buddha figures at Gal Vihara
Gal Vihara is a group of four beautiful Buddhas in perfect condition, cut from one long slab of granite.
Sitting Buddha at Gal Vihara.
The standing buddha is 7 m tall, and is said to be the finest of the series, with apparently an unusual position of the arms and sorrowful facial expression.
The standing Buddha at Gal Vihara is 7 m tall!
The sleeping buddha is 14 m long, picturing Buddha entering nirvana.
The sleeping Buddha at Gal Vihara is 14 m long!
We really enjoyed our day at the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa! What a lovely and peaceful place, and it was so fun to go around the ruins on bicycles! It is of course also possible to travel around the ruins and temples by tuk-tuk or car.
With this picture, us cycling towards the magnificent Shiva Dalave No. 2 Hindu temple in the sunset, we say hasta lavista from Polonnaruwa!
PS! This picture was by the way REALLY difficult to take! While we were struggling cycling back and forth a dozen of times, with our camera on the grown using the self timer, two military guys were so kind to help us out (so they are the actually photographers of this photo). Thank you so much!
Two military guards that helped us taking pictures.
Here is a map over the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa:
Would you like to visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa? Do you think bicycling is the best way to see it, or do you prefer tuk-tuk or a taxi? Please mail your comment in the my mail box below, ( basuratravels@gmail.com ) I can help you it. Thank you! If you like this blog post, or find it useful, please share it on social media!
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Kalpitiya is a small town in the middle of nowhere, on the north west side of Sri Lanka. It sits on the finger of land that separates Dutch Bay from the Indian Ocean. After we had taken a beginner kite surfing course in Mui Ne, Vietnam, we wanted to take our kite surfing a bit further. We had heard that Kalpitiya was THE place to go kite surfing in Sri Lanka! So we headed up north to Kalpitiya for some more lessons. And we did not regret it, the place turned out to be perfect for beginners!
We arrived in Kalpitiya late in the evening after a long and exhausting seven hour train trip from Polonnaruwa to Colombo, followed by a three hour taxi ride. Our original plan was to stay one night in Colombo after the train trip, and head up to Kalpitiya the next morning. But when we arrived in Colombo, it felt like such a hassle to find a place to stay, only to get up the next morning and continue our journey, better to just finish it in one day.
We had made bookings with the Rascals Kite Resort in Kalpitiya, and on our way from Colombo we tried to call them several times to tell them we were coming one day earlier, but no answer. So we were a bit concerned when driving up north late at night, further and further out into the middle of nowhere, uncertain if they had room available for us. Luckily it turned out that they had a bungalow available, and we were warmly welcomed by the sweet Johanna and Mondy. We even got dinner, which tasted great after a whole day of just eating snacks and junk food on the train. We also met three people from Germany, Alex, Felix and Alexander who also stayed at the Rascals. We became friends straight away, being fellow kite surfers! We were so tired after our exhausting day, that we had an early night and fell asleep as soon as we put our heads on the pillows in our bungalow.
Since we arrived after dark, we didn`t get to see much of our surroundings at the Rascals the evening we came. When we woke up the next morning, we were so pleased with our pick of accommodation! The Rascals turned out to be such a nice and lovely place!
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Our bungalow to the right, at the Rascals Kite Resort.
We had delicious breakfast at the “restaurant house” at the Rascals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was included in the accommodation price. We got delicious Sri Lankan food, much of it seafood and fish.
The restaurant at the Rascals Kite Resort.
We got breakfast, lunch and dinner served as a buffet every day. To the left is the library of left-over-books from people staying at the Rascals. I even found a book in Norwegian!
The Rascals Kite Resort is such a lovely place to stay, peaceful and original. It is owned by Johanna, from Sweden, and Mondy, from Italy – such great people! Mondy is a kite instructor. They have really done a good job setting up this place, everything is so neat and clean. Outside the bungalows, Johanna has made a beautiful garden with flowers and small trees in pots:
And the Rascal`s bungalows are so cool! Look at the lovely bed and the cool shower in our open-air bathroom:
We even had a pet in our bungalow one evening, a frog swimming in our toilet-bowl in the bathroom!
We were told by Mondy, the kite instructor at the Rascals, that the wind picks up around 2 p.m. at this time a year (March). So while waiting for the wind, we headed to the beach.
The Kalpitiya beach is a fantastic stretch of sand, really long. It`s golden soft sand as far as your eyes can see, it just never ends! And there are hardly any tourists, only local fishermen and a few Sri Lankan kids playing around and swimming. Yep, beach paradise! The swimming was also great!
Then, after lunch, it was time for some kite surfing action! Yeah!
Sadly we don`t have any pictures of us actually kite surfing, as we were too busy kiting and doing as our instructor told us. The lagoon was however perfect for beginner kite surfers, as ourselves, with flat (no waves at all!) and shallow water.
Kite surfers at the lagoon of Kalpitiya. A perfect place for beginners such as ourselves, no waves and shallow water.
Discussing the wind and kite “strategy” before the real kiting gets going.
Kite brands testing new prototypes. Many kite brands make their kites in Sri Lanka.
Prototype kite testing at the Kalpitiya beach. They seem to be working very well, or?
Kite surfers at the lagoon in Kalpititya.
We got two days of excellent kite surfing in Kalpitiya! The original plan was to do kiting for three days, but the last day there was no wind so it got cancelled.
Instead we went snorkeling and dolphin watching that day. You can read, see photos and watch a video from our Dolphin watching trip here. The snorkeling trip was also amazing! Sadly we don`t have any photos from the snorkeling, as we did not bring our camera. We highly recommend going snorkeling or diving outside of Kalpitiya, the offshore reefs are spectacular! The Bar Reef is located several kilometers off the northwest tip of the peninsula, and is said to be one of the finest dive and snorkeling sites in Sri Lanka. The trip out to the reef took about one hour each way, but it was so worth it! So our last day at Kalpitiya turned out to be great, despite the fact that we didn`t have wind to go kite surfing.
Well home we were welcomed by the cutie dog Heidi, and her owner Johanna.
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Heidi is resting after running at the beach, playing with her dog friends.
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We totally fell in love with Kalpitiya and the Rascals Kite Resort! What a lovely place, and great kite surfing spot for us beginners! A million thanks to Johanna and Mondy for being such great hosts and making us feel so welcomed! We definitely want to come back! If you want to learn how to kite surf, we recommend kitesurfing in Sri Lanka.
At the moment Kalpitiya is a rural backwater, with hardly any guesthouses, restaurants or much to see or do for tourists. The future for this undeveloped paradise is uncertain, as the government is engaged in a huge project that wants to turn the peninsula and offshore islands into one of Sri Lanka`s prime beach tourism destinations. They have plans for big luxury hotels with beds for 10 000 people, a domestic airport, theme parks and an underwater amusement park, golf courses, high-speed boats safaris and so on. Yep, it sounds crazy! Environmentalists are concerned about the populations of dolphins, whales, dugongs and other animals that use the waters around Dutch Bay. Maybe even more of a concern are all the local people that will be affected by this, as their main income, fishing, will disappear. The locals have even gone so far as to stage protests in Colombo, but sadly many of the projects are already on it`s way. Hope that the government`s plans fade away in the wind, and that Kalpitiya stays like this forever!
Would you like to go Kalpitiya Beach? Please mail your comment in the my mail box below, ( basuratravels@gmail.com ) I can help you it. Thank you! If you like this blog post, or find it useful, please share it on social media!
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