From Colombo airport to Bentota beach: taxis and buses. Ways to get there. Jellyfish, crocodiles and other animals in Bentota. Excursion to the short garden

Bentota is considered the most romantic place in all of Sri Lanka. The main decoration of this resort - gorgeous beach probably the best on the island. Why did I like this place the least in Sri Lanka?

So, we flew to Colombo airport. We made visas in advance via the Internet. It doesn't make much sense. On the spot you can arrange them for only 5 dollars more expensive, there are no queues at the airport, in general, you don’t have to bother in advance. But just in case, I will indicate the official website where you can apply for visas to Sri Lanka online:
https://www.eta.gov.lk/etaslvisa/etaNavServ?payType=1

Adventures at passport control

There was no queue at passport control either. There were only a couple of people in front of me, not to be compared with the same Bangkok. The officer took my passport, and then there was a hitch. Something obviously went wrong, and I've been waiting for five minutes. The border guard apologized and said that there was a problem with the database, now the computer will be rebooted, and he will issue everything. Another five minutes passed in front of the counter. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that there was some kind of movement going on around. Other uniformed officers were gathering next to me, and suddenly about five people came up to me and asked me to go to a special interrogation room for a couple of questions. My conscience was absolutely clear, and I calmly followed them.

There were five more officers sitting in the stuffy room, sticking something into the computer. All this honest company, including my convoy, also began to look at the monitor and cast fixed glances at me. Finally, the boss turned to me. The questions were very simple. Where did I come from, was I already in Sri Lanka, where am I going to, do I still have passports, they asked me to write my home address on a sheet by hand. Then he turned the monitor towards me and showed me a photo of some type of completely criminal type. "Is this your photo?" he asked sternly but politely. There were exactly zero similarities, but I understood the reason for all this turmoil. The brave guys clearly decided that they had caught an important criminal bird in my face.

Clearly, I said that I see it for the first time, and in my humble opinion, we have nothing in common. I must say that they did not believe me and continued to compare me with this type. I don't even know how it would all end. Deportation or, even worse, local jail until clarified? I have already been called by my friends who passed control twenty minutes ago. But finally, after conferring, the border guards went for some important (or just the smartest) person. The new officer looked at me, at the photo and began to laugh for a long time at his stupid colleagues. This defuse the situation, everyone began to vying with me to apologize. And so I finally got my coveted stamp in my passport.

Road from Colombo Airport to Bentota

Bentota is located 60 km from Colombo. The distance at first glance is trifling, but the average speed on local roads, even in a good car, rarely exceeds 30 km / h. You can get from Colombo to Bentota by public transport: train or bus. But we decided not to waste time and take a taxi. A taxi from the airport to Bentota costs $50-60. What I immediately liked was that the taxi drivers did not raise prices and did not raise prices, but immediately announced the normal cost, which I read about on Vinsky's forum. There is one nuance here. All along west coast a toll highway has been laid, it is twice as fast to drive to Bentota. The surcharge for it is small, in my opinion 6 dollars, and another plot for 2 dollars. But we were taken along the usual road, so it’s better to make an appointment in advance, on the way back we were already more experienced and immediately told the taxi driver that we wanted to go with the breeze. As a result, we dragged ourselves through local traffic jams and bad roads for more than three hours.

A funny thing happened along the way. The taxi driver offered to make a short stop and drink coffee. The time was about one o'clock in the morning, around the track was darkness and deserted. Our female part of the company even slightly panicked. Despite the late hour, the roadside cafe was full of locals (some men, of course), and they did not look very friendly. But it turned out to check that all these black-to-black guys are quite cordial, polite and hospitable. We relaxed, and even ate some suspicious vegetable patty. It is clear that the whole cafe was staring at us as if they were aliens. But, I think, here the clue was in the overly revealing outfit of our blonde companion.

Hotel in Bentota

However, we relaxed early, our adventures were just beginning. The next source of misfortune was our Hotel Hemadan. The reviews on it were not bad, the location is not super, but in principle tolerable, ten minutes walk to Bentota beach. But! There was a problem when we moved in. At two o'clock in the morning, a hellish local disco took place right outside the hotel fence. The music was so loud that it was impossible to sleep. Alas, it was already too late, and I did not want to look for a hotel at night in an unfamiliar country and city. I had to endure this noise until 4 in the morning, until finally everyone shut up.

The next morning the owner of this Hemadan appeared. We immediately made a claim to him that it was impossible to sleep with him, and we are going down right now. But the dude literally apologized and swore that there would be no more discos, supposedly yesterday there was a major Buddhist holiday, and locals little noted. And he did not lie, indeed, there was no disco the next night. But on the other hand, the locals continued to celebrate their holiday by rolling out powerful loudspeakers under the hotel doors and charging mournful mantras throughout Bentota. Moreover, the cunning people started this action closer to midnight and again we did not have time to dump to another hotel. If it was still possible to somehow exist to the music, then the mantras simply blew the brain. Okay, I thought, they'll howl for an hour and then shut up. But, no, all this hell lasted until dawn, I could only fall asleep at six in the morning. And there was nothing to be done about it. We will not go against the whole city and interfere with their religious ceremonies.

In general, I had to look new hotel. By that time, we had already got used to Bentota and quickly found the Lucullus Garden Bentota guest house at half the price and very close to the beach. To the credit of our host, without any objections, but on the contrary, with another portion of sincere repentance, he returned the money to us for the remaining days and made a 50% discount for the last two nights of hell.

Impressions of Bentota

In short, there is nothing to do here at all. Here, absolutely. Surfing and any water activities are prohibited. There are no cafes on the beach, have dinner with a view of the sunset? Sorry, you're in a different place. But! The beach is really amazing. Wide, long, deserted. There are no intrusive traders and just local onlookers. Although from time to time another aboriginal was drawn in the bushes and allegedly took a selfie against the background of the beach (and actually took pictures of white women, I believe). For the sake of the beach, you can come to Bentota ... but not for long.

The second point is the lack of tourism infrastructure. We are used to the fact that there is some kind of street with cafes, souvenirs, massages, shops, etc., the so-called Walking street. But there is nothing in Bentota. OK, there is one level supermarket just above 7-11, one travel agency, one bank and one internet cafe, that's it! At the same time, the entire coast is lined with huge expensive hotels, it seems that people just sit there without getting out.

Especially my companions were stressed by the situation with food, I am more or less omnivorous, I can eat one curry for a week if there are no other options. And give them steaks, but with puree. The first day was hard, but then we still found a few places. But basically all decent establishments are located inside hotels. A separate question was: where to celebrate New Year? Luckily, we found a decent option. Restaurant The Loft (rather a bar) stands next to the beach. The food there is bad, but it was fun on New Year's Eve. In addition, it is three-story, the fireworks and local movement on the beach were perfectly visible from the top floor. The Sri Lankans, by the way, celebrated as follows. A group of about ten people gathered, a fire was lit, local music was turned on, then firecrackers were fired after midnight. And so the whole beach rested. Our Loft turned out to be a European island, surrounded by a sea of locals. In general, feel like a colonizer in a white helmet for a couple of hours.

On the third day of such a rest, I realized that it was time to get out of Bentota. It didn't turn out that easy. Sri Lanka is a huge island, and there are terrible traffic jams on the roads. Therefore, the option to spend the night in Bentota, and during the day to ride on the sights or other beaches will not work. For example, we drove from Bentota to Dambulla for six (!) hours. But here we are very lucky. In the only tourist office (located in Alugam, immediately after the bridge from Bentota) there was a free driver with a car. I already had a rough plan for a trip around the island for about 5-6 days. The girl in the turofis corrected it a little and quite successfully, as I later realized. In total, it turned out 60 dollars a day from the whole company for a comfortable minibus. And we were extremely lucky in the driver-guide. But more on that in future stories. That's it, no more spending. The driver himself was looking for accommodation and food, refueling and toll roads were also on it.

Photos

That's it, time to show some pictures from Bentota. I’ll make a reservation right away that I practically didn’t shoot the first days in Sri Lanka. Therefore, I will be brief, but I hope you get an idea.

Beach first. If you missed the long text at the beginning of the post, then I will tell you that Bentota is a beach. There is nothing else here. But the beach is amazing. Appreciate the desertedness in the season itself?

In Sri Lanka, it is customary for coconuts to make such wings.

There are people only on the beach area closer to the Bentota railway station, and even then there are more locals.

It will also be hard for lovers of sunbeds here, although you can rent it if you wish.

There is no surfing in Bentota. I read that it is forbidden. This beach is purely for relaxation and wealthy tourists.

Instead of a surfboard, you can take such a board. On it, too, you can ride the waves on your stomach. Given that the waves on Bentota are huge (though smaller than other Sri Lankan beaches I've seen), quite a fun activity. But surfing, of course, cannot be compared.

Along the line of the beach there are mangroves, you can find a shadow if you didn’t guess or were greedy to buy an umbrella.

Sunsets are gorgeous! But there are not enough establishments with ocean and sunset views. More precisely, it is exactly one here - The Loft.

Since you can’t sit with beer and shrimp on the beach of Bentota, you can only jump (the horizon was too lazy to equalize).

The locals cut themselves into some kind of Russian lapta, similar to cricket.

All three days in Bentota I ate mainly local curry (liquid in a bowl on the right). Very tasty, but such monotony quickly becomes boring.

Once I treated myself to a lobster. They don't know how to make potatoes, but the lobster was good.

Our second hotel (or rather a guest house) on Bentota Lucullus Garden. For a thousand rubles a night, it's quite a decent place, but there is no air conditioning. But the main thing is that there was silence (see above about our suffering in the first hotel).

The inhabitants of the hotel in front of a bottle of Cola.

This one will be nicer.

In the center of Bentota, an attempt to ennoble this place is visible. There is a bank, a bazaar (actually a couple of stalls) with souvenirs and an (expensive) Ayurveda salon.

How to get to Bentota Beach from Bandaranaike Airport? Can I get to Bentota by bus? How much is a taxi from Colombo to Bentota? Where to order a transfer to Bentota from the airport? Tells briefly about the main ways to get to Bentota.

From Colombo Airport to Bentota

By transfer bus

The route will be done with a change in Colombo.
From the airport on the highway bus number 187 for 100 rupees ($ 0.7) to the center.
At Colombo Central Bus Station "Bastian Mawatha" take any bus towards Galle. These can be buses with the inscription Colombo-Hikkaduwa, -Galle, -Matara or some other.
Check with the driver and the conductor that you need Bentota, whether he will make a stop there. Since it is necessary that in this case there should not be a highway bass that goes by express to Galle or Matara, but a regular one, following the old route along the ocean.
The fare will cost about 150 rupees ($1) give or take. Sometimes they may ask you to pay for luggage. Payment in Sri Lankan rupees, do not offer dollars and do not shine with a bundle of money in front of the Sri Lankans. Check the change and remind the conductor with a smile if you "accidentally" missed a couple of hundred.

Colombo to Bentota by train

You can get to Bentota by train. From the airport take bus 187 to the railway station Colombo Fort. Then we sit down on any train, next to southbound towards Galle or Matara. Specify only if the train makes a stop in Bentota. Travel time from 1.5 hours to 2. The fare will cost about 100 rupees ($0.7).

Colombo Fort to Bentota train timetable. Check the time before the trip: eservices.railway.gov.lk

Taxi Colombo - Bentota

You can order a taxi from Colombo airport to Bentota at the airport upon arrival or in the Internet by paying with a credit card. The cost of official taxis can vary from $50 to $80. In the Uber app, there is a chance to order a taxi from their airport for a little cheaper than the official ones. Book a transfer to Bentota from the airport at any time here:

Book a taxi to Bentota from the airport >

You can order a transfer to Bentota at any time, even if you arrive at night or at 5 am. You will be met and taken to the hotel. If you take a transfer, then you don't have to worry about your level of English. You make an order and pay on a Russian-language website, pay with a card in rubles, and at the airport you are already met by a local driver with a piece of paper with your name written on it. He does not need to say anything, he will already have all the information. Just say hello and print out your voucher for your Colombo to Bentota transfer. Although, when on such a transfer, we were not even asked for any vouchers.

Where to stay in Bentota

Avani Bentota Resort
Bentota Home Stay
Sea Rock Villa
Paradise Road The Villa Bentota
Temple Tree Resort & Spa

All hotels in Bentota

Bentota - Colombo airport route on the map

The distance from the airport to Bentota is 90 km.
Travel time on its own is 3-4 hours, by taxi about 2 hours.

Bentota is the first nice beach for swimming, if you move from Colombo to the south of Sri Lanka. Bentota is a 2-hour drive from the airport. Along the beach of Bentota built large hotels on the first line. The railway separates the beach with hotels from small village where you can find cheaper housing.

Overview of Bentota beach

The long and wide beach stretches for 3 km. Few people, the main concentration of tourists in the area of the railway station. Only large chain hotels are located on the first line. These 4 hotels are the best places to stay in Bentota. Since you do not need to cross the railway every time you go to the ocean.

Avani Bentota Resort
Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa
EKHO Surf
Taj Bentota Resort & Spa

flat as a pancake
There are few sunbeds

Sun loungers and shade

There is no shadow. Only under the palm trees near the hotels or in the left corner of the beach in the bushes you can find a shade. There are 5 sun loungers for the entire beach. But they are most often empty, because they are rented out for huge money for Sri Lanka - 2000 rupees for 2 hours ($ 11 / 750 rubles). No other country in Southeast Asia has met such a price for a sunbed, even with an hourly rate. Eh, Sri Lanka ... For hotel guests on the first line, there are sun loungers with umbrellas near the pools. The rest will have to be content with a towel on the sand.

EKHO Surf Hotel is right on the beach

Hotel AVANI Bentota Resort is also on the beach, but with a pleasant green area

Taj Bentota Resort & Spa looks old but still popular with tourists

Swimming in Bentota. Depth and waves

The beach is flat, the depth increases gradually. Therefore, the waves on Bentota Beach break at some distance from the coast. Swim in a normal way here, as well as almost everywhere in Sri Lanka, will not work. But you can jump on the waves, or splash in shallow water. Then only all the cowards in the sand. The water is clear, natural and household waste does not float, which is already good for swimming in the ocean.

Bentota videos

look short video, where you can clearly see what waves are in Bentota:

Swimming in Bentota looks something like this:

To Bentota with a child

For swimming with children, the resort of Bentota can be considered. Here, a few meters from the shore, there is a sandbank, due to which a small depression is formed, somewhere knee-deep, and in some places even waist-deep. You can swim with a child with almost no waves. One such place is seen in front of the AVANI hotel.

Left side of the beach in Bentota

If you face the ocean and go along the beach to the left, you can go to the next Robolgoda beach. It is just as long, there less people and most importantly, no one bothers you to visit Ayurveda or buy a pareo. Here are the views along the way.

Merchants and molesters on the beach

In Bentota, not only on the beach, but almost everywhere locals will stick to you every day, offering tuk-tuk, excursions, massages, scarves, souvenirs and more. They turn in Russian, like “Hi, how are you? Russian, right? Very unpleasant and arrogant people who need to say “No” 10 times to get left behind. He will walk next to you for several minutes and try to spin at least something. The best defense is to completely ignore them, not even to say hello or look in their direction, although it will be difficult for well-mannered people to do so at first.

Area Bentota

For some reason, we used to think that the area was as developed as, and. But Bentota turned out to be a village. Surprisingly, such a popular tourist destination, but in fact it is just a village and a long beach, along which large 4 and 5 star hotels have been built. See a photo of what Bentota looks like from the other side of the beach:

The same railway that you will have to cross on the way to the sea if the hotel is not on the first line

Bentota Sri Lanka

Where to eat in Bentota

Beach cafes in Bentota, we have not seen. You can't eat here with a sea view. We recommend a restaurant that we chose intuitively. According to reviews on google maps and Tripadvisor, no matter what restaurant you open, delight everywhere. But if you, like us, do not like the intrusiveness of the staff, inviting with Russian words and a long wait for dishes for 40 minutes, then go to Happy Garden - on the map.

We ate there all 3 days of our stay in Bentota. The prices are normal and they cook quickly, in 20 minutes. Guests are met by a hostess woman with good English. No excursions and waterfalls does not impose. Our bill is 3700 rupees ($21 / 1400 RUB) for 2 courses (shrimp and chicken steak) with soft drinks. Eating out in Sri Lanka is by no means cheap.

And I almost forgot to mention one more interesting feature- many cafes in Bentota are located near the railway, almost on rails

Happy Garden is the last restaurant if you walk from the platform. And the only one here that no one invites
Restaurant near the railway in the literal sense
Our lunch: 5 king prawns with rice and salad (2000 LKR), chicken steak with potatoes (950 LKR), coconut roti, milkshakes (300 LKR) and water
Menu at Happy Garden. Course 1$ = 170 LKR

Bentota Reviews

The beach is great. We could not get into the water in, in and in, but in Bentota we swam in the sea with pleasure. White soft sand that is pleasant to walk on. Pure water. The waves are not dangerous if you do not go deep. There is a lifeguard in the center of the beach who watches over the holidaymakers from the lighthouse and occasionally comes out.

There are many Sri Lankans in Bentota who speak Russian. You can find restaurants with Russian menus. We even saw a tuk-tuk with a Russian flag and pictures of the Moscow Kremlin on the seats. This is probably a plus for most Russian-speaking tourists, because not everyone can speak English perfectly.

Irritates only the increased obsession of the locals. But this is a problem not only for Bentota, but for the whole of Sri Lanka. Where there are tourists in this country, there will always be sticky merchants and taxi drivers.

Bentota on the map

How to get there: by bus or by train - all options to get there are scheduled on your own. Order a transfer from the airport you can here >

This is a continuation of the review of Bentota Beach. The second part of personal experience includes. What to see in Bentota. Beaches. Personal impression. And some useless advice. The first part was: how to get there, where to stay, where to eat, shopping and bank cards and money change.

What to see.

The famous Sigiriya. This is how most tourists see it.

In Bentota and the surrounding area there is not much that is truly interesting. We swam on the river, went to the local Buddha, a turtle factory and a waterfall. They wanted to, but did not get to the Lunuganga estate. You can view it both at one time and separately. We traveled at one time. Arranged with a local "guide". We traveled in tuk-tuks.
Bentota river.

The fisherman demonstrates his catch. Giant Jumbo Shrimp.

If as a way to kill time, then I rather liked the trip. We saw almost all the local wildlife: from tame crocodiles to chameleons. You swim several kilometers along the river and look at the shore. You wait until the guide or driver sees something in the thickets. You can't see anything in the mangroves yourself. As an excursion: for an amateur. If taken separately, then the boats are at the bridge.

Local Buddha.

Kandy Vihara temple in Bentota.

I liked it. Interesting wall paintings. I would advise you to go even if you have already been to similar places. Mainly because you don't have to travel far. 10-20 minutes by tuk tuk depending on where you live. Our host even offered to take us there for free.

This is how the whole temple is painted inside.

Turtle factory.

Here is such a miracle Yudo you can hold in your hands.

Of course there is an entrance fee. The guide paid for us. But like 500 rupees. Kids and impressionable girls will surely like it there. The farm is also easily accessible by tuk-tuk. Whether you need it or not, decide for yourself.
Waterfall. It's worth going only if you haven't seen the waterfalls yet. And even in this case, it is better to wait for a more interesting opportunity. Nothing special.

Manor Lunuganga. Photo by Anastasia Bobrovskaya.

So they didn't get to it. But I think that as a way to pass the time will do. It's not far to go either. We planned to drive into it when we went to watch the whales, but did not have time. The garden closes at 17:00. At least that's what our guide said.

This is how we saw Sigiriya. It just stopped raining.

Mandatory to visit. (This is a personal opinion). Full day trip. From early morning to late evening. But it's worth it. Truly the eighth wonder of the world. As an interesting addition to Sigiriya, a visit to the golden and cave temples of the Buddha located along the Dambulla path. At the same time you can ride on elephants. We rented a car for four for $100 plus a guide. The guide is in quotation marks, because he spoke so-so in Russian. More like a trip coordinator. However, a guide in Sigiriya is not really needed. There you need to look, not listen. It is better to read before the trip what kind of miracle it is - Sigiriya. Be sure to bring water with you. Climbing to the top, that's another attraction. Entrance fee $30. They paid in dollars.

Halfway is over. There are 1200 steps in total.

If you go by yourself, it is better to immediately discuss with the "guide" the arrivals at the tea factory and the spice garden. If you buy an excursion, then visiting these “sights” will be a must, but here you can avoid it if you wish.

Whale trip.

Decide for yourself if it's worth watching or not.

You need to go to the port of Merissa. An hour and a half drive from Bentota. In short, an excursion for an amateur. On the one hand, like a fool, they put you on a boat, give you a pill for motion sickness and ride on the sea for 3-4 hours. Seems like a pointless exercise. The whole point of the trip, if you're lucky, is to see the tip of the whale's tail. But on the other hand, there are not many people who have seen a live whale and there are not many places on planet Earth where these whales still swim. I can brag about what I've seen, although it's not good to brag. If you're lucky, you'll see more than a tail. We were lucky. By the way, they say that if you can’t see the whales, then the money for the tour is returned. I just don't know if it's true or not. Personally, I would recommend this tour.

Cows now graze near the once impregnable walls of the fort.

It is more convenient to go here if you are staying at Unawatuna or Hikkaduwa. Convenient means closer. You can just take a tuk-tuk. We stopped by when we were riding whales. From Bentota and other beaches (even remote ones), it’s cheaper to take a train to Galle, and then a tuk-tuk or bus.
I'll take a little break on the train. Really very convenient, very cheap and very curious way to get around.
Convenient, because with transfers you can travel by train all over the island. Colombo's main interchange hub. If you want a cheap and interesting trip to Kandy, you need to take a train to Colombo and transfer to another train.

Third class carriage in Sri Lanka.

Cheap because it costs a penny. We traveled from Bentota to Hikkaduwa in a third-class carriage for 25 rupees per person (about 13 rubles).
And curious, because you go with locals who stare at you, and you at them. And the train itself is colorful. Something between a train from the movies about the civil war and an electric train from the 90s. (Although this comparison is for those who remember it. The train, of course, not the train.) Doors and windows are wide open. Worn-out, shabby wooden benches. We were driving when there were not many people there and back, but I also saw trains 110% full
For the sake of objectivity, I will say that second-class carriages are only a little more expensive, but more civilized. There are also trains with sleeping cars for long distances.

This is how the fort looks from the sea.

Let's go back to the fort. Personally, as a boy, I liked it. At first it seemed nothing special, and I saw cooler, but then when I realized the scale, I changed my mind. I generally like to look at the work of distant ancestors. Whoever they are: Russians, Mexicans or Portuguese. Halle is a living confirmation of what they knew how to build for centuries. It has stood indestructible since the 17th century, and even survived when the tsunami hit the south coast in 2004. The surrounding houses were destroyed, but the fort survived. The locals even hid in it.
The two hours I spent there was not enough for me. You can safely go for the whole day. Combine excursions, beach, shops for the female half. Moreover, the fort is open around the clock and admission is free.

Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. So we didn't get there.

Another excursion that we wanted to go on, but did not manage to go, is Kandy. If you have been or will be, then leave your opinion in the comments. I think the reviews will only be positive. If you take an excursion on the street or from a tour operator, then, as a rule, they combine Sigiriya and Kandy. Issue price from $140.

Beaches.

The main reason why you should go to Sri Lanka is the ocean and beaches.

Think seven times what you want from Sri Lanka before choosing a holiday destination. From right beach a lot depends.
We have been to three beaches. Or even three and a half. Because in Bentota they lived near two different beaches. The first two days of south beach. For some reason, it is not even marked as a beach on Google maps. The beginnings of a civilized life on it are only at the very end near Saman Villas. A cafe on the beach, about six free sunbeds, a good place for swimming and a huge deserted beach. My first impression is overwhelming - depressing. Stunning from the power of the ocean, as the waves were decent and the vastness of the beach multiplied by the desertedness. And the depressing thought is that like this, in splendid isolation, I will cuckoo here for 14 days.
South Beach is kind of unkempt. Maybe that's why he's not on the map. By the way, not far from this cafe there is a turtle farm. Easy to walk in 5-8 minutes.

Beach in Bentota. central part. Near Cafe Loft.

The beach in Bentota itself is much more civilized, although it is just as huge, three kilometers, and almost as deserted. In its northern part, it starts from the Bentota River and stretches to the five-star Taj Bentota Resort & Spa. The location near the hotel is best for beach holiday. A good entry into the sea, paid sunbeds, shady villages, in five to ten minutes there are several cafes. You can learn how to board. The school is right there.
Of all the entertainment on the beach on this side, there is a school, and by the river a hang glider for 50 bucks (half an hour of flight) and a helicopter for 1000. Although I think if you bargain, the price will be reduced.

Hikkaduwa.

Turtle feeding.

There were one day. So I only saw a little of it. As a beach, I didn't like it. But that's because I compared him to Bentota. Too narrow. But towards the end, it seems to be wider. seen there sea turtles. They have been tamed (or trained) and at a certain time they swim ashore to the beach. free attraction for vacationers. It's called: feed the turtle. The dimensions of the turtle are visible in the photo.
But Hikkaduwa itself seemed like a metropolis compared to Bentota. There are also shops, and discos, and other charms of civilization.

Unawatuna.

I was there, too, only a few hours, when I stopped by with friends who stayed there. Unawatuna liked at first sight. Compact, comfortable, lived-in. The depth starts almost at the shore. According to friends, the waves here are much calmer than in Bentota. You can swim anywhere. Yes, and life and day and night is much richer. Here they liked it more than in Bentota.

My personal impression of Bentota.

There are always waves for boarding in Bentota.

Bentota is a beach. chic, wonderful beach, but suitable only for relaxation. There is nothing more to do here. I even agree that this is indeed a paradise for lovers and honeymooners. But if you are neither, then you can get bored. Only rescued me good company. Vova, Alla, Natalie, thank you very much for this!
Do not believe in fairy tales about the developed tourist infrastructure in Bentota. This is if you sit in five stars. Everything is in order with the infrastructure there. But to go so far, and for such money, to sit in the "infrastructure" seems silly to me.

At the end, some useless tips for those who are going to Sri Lanka.

Golden Buddha in Dambulla.

1. Between the package tour and independent trip choose a trip. And it is better to go not to one place, but to several beaches. Live for five days on one, three on the other, and so on. Depending on the length of the holiday and the thirst for impressions.
2. Sri Lanka is an island. (You never know. Joke). And around the Indian Ocean. So, forget about calm swims in the sea. At best, you will be able to jump on the waves. Before the trip, read about rip currents. How to behave if, God forbid, you get caught. (This is no longer a joke. I don't have very good memories of them.)
3. And most importantly. Do not expect something unusual from Sri Lanka. If you have been to other Southeast Asian countries, then they are probably more interesting than Sri Lanka. And if you haven’t been, then it’s better to go to Thailand or Vietnam.

Our last sunset in Bentota.

But in general, I liked Sri Lanka. Maybe I will go there again, but no longer tied to the place and with the old company.

Have a nice holiday!!

Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the city proper. It is the financial center of the island and a popular tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is within the urban area of, and a satellite city of, Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of Western Province, Sri Lanka and the district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant place with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins. It was the legislative capital of Sri Lanka until 1982.- Wikipedia

Things to do in Colombo

Galle Face Green

The Galle Face is a 5 ha ocean-side urban park, which stretches for 500 m along the coast, in the heart of the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, but was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis and rugby.
R. Premadasa Stadium

R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium (RPS) (Sinhala: ආර්. ප්‍රේමදාස ක්‍රීඩාංගනය, Tamil: ஆர். பிரேமதாச சர்வதேச கிரிக்கெட் விளையாட்டு மைதானம்; also known as Khettarama Stadium, Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium or simply as the Premadasa Stadium) is a cricket stadium on Khettarama Road , Maligawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The stadium was, before June 1994, known as the Khettarama Cricket Stadium and is today one of the main venues where the Sri Lankan cricket team play, having hosted more than 100 one day international matches. It is the largest stadium in Sri Lanka with a capacity of 35,000 spectators. It has capacity exceeding Lord "s Cricket Ground. It is nicknamed "Home of Sri Lankan cricket". It was also the stadium where the highest Test score was scored.
Pettah

Pettah is a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka located east of the City center Fort. The Pettah neighborhood is famous for the Pettah Market, a series of open air bazaars and markets. It is Sri Lanka's busiest commercial area, where most of the shops, textiles, buildings and many other business organizations are centered.
fort

Fort is the central business district of Colombo in Sri Lanka. It is the financial district of Colombo and the location of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the World Trade Center of Colombo from which the CSE operates. It is also the location of the Bank of Ceylon headquarters. Along the foreshore of the Fort area is the Galle Face Green Promenade, built in 1859 under the governance of Sir Henry George Ward, the Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) during British colonial administration. Fort is also home to the General Post Office, hotels, government departments and offices.