Bentota ( Sri Lanka)

Bentota River 

Think of thick mangrove forests, spending your afternoon dabbling in water sports like wind surfing and jet skiing and holding baby crocodiles and your evenings by the poolside of some exotic resort….think of Bentota.

Heading towards the Mangrove Swamps

Bentota is one of the foremost coastal cities of Sri Lanka. Famous for its beaches, resorts and parties it is a must visit in every tourist’s itinerary. Almost every resort here has its own private beach where you can laze around or try your hand at some surfing lessons during the day and party hard at night. For those looking at something more relaxed, you can opt for some fine dining at one of the many world class resorts here. 

A crocodile taking an afternoon siesta

But Bentota is more than a resort getaway, what most people here miss out on is the Bentota river boat cruise where you can sail through untouched mangrove forests and sight crocodiles in the wild, heck you can even hold the baby crocodiles and take back home some photo memories! 

So when you are done swimming in the luxurious pools and sipping on those exotic cocktails, head out to the Bentota river.

If water sports excites you then this is one place where you want to be, you can learn wind sailing, jet skiing and the like. But you shouldn’t miss out on the boat safari which takes roughly about one hour. What’s so special about that right?! Well, on this little ride you can sail through the islets and the mangrove swamps located on the river, while spotting aquatic birds like herons, kingfishers, cormorants as well as reptiles like monitors and crocodiles. 

Baby crocodile aboard!

Accompanied by the balmy breeze and the easy sunlight you feel at one with nature. Honestly I went for it not expecting much but I did spot some monitors and a couple of crocodiles and lots of different birds. Seeing these creatures in their natural habitat is something different, to know that you are actually at an arm’s length distance from a crocodile is kind of exciting! 

The boat safari takes you further ahead to what they refer to as the crocodile man’s house where you can hold baby crocodiles in your hands, an experience you will never forget.

Bentota is definitely a place where you should go during your visit to Sri Lanka. It is located on the southern tip of the Galle District and is about 100 kilometers from the Bandarnaike International Airport (Colombo-Negombo road). 
Make the most of a luxurious getaway here by booking yourself into the Taj Vivanta Resort or the Bentota Beach Hotel.

A few things to be kept in mind, locals here are not very fluent in English, in fact most of them barely understand the language so communicating will be difficult. 

Beware of touts who will try to charge you extra for crocodile sightings.

Smokey Rocks : Hoggenakal Falls

Known as the Niagara Falls of India, Hogenakkal is situated in the state of Tamil Nadu. A popular tourist destination and a weekend favourite with the locals too. The name Hoggenakal comes from the words Hoge (smoke) and kal (rocks) which translates into smoking rocks, when the water falls on the rocks it looks like smoke rising from the rocks. The falls are beautiful and one can even enjoy boating here during the dry season when the currents are not too strong. 

Hogenakkal is situated amidst the Melagiri hills. 

The lush surroundings and scenic beauty make the drive to Hoggenakal a camera happy one! One can see typical south style giant terracotta idols of gods on the way. The waterfalls are a perfect place to have a picnic whether with friends or family. A word of advice though, weekends are rather crowed here, so if you are looking for a calm and serene experience then its best to go during a weekday. I was a tad disappointed with the large number of people present there, although that does show how popular this place is.

One can enjoy boat rides in the round boats locally known as Parisals that will take you for a spin under the falls, literally! 

Be sure to carry water proof bags for your phones and cameras and a change of clothes. The waterfall is also said to have healing properties as it flows through forests that are rich in medicinal herbs and plants and people come here especially for that. 

Another thing I observed here was the large number of people getting some kind of an oil massage that is said to be a specialty of the area.Apparently this particular massage has many healing properties as well. You can even do a bit of trekking in the nearby hills if you up for some more adventure.

The best time to visit is between October and March. One can hire a taxi or take a bus from Bangalore. It is a two and a half hour drive to the falls from Bangalore. It can be covered within a day itself but for those who would like to stay the night the best option would be the KSTDC tourist bungalow. But I would suggest returning to Bangalore the same day if possible.

It’s essential to carry sunscreen, shades, loose cotton clothing and mosquito repellant. If possible do carry your packed lunch as well. There are eating options here too but they are not quite hygienic and upto the mark.