Places to visit in Bentota
Bentota is a small town, about 62km south of Colombo, situated on the coastal area of Sri Lanka. Graced by blue skies, blue waters, lush coconutgroves shading the golden shores and a serene atmosphere, it is one of the bestholiday destinations in the island country of Sri Lanka. Tourists visit Bentotaas a combined excursion with Beruwela, another scenic beach destination.
The star attraction of the townis the Bentota Beach. Spread across 7-8 kilometers, the calm and clean shorewith quiet surroundings make it a relaxing retreat. The size of the beach is enoughto guarantee everyone privacy to bask in the bliss of the sun and the sea. Renowned as Sri Lanka’s most popular beaches,Bentota affords a myriad of opportunities to water sport enthusiasts. Diving, JetSki and windsurfing are the most popular of adventure pursuits
Bentota is a true dream come truedestination for the divers. The cerulean waters are pleasantly warm all throughthe year with the only exception of the monsoon season. A range of scuba divingand snorkelling stores in the vicinity offer industry-certified professionals withPADI certification, state-of-the-art equipment, assistance and guidance todiving enthusiasts.
The principal dive site is CanoeRock with sandy areas as well as sections with coral formations. Adventure enthusiastshave the option of diving from a boat or straight from the shore, each offeringan experience to cherish. For a more thrilling expedition, take a short boattrip offshore. Dive and pay a visit tocoral reefs, grab a snorkel and mask to paddle your way through tropical fish. Alsowindsurfing is a must-try adventure. If you travel between the months ofDecember to March you can enjoy the lively breeze. For other cravings of adrenalinrush, Bentota offers Jet Ski and water-ski opportunities.
The beautiful Bentota River is alsoone of the most impressive places to visit in the town. It is highlyrecommended to try out a 2-3 hour ride on boat of the river. On the boat ride,it is impossible to come across many kinds of animals, birds, reptiles such ascrocodile, iguana, etc. in their natural habitats. The river boat ride is trulyan animal’s lover dream as well. The River is also pretty popular for wateractivities like surfing and boating.
With aplenty accommodationoptions of all budget and preferences, Bentota has comes the popular beachretreat in Sri Lanka for relaxing and thrilling adventure sports.
Lunuganga Geoffrey Bawa’s Country Estate
The Lunuganga Estate was the country house of the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. The estate had been used as a cinnamon estate during the Dutch era and then a rubber plantation under the British. In 1948, the small house in the estate was given on rent to the local tax collector. In 1949 newly qualified lawyer Geoffrey Bawa bought it from its owner intending to convert the estate bungalow into a weekend house and create a tropical version of a European renaissance garden. The 6.1 ha property is located on the banks of the Dedduwa Lake, in Bentota. Bawa named the estate Lunuganga, which in Sinhala means Salt River. Recognising his lack of architectural knowledge Bawa returned to England to study architecture. After qualifying as an architect he returning to Ceylon in 1958 and joined the architectural practice of Edwards, Reid and Beggs. Bawa continued to develop the house and gardens at Lunuganga for forty years, until his death in May 2003. Bawa was cremated on the Cinnamon Hill and ashes buried there. The house and gardens contain many works from artists such as Donald Friend and Laki Senanayake as well as artifacts from Asia and Europe
Brief Garden, by Bevis Bawa
Brief garden is a landscape garden and former home in Beruwala, Sri Lanka designed by landscape architect and owner Bevis Bawa. It is home to the landscape design practice, Brief Garden Designs. In 1929 Bawa was bequeathed the family rubber plantation by his mother, Bertha Marianne née Schrader. The estate's unique name was derived from the fact it was purchased by his father, Benjamin, with funds from a successful legal brief. Bawa realised that he lacked the self-discipline to operate and maintain a successful plantation focused instead on developing the estate's garden.
