We started early in the morning from our hotel at Nuwara Eliya and headed for Bentota. We had requested the restaurant for an early breakfast and so we were okay before we left. The weather was not particularly pleasant as it had rained almost all through last night and light intermittent showers were still on. It was a long but uneventful drive with just a stop for a loo break and we arrived at our Bentota Hotel – The Palm – late in the afternoon. There was no activity planned for the rest of the day, so we just took a nap after checking in and explored the beach attached to our hotel later that evening.
Bentota is a very small city and the idea was to check out in the morning, keep our bags in the car, do the Bentota tours during the morning and then head for Colombo which is just 2 hours away. Our first tour was the River Boat Safari. There are a over a hundred islands in the lagoon, and you get to see a variety of fauna in their natural habitats. We saw Monitor Lizards, Rhesus Monkeys found only in Sri Lanka, Kingfishers, Cormorants, and even a couple of crocodiles who quickly scampered away as we approached. We also stopped at Cinnamon Island which is home to just one single family and we were shown how Cinnamon is made naturally from the bark of the tree. We also stopped at a Fish Therapy Centre for some foot therapy. Here, Fish nibble at your feet while you submerge them in the fish basin. Beats a pedicure.
After the safari, we headed for one of the many Turtle Conservation Centres that thrive in Bentota. These centres rescue Turtles who are sick or injured and treat them, releasing them back into the ocean once they are fit. They also rescue Baby Turtles from poachers by paying the poachers so that the turtles can have a shot at life. Frankly, it was rather depressing seeing sick turtles, turtles who have lost a limb in an accident with a boat propeller, or turtles who have swallowed plastic bags thinking it’s a jellyfish.
By now it was well past noon, so we decided to head for Colombo where we would be spending the next three nights.