UNESCO World Heritage Site of Galle fort is a 2 hour drive while there is also a smaller Dutch fort located a mere 45-minute drive away at the sleepy coastal town of Matara.
At Mirissa, located alongside a whale migration route, whale watching excursions are increasingly popular. Nearby Tangalle has a vibrant market and busy fishing harbor while further west lie Bundala Bird Sanctuary and Mulkirigala Rock Temple.
One of the major pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka is situated at Kataragama and at the south-eastern corner of the island is Yala national park, renowned for having the world’s densest population of wild leopards, as well as deer, buffalo, crocodiles and monkeys.
