Bentota

Bentota is a coastal town of 37,000 people in Southern Sri Lanka. Bentota is a tourist town, with a local airport (Bentota River Airport) and a handful of world-class hotels. It is a destination for watersports and is famous for its toddy production, an alcoholic beverage made out of coconut nectar. It also has a turtle hatchery on Induruwa beach.

Understand
Bentota sits on the southern bank of the Bentota River mouth. The name of the town is derived from a mythical story which claims a demon named 'Bem' ruled the tota or river bank.

By bus
There are air-conditioned buses (bus no. 2) that run from Colombo Fort to Galle that will stop at Bentota (2-2½ hour journey) and cost about Rs. 150.

By train
There is a small railway station in Bentota but most of the trains stop at Aluthgama (2 km from Bentota).



See

 * Brief Garden, 11 km (6.8 mi) inland from Bentota, is the house and garden of renowned Sri Lankan landscape architect, Bevis Bawa, the older brother of architect Geoffrey Bawa. Established in 1929 on the grounds of a former rubber plantation Bawa continued to develop the property until his death in 1992.
 * Galapatha Raja Maha Vihare, in Bentota, Buddhist temple with origins that date back to the 12th century ; it contains stone inscriptions, stone carvings, pillars, ponds and troughs from the medieval period.

Do

 * Bentota Beach, long and large
 * Richy Skylark Helipad. This helipad operates helicopter joyrides in Bentota near the estuary operated by Skylark Aviation Helicopters

Buy

 * Some toddy, alcoholic beverage made from coconut nectar.

Splurge




Go next
Trains from Aluthgama station go to Columbo (north), Hikkaduwa, Thiranagama, Dodanduwa, Galle, etc. to Matara.