Colombo Trip Overview
Weligama is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka. Its name translates to ‘sandy village’, a testament to its wide golden sandy beaches. Over the years Weligama has gained popularity and slowly transformed itself from a small fishing village to a booming tourist spot and today it has secured itself as a top surfing destination.
• Personalized and flexible tour itinerary
• Hotel pick up and drop off included
• Accompanied by an expert guide
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 12 hours
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Weligama is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka. Its name translates to ‘sandy village’, a testament to its wide golden sandy beaches. Over the years Weligama has gained popularity and slowly transformed itself from a small fishing village to a booming tourist spot and today it has secured itself as a top surfing destination.
• Personalized and flexible tour itinerary
• Hotel pick up and drop off included
• Accompanied by an expert guide
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Handunugoda Tea Estate, Handunugoda Rd, Ahangama, Sri Lanka
The Handunugoda Tea Estate is nestled between the Sinharaja Rainforest and the resplendent southern coast of Sri Lanka. The estate specialises in the production of the Virgin White Tea, a blend of tea which is only made from the tiniest and newest of leaves. Virgin White Tea is quite different from regular black tea as it’s a far more intricate process; for instance, in a large plantation tea pluckers would pick about 23kg of tea a day, but here pluckers only handle about 150 leaves a day! Also, the tea here is untouched by human hands throughout the whole process, the tea collectors here use a small pair of scissors and a bowl instead. Virgin White Tea is an extremely delicate brew of tea and it is said that this tradition originated from a Chinese emperor who ruled over 4,000 years ago and that it was a drink exclusively served at the Imperial Court.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Agrabodhi Raja Maha Viharaya, XCC9+GQ5, Weligama, Sri Lanka
The Agrabodhi Vihara in Weligama is an ancient temple that dates back to the time of King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BC). The Bodhivamsa, a chronicle that recounts the story of the bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, states that the very first bodhi sapling out of the 32 saplings brought to Sri Lanka from the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi, was planted here by the king. The Sri Maha Bodhi holds great significance to Buddhists all over the world as it is the bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment. According to folklore, when the first few saplings were being transported to the south, the group rested for one night in Weligama and it is said that one of the saplings had taken root here. It was decided to leave the tree on this site, thus the first bodhi tree temple was created. There is also another belief that the temple was constructed by King Agrabodhi IV and the name was after him.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Taprobane Island, Sri Lanka
Taprobane Island is a small islet off the west coast of Weligama Bay. Taprobane (the name which the Ancient Greeks had called Sri Lanka) is perhaps the most Instagrammed place in Weligama; a lot of people come to the beach to take a picture of the tiny island, which looks as though it has been overrun by a thick covering of greenery, surrounded by the azure water of the Indian Ocean. Even though the island looks like a tiny jungle in the middle of the ocean, there is a small house on the island. In the 1930s, an exiled French Count de Maunay made this islet his holiday home; he built a small white villa with a red-tiled roof which you can occasionally see peeking through the lush foliage. Today, the villa has become a five-bedroom boutique hotel and is open to anyone who wants to come to visit.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Weligama Beach, Matara Sri Lanka
The Weligama beach is also famous for its stilt fishermen who gather at the beach at daybreak and sundown. These fishermen perched on their vertical poles with crossbars, hard at work; trying to capture small fish by using their fishing rods made out of Bamboo, creates a postcard perfect sight. The sea close by is home to a collection of spectacular marine species. If you happen to be in this quaint fishing town, a boat ride along the bay is a must.
Duration: 1 hour
