Sri Lanka
Destinations
From ancient cities and sacred temples to tea-covered mountains, national parks and tropical beaches, Sri Lanka offers a remarkable variety of experiences within one island. Explore the places our guests ask for most and where every great itinerary begins.
Things to Do in Bentota
Bentota combines a beach destination with access to river landscapes and activities in the surrounding area. Browse ideas for what to see and do, then check the dedicated Bentota day tour for its actual planned stops.
Bentota is the easiest beach on the island to reach from Colombo, and it has everything a first beach stop needs: a wide golden beach, a calm lagoon for water sports and the Madu River spreading into a maze of mangrove islands.
It is also the home of Sri Lanka's most celebrated gardens – Brief Garden and Geoffrey Bawa's Lunuganga – and of the coast's turtle-conservation projects.
Why VisitBentota
- Long golden beach
- Madu River mangrove boat safari
- Sea-turtle hatcheries
- Bawa's Lunuganga and Brief Garden
Best time to visit
November to April.
Suggested length of stay
2 nights
Getting there
About 90 minutes from Colombo via the Southern Expressway.
ExploreNearby
Colombo
Sri Lanka's energetic commercial capital – colonial heritage, sacred temples, busy markets and a fast-changing waterfront skyline.
Read more
Hikkaduwa
A coral-reef marine sanctuary, sea turtles on the beach and a long-running surf and beach-bar scene on the south-west coast.
Read more
Galle
A UNESCO-listed walled city of ramparts, lighthouse and colonial lanes – Sri Lanka's best-preserved fort, alive with cafés, galleries and boutiques.
Read more
Ready to ExperienceSri Lanka?
Tell us where you want to go, what you love and how long you have. We'll help turn it into a journey worth remembering.
