Kalutara Holidays

The main attraction of Kalutara holidays must be the glorious beaches – and their popularity is reflected by the number of hotels which have picked this prime spot close to the ocean. One of the main plus points is mouth of the Kalu River, which flows into the sea. You can try your hand at watersports both in the river and from the beach.

If you fancy a change of scene, Bentota Beach is just 20 kilometres south – this place has a beautiful lagoon behind its stretch of sand. The calm waters are perfect for jet-skiing, water-skiing, windsurfing and canoeing. Bentota also has a river flowing into the sea, and travelling upstream along the Bentota Ganga is a popular excursion. You’re likely to see lots of colourful birds and possibly even a crocodile.

Beyond its blonde beaches, Kalutara has plenty more to offer. A boat trip up the island’s fourth largest river should definitely be on your to-do list. Cruising along the Black River, you’ll have a unique view of Kalutara, along with lots of endemic birds and wildlife.

A boat trip to visit Richmond Castle is also worth doing. Built in 1896, this grand structure has lovely gardens, which you can stroll around while admiring the two-storey building, which boasts 99 doors and 34 windows. Walk through the mansion where you’ll see antiques and furniture collected throughout the years. There are lots of Grecian statues to be spotted in the gardens, too.

On your Kalutara holiday, make sure you take advantage of the many day trips available, helping you see the best of the island. You can take a half-day trip to Galle Fort, for instance. Lying 80 kilometres south, this historic fortress was built in the late 1500s by the Portuguese, later fortified by the Dutch, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk along the ramparts and take in the panoramic views of the Dutch fort, harbor and clear waters below. In Galle itself, you’ll also find small boutiques and museums, plus modern bistros and bars to watch the world go by.

Another must-visit is Handunugoda Tea Estate – the only coastal tea plantation in Sri Lanka. It produces a white tea completely untouched by human hands. The process of tea plucking follows an ancient Chinese Ritual, where the finest of teas were cut by girls who never touched the tea with their bare skin, and the resulting produce was offered up as a tribute to the Emperor.

Temperatures average between 28°C and 30°C in Kalutara all year round, and you can be confident the sea will always be warm, averaging around 28C. But January to March is the best time to go on holiday to Kalutara. It’s dry, sunny and not too humid. The sea is lovely and calm, too.

April is often the hottest month, while May and June see the southwest monsoon – the gentler of Sri Lanka’s two monsoons – when rain showers tend to be short and sharp. July to September is the inter-monsoon period, which means it can get very hot – but it’s a quieter time of year to visit, if you can stand the heat. In October and November, Kalutara sees the northeast monsoon but, after the rains pass, the countryside looks particularly green and lush – so December is a good time to go if you’re planning to do lots of rainforest walks and hikes.