Madu River Boat Safari with a turtle hatchery visit

Highlights:

• Cruise along the Madu River, exploring mangroves, wildlife and its network of 64 islands
• Visit a Buddhist monastery and a local cinnamon operation to see traditional practices
• Learn about endangered marine turtles at Kosgoda Beach, an important nesting site

Explore the Madu River, a complex coastal ecosystem of mangroves, waterways and around 64 scattered islands. Travelling by boat offers a close look at the area’s rich biodiversity, with a variety of plant and animal species found throughout the river and lagoon. The islands range from small, uninhabited outcrops with quiet shrines to larger communities, some home to around 250 families and linked to the mainland by long footbridges.

Visit one of the islands to see a Buddhist monastery, where resident monks share aspects of daily life, including a 150-year-old palm-leaf manuscript and traditional cooking methods using cinnamon wood. Continue with a visit to a local cinnamon operation to observe how this important regional product is cultivated.

After lunch, travel to Kosgoda Beach, one of Sri Lanka’s key nesting sites for marine turtles. Several endangered species come ashore here to lay their eggs, often returning to the same beach where they were born. Once the eggs are laid and buried in the sand, the turtles return to the sea, leaving them to develop and hatch naturally.

What's included

• Boat tour
• Lunch
• Return transfers