A Sri Lankan Holiday - Bentota

We reached Bentota after a 2 hour drive from Colombo, the ride was scenic; we passed by fishing villages, small sea side towns and costal roads. More of our friends had joined us at the Airbnb in Bentota. We had booked a lovely 4 bed room pool villa surrounded by lush tropical greenery. Bentota is a beautiful sea side town known for its beaches and beautiful laid back atmosphere. We stayed in Bentota for 3 nights including New Year’s Eve before all went our separate ways. Neeti and I continued our journey to Beruala and then Galle before heading back to Bangalore. 

Surf Boards for rent at Bentota beach 

Airbnb in Bentota 

I could not find the same house listed on Airbnb anymore but you can get a Pool villa from 160 USD

The house had a lovely balcony facing the pool and this is where we hung out most of the time. Mornings were spent inside the swimming pool or playing volley ball/ cricket in the huge lawn back door. In the evening we would headed to the beach to swim and watch the sunset. The Airbnb owner hooked us up with a  cook who made delicious authentic Sri Lankan food. He charged us15 USD per day plus supplies for cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our ex-chef made some really delicious local treats ! The highlights were egg hoppers for breakfast, pepper crab for lunch and prawn curry for dinner. 

Menu from Day One

• Sri Lankan Deviled Potatoes 
• Spicy Chicken Curry 
• Veg Pulao
• Steamed Beans 
• Yellow Lentil Curry 
• Stir-fried Spinach 

Tropical Pool Villa 

Resort by Bentota Beach 

Tips for Visiting Bentota:

• Distance from Colombo is roughly 100km and google maps will tell you it takes 1 hr 30 min. But it takes more depending on traffic and some of the roads are narrow so that adds to the time. We hired a minivan to take us from Colombo to Bentota for 60 USD approx. If you are travelling as solo or as a couple its worth  taking the train which is cheaper and faster
• Bentota is a popular holiday destination so there are many luxury resorts. But we really enjoyed the Airbnb experience, especially if you are travelling in a big group a resort won’t give you the same privacy like a villa.
• Rent scooters and explore the surrounds. Some recommendations:
• Brief Garden by Bevis – Home and garden of famous landscape architect Bevis Bawa
• Bentota Turtle Hatchery
• Galapata Raja Temple – 16th Century Buddhist Temple 
• Moragalla is a good spot if you want the entire beach to yourself 

Mangroves by Bentota Beach 

Before coming to Sri Lanka I had the notion that it is just like my home state of Kerala, but its so different in so many ways. Sri Lanka really did surprise me and I will be going back to explore more. 

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