Located in the Western Province of Sri Lanka , Kalutara is not too far from the Capital of the island. Only an hour away thanks to the new Southern Expressway the city. Kalutara is one of the closest beach retreats if you are in Colombo and do not want to travel too far. When accommodation options are taken into account there is a wide range of Hotels in Kalutara, Sri Lanka is famous world over for the beaches that surrounds it and Kalutara also has a beautiful tropical beach to boast of.
One of the highly recommended hotels in Kalutara is AVANI Kalutara Resort and Spa. Tastefully designed hotel offering true Sri Lankan hospitality is a perfect place to spend a day and feast on the great dining options it has to offer.
The close proximity to Colombo makes Kalutara an ideal place to spend the day. The city’s dominant land mark is the Kalutara viharaya which sits beside the Kalu Ganga is a large Buddhist temple which is believed to be the only hollow Bhuddha stupa in the world. Most passers by traveling towards the South of the country stop by to make offerings to the temple. The name of the city is derived from the major rivers that flows through this city , Kalu Ganga originating in the central hills and meeting the ocean in Kalutara.
The city was formly famous for its spice trading and was also the capital city of the country for a short period of time. The city also boasts of fortification during the period of the Dutch Portuguese and British. The city is home to numerous famous Buddhist temples such as the Kalutara Bodhiya which is one of the 32 saplings from Anuradhapura which is believed to be a sacred site for the Buddhist and is located on the Galle Road. Another famous temple is the Asokaramaya temple built in the 19th century. One of the other places to visit while in the city is the Richmond Castle built for a rich governor in 1896 which is located in a fruit estate.
Nigel Walters is a travel writer, who writes under the pen name, Fritzjames Stephen. His content is based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life.