close at hand
village life
The villages of rural Sri Lanka have changed little with time and most of the communities lead a simple and traditional life. While the main road from Galle to Colombo can be noisy and busy, only minutes away from the traffic, the landscape unfolds to reveal beautiful tropical sights of rice paddies and coconut islands as far as the eye can see. Time seems to slow and stand still.
temples
There are many wonderful temples here on this blessed island. Twenty minutes' drive from the Fort are Yatagala and Rhummasala. At the top of the 120 steps, the 1,200 year old Yatagala Temple is one of the oldest in the region, and is set in a beautiful valley of rice paddies and jungle hills. One of the most serene spots on the island, Yatagala is a rock temple with a beautiful image room, a 1,000 year old Bo tree and a wonderful meditation cave. Rhummasala is a brand new temple, built by the Japanese on the magical headland across the bay from the Fort. The location has breathtaking views back to Galle and the stupa is one of beautiful Zen simplicity on a huge scale. Visitors should remove their shoes before entering the temples. On a poya day (full moon) visitors can join the locals in their puja, offerings of fresh flower blooms and incense, in the late afternoon.
tea
Sri Lanka is renowned for its tea, and within 10 minutes from Galle is the start of the low-lying tea country. There are various tea plantations carpeting the rolling hills through which visitors may wander before viewing the working factories, several still utilizing ancient machinery. Teams of smiling Tamil women work through the process of drying and producing the tea. The ideal way to conclude the visit is to enjoy a cup of tea from the plantation.