Ninety days: the whole island
Negombo → Kalpitiya → Wilpattu → Anuradhapura → Jaffna → and 31 more
South coast
Thalpe and Koggala
A quieter strip of villas and natural rock pools just east of Galle, with stilt fishermen, a lagoon of islands and a writer's house museum at Koggala.
- Time to spend
- 2 to 3 nights
- Best months
- December to April.
- Getting around
- Tuk-tuks. Galle Fort is 15 to 20 minutes away.
- Good to know
- Swim only in sheltered pools or where hotels mark it safe; the reef and currents make much of this coast unsuitable for swimming.
Thalpe is a short drive east of Galle along a coast of reefs and flat rocks. At low tide, natural pools form in the rock shelf, and the beach is mostly lined with villas and small hotels rather than a busy strip.
A little further on, Koggala has a long beach and the best-known spot for stilt fishermen, who perch on poles in the shallows. Many now pose for photos for a fee, so do not expect to see real fishing at midday.
Inland is Koggala Lake, a lagoon of mangroves and small islands, and the house of the writer Martin Wickramasinghe, now a museum of village life.
What to see and do
Natural pools cut into the flat rock shelf along the shore, best for a dip at low tide on a calm day.
The traditional stilt fishing poles in the shallows at Koggala. Real fishing happens at dawn and dusk; at other times the fishermen often pose for a fee.
Expect to be asked for a tip if you photograph or climb a pole.
A boat ride around the mangrove islands of Koggala Lake, with stops at a temple island and a cinnamon garden.
Per boat or per person, depending on the operator.
The childhood home of one of the best-loved Sinhala writers, with a museum of village crafts, tools and customs in the garden.
A small entry fee is charged.
Also consider
Nearby places to stay
- GalleAbout 15 min by carPlan with both
- AhangamaAbout 15 min by carPlan with both
- UnawatunaAbout 15 min by carPlan with both
- WeligamaAbout 30 min by carPlan with both
- MirissaAbout 45 min by carPlan with both
- HikkaduwaAbout 45 min by carPlan with both
Photos
Ready-made trips that include Thalpe
Use one as it is or open it in the planner and make it yours.
Ninety days of wellness and slow travel
Negombo → Bentota → Kandy → Knuckles Range → Nuwara Eliya → and 12 more
