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Madu River safari
The boat tour starts near the bridge of Balapitiya. In the beginning, you will see some hotels on the shore one after another. As you go in, the mangrove forest becomes denser and denser. Only occasionally will you encounter a floating store selling some drinks and small fish massages.
Further inside, the scene will gradually become strange. The developed root system of the mangrove forests is exposed in the air due to the lowering of the water level, as the tree monsters in the western magical world, and also like countless huge broomsticks. Stand up.
There is a good chance of spotting crocodiles in the Madu River. The huge crocodile lurks on the water surface of the low branches on the shore of the wetland, motionless, like the best-experienced hunter, waiting for the best moment to attack. And on the hidden boat in the forest, there are old people with baby crocodiles to entertain guests. The baby crocodiles who are just born are lazy without any aggressiveness and are super cute.
The boat tour includes a visit to the cinnamon island, where you witness a cinnamon garden with a family-run business to produce cinnamon. Stop at Kokduwa, where there is an ancient temple, isolated on a small island. Optional fish massage is also available for interested travelers.
Highlights
- Boating through the thickly grown and gloomy mangrove lagoon
- Witness a large number of wild animals in their natural habitat.
- See dozens of bird species such as kingfisher, eagle, cormorant, babbler, etc.
Inclusions
- Modern motorboat and driver
- The assistance of an experienced boater
- All taxes
Exclusions
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities Fish massage
Bresma– :
The boat ride lasted for around two hours, during which time we saw water molitors, crocodiles, monkeys, peacocks, and a snail that had died. It was a relaxing experience thanks to the tour guide, who knew where to go to observe the animals when they were there. Be careful not to get too close to the garbage that is scattered all over the space between the mangrove trees.
Clemanski– :
Went on a boat trip on Bentota river surrounding area and it was quite boring.
During the 1 hour trip, we saw a few aligators, a monitor lizard, the mangroves and alot of garbage!
The river is quite dirty (plastic bags, bottles, tyres and other house hold rubbish eg cosmetic bottles floating around) and unless you just want a boat ride or haven’t seen mangroves anywhere else, its best to skip this one.
Jakson– :
This is an excellent tour. Gihan and his crew were so nice and informative. Even though we went during covid times, it was still great. There were less tourists.
Anduras– :
We booked this trip from our beach hotel in Bentota and it was very convene it visit it. Very nice nature tour with opportunity to see lot of Faun and Flora.
Anton– :
This had been one of the best day trips we took in Sri Lanka. Bentota beach, sea turtles, and most importantly the river cruise. The river cruise in Bentota was very unusual. I have been on many river cruises before & i was expecting the usual routine. But this cruise turned out to be very different. First the cruise started off from the jetty towards the sea, it was nice & regular as usual, then the boat took u turn and then turned into another direction where things became totally different. We entered an Amazon like ecosystem with huge water monitors and crocodiles! Yes we saw 2 huge estuarine crocodiles. We had to duck under mangrove trees & branches to move up the river. Enroute we visited a herbal & spice garden. All in all two hours spent in the cruise were simply fantastic. I have not been to Brazil & Amazon, i got a small glimpse of what can be a riverine mangrove forest. Excellent trip.
Bening– :
We took a boat trip for about an hour to see water molitors, crocodiles, monkeys, peacocks and a dead snail. The tour guide new where to go to see the animals and made it a relaxed experience… Just don’t look too close to the garbage everywhere between the mangrove trees.
Ilham– :
One of the most interesting trips we had in Sri Lanka. We took many short trips from our hotel in Colombo and we combined the madu river boat trip with our Mirissa trip. It was a nice combination on a day trip. The vegetation is amazing and it is like being to a different world.
remoula– :
We were in Sri Lanka on a short trip. Therefore, we were looking for a short trip. It was the perfect program for our short stay in this beautiful country. Boat tour was fascinating and we were able to spot a large number of trees plants, mangroves, birds and animals.
pndelton– :
We had a boat tour for two hours with Seerendipity. Our guide was very kind and gave us a lot of interesting informations along the way. Unfortunately we didn’t see crocodiles but some warans, snakes, a lot of birds and more. It was a really pleasant trip.
Majorie– :
We booked this day trio from our hotel in bentota. The booking was very simple and they picked up us exactly at the time they told us. The tour was on a private small boat, really great time on this beautiful river. Saw so much animals and different plants. Dont miss it but if you have the chance go with a person that grew up close to the river
Ingrid– :
We had excellent experience in bentota river safari with Bentota boat safari guys. We saw many birds, baby crocodile and beautiful mangrove lagoon. lagoon was wonderful place for relax 🙏. We highly reccommend them to anyone .