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One Day Crocodile Safari with Bentota
One Day Crocodile Safari with Bentota Sightseeing (Private Tour): Bentota, nicknamed "Golden Mile" due to its golden-colored beaches, is the most popular beach holiday destination on the island. Apart from the palm-fringed beaches, Bentota also offers wetlands, rainforests, diving sites, water sports centers, forts, historical sites, ancient temples, and many other tourist places.
Enjoy visiting all major highlights of Bentota, such as the sea turtle conservation center, Bentota beach, Mask Museum, spice garden, and moonstone mines, on this private 1-day tour from Colombo, Negombo, Bentota, and Kalutara. With round-trip private transportation from your hotel, you can sit back and enjoy the scenery on the journey.
Once there, follow a carefully curated itinerary. The first activity is a patrol on the Bentota River in search of 4 meters of crocodiles, snakes, monkeys, and birds. These creatures occur in the mangrove lagoon. The thickly grown mangrove lagoon takes the shape of a tunnel, and there is enough space for the boat to travel. Crocodiles are mostly occurring on the bank of the river while absorbing the heat of the sun.
Trip highlights
- A full-day adventure trip from Bentota
- Explore one of Sri Lanka's last remaining mangrove lagoons or forests.
- Spot many animal species, such as crocodiles, monkeys, and snakes, and monitor them on a 2-hour boat trip.
- Slowly ride in a motorboat along mangrove channels.
- Learn about traditional masks and dancing of Sri Lanka when you visit the mask museum; some of the masks are more than thousands of years old.
- Learn about spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, etc. while walking through the spice garden.
- Learn about herbal massage and indigenous healing systems, Ayurveda.
- Visit Bentota Beach.
- Visit one of the oldest Buddhist temples on the island, Kande Vihara.
- Visit the sea turtle conservation project and meet volunteers from all around the world that work relentlessly to make a better future for this endemic animal species. Witness 5 different species of endemic sea turtle species.
- Visit a moonstone mine where you can witness the traditional way of gem mining in Sri Lanka. Same times learn about precious stones found in Sri Lanka, such as blue sapphire, moonstone, topaz, etc.
- Private tour for just you and your party.
- A comprehensive tour of Bentota hits all the highlights.
- The guide provides navigation and engaging commentary.
- All round-trip transportation from your hotel.
Is this trip right for you?
- The entire trip is private (transfers and sightseeing), and only you and your associates take part in the trip.
- This compact trip packs a lot. It’s one of the shortest trips we run in our original style, perfect for those with very little time and a desire to do the most with it.
- The tour mainly revolves around Sri Lanka's west coast, where you get miles of miles of pristine beaches. You will be making frequent stops along the west coast to visit tourist places.
- Sri Lanka can get extremely hot in the summer. While we aim to do our walking tours and city tours when the heat is low (in the morning and evening), there are instances where we have to do them during midday. Remember to keep water on you and to bring a hat, sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt, and anything else that will protect you from the sun.
- Part of traveling with Serendipity respects local cultures and sensibilities. That way, you get the most out of your interactions with local people and environments. We visit a number of temples on this trip, and to enter them, you must have clothes that cover your wrists and below the knee. Please check this article to learn more about rules and regulations pertaining to Sri Lankan temples.
Trip includes
- All entrance fees and activity costs
- Entire ground transportation in an air-conditioned, private vehicle
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2-hour boat trip along the Bentota River with visits to the mangrove lagoon
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English-speaking driver/guide (please inquire about other languages)
- Visit Spice Garden
- Visit the Mask Museum.
- Visit Moonstone Mines
- Visit the sea turtle conservation center.
- Hotel pick and drop from Colombo, Bentota, Kalutara
- Highway toll
- All government taxes
Trip excludes
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Food and drinks, unless specified
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Gratuities
Cancellation policy
Cancel five days prior to arrival for a full refund.
Choose your payment method.
We offer you mainly three payment options: credit card payments, bank transfers, or payment on arrival. You can choose whatever is the most convenient payment option for you. If you opt for payment on arrival, we will collect a 25% advance payment from you as a guarantee once the booking is confirmed.
Best price guaranteed
We guarantee the best price. If you find the same tour package at a cheaper price elsewhere, we do match the price of other tour packages and furthermore add a further 10% discount to it.
No hidden fees and commissions
The price you see on the product pages is the exact same rate that you see in the final stage of the trip booking. There are no hidden fees and taxes such as GST, BTT, service charge, nation-building tax, hotel tax, etc.
Additional information
- A confirmation will be received at the time of booking.
- Not wheelchair accessible Infants must sit on laps.
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate.
Please don't hesitate to contact us at any time at admin@seerendipitytours.com for more information or changes to this trip. You can also WhatsApp us at 0094774440977.
Trip video
Itineraries
Day 1
Time : 7:00 am
COLOMBO / BENTOTA / COLOMBO
Meet and greet by Serendipity Tours representative and drive to Bentota, en route.
Stop at sea turtle conservation protect
The Kosgoda Turtle Care program aims to protect sea turtle eggs and increase hatching rates. not only do hatching but also treat disabled turtles and weak ones due to fishing. Our staff patrols the beach all night looking for mother sea turtles that come out of the ocean to lay their eggs. Release of baby turtles (in the evening) Please tip your guide if you enjoyed the tour. Additional donations to the center are warmly welcomed. Call Santha if you are in any doubt or want to experience a turtle release in the dawn.
Bentota River Safari,
Bentota River is one of the biggest rivers on the island, near the small town of "Aluthgama" along the Colombo-Galle highway. The river flows through a terrain where it creates a large number of islands, and the ecosystem creates a beautiful wetland. The hotels around provide boat rides through the canals created at a good cost. And there are loads of places to stay, dine and wine.
Bentota
Bentota Beach is the most popular beach holiday destination on the island. The unique location of Bentota Beach Resort is one important reason for its popularity as a beach holiday destination. Bentota holiday resort is located on a peninsula, and it is connected with the mainland at its southern border.
Bentota is mainly comprised of the narrow strip of land that spreads along the north-south axis. Unlike most other islands, Bentota is surrounded by both the sea and a river. One side of the island is the Bentota River, while the western side of Bentota is flanked by the Indian Ocean. Large numbers of hotels are built in this narrow strip of land, enabling the travelers to have a peaceful atmosphere during the holiday.
Spice/herbal garden
Visit a spice garden at Matale where spices and herbs used for Sri Lankan cuisine and medication are grown. Spices of Sri Lanka attracted the early seafaring merchants who made the long voyages to purchase this precious merchandise.
Buddhist temple
Kalutara is historically important due to the fact that it was one of the 32 places indicated by Arahant Mahinda Thera to the king Devananpiya Tissa in the 2nd century B.C. as a place where one of the thirty-two saplings of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura is planted, to which the King extended his patronage.
In the 16th century, this sacred site was turned into a Portuguese fort. Though no harm is supposed to have been done to the Bodhi, it was not venerated by the people during that period. It was after the planting of a Bodhi in the lower terrace of Pahala Maluwa by an Indian Prince from the Pandya country named Wickrama Pandya in 1042 A.D. that the public began to venerate and consider the site as a sacred place. This prince from India became viceroy in the Kalutara area.
After the Portuguese, the Dutch made use of the present upper terrace or the UDA Malwana area as a camp, followed by the British as well, subsequently.
During the British period, since the latter half of the 19th century, it was used as an office premise with the residence of the government agent.
After visiting Gangathilaka temple, you will be visiting the mask museum, moonstone mines, as well as Bentota Beach.
Later, return to the hotel
Doyle– :
It was a perfect one-day trip for a nature lover. The mangrove lagoon tour was exceptional, and it was like some other world with gigantic mangroves, trees and veins. It seems like nature is in its best condition. very well planned trip with a very relaxing itinerary; there are a lot of activities.
Jiha Srinath– :
Wow! What a cool experience!! From beginning to end very organized, excellent service from our guide. You get a lot for your money. The time your guides put into making you happy is incredible. Jonny, thank you for your idea and for making it happen. Last but not least, Dool!!!! Our guide!!! We loved you. Thank you. Because of you my daughter and I once again had a very memorable time.
Pendse ali– :
The service of Seerendipity is very professional. it was very easy to book the trip with Seerendioity and our guide Chamy was excellent.
Ronald– :
Gihan was fantastic! He knew just what we’d like, and we ended up trying a lot of things that we otherwise never would have ordered! Friendly, on time, and great sightseeing tour to bentota! Highly recommended!
Rayomand ali– :
Very short trip but very enjoybale with nice beaches in Sri Lanka. Very flexible program. Well planned tour with a nice and friendly guide.
Keuth– :
If you are in Bentota or in a nearby beach resort, for very little money you can get an insight into the river and some of the wildlife right on your doorstep. We saw kingfishers, a monitor sleeping in a tree, baby crocs, eagles, more than we have ever seen. You get taken right into the mangroves and it is really excellent. You see a few interesting buildings along the way too. Finally our driver hit a large tree and this caused hundreds of bats to leave and fly around. Amazing.
Ptraiocouse– :
Had an interesting Madu river safari with Bentota beach and many other interesting places. The boat ride was pleasant, Lucky an excellent guide. The mangrove beautiful. I saw only saw two baby crocodile and an Eagles . Highlight is the Cinnamon island and Kokdua where there is a very old Buddhist temple.
Nelika– :
Very good trip
krish– :
Very nice and helpful guide, always try to make our trip memorable. Nice program, ideal for a short trip from Colombo.
Melani– :
Boat tour was the main highlight and it was excellent. The boat tour in the mangrove lagoon was amazing and we never had been into a lagoon like it before. Good guide and well planned trip.
loumine peiris– :
Excellent choice for us from Bentota beach as a short break. The river safari was good, we had the chance to see many bird, crocodiles, monitors, and monkeys. However, it is sand the part of the river is dirty and people have dumped the gabage into teh river.
bestina giris– :
Great trip and enjoyed a lot.
Manish– :
We visited the river mainly for water sports.
Enjoyed Jet Ski and other water sports at the river.
People come here boat ride also.
Water sports are expensive but simple boat ride is cheap.
Korina– :
Lots of wildlife and historic places to see. Guides were great and some of the sights were stunning.
Saira– :
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.
Razoor– :
We went on a boat trip to this amazing river. Straight away the boat driver took us to some mangroves and showed us some monitor lizards and small crocodiles. They were amazing to see. While boating down the river the guide pointed out some monkeys and amazing birds. This boat trip is definitely worth going to do.
Gonzales– :
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.
Heyley– :
We’re just coming to the end of the Sri Lanka leg of our honeymoon and we’ve been staying at the Centara Ceysands Resort and Spa, located in between the river and Bentota beach. We arranged all our trips through a fantastic, highly recommended and certified tour operator “Seerendipity tours” and part of our village tour included a River Safari and ride on one of Sri Lanka’s old cart systems (a cow and carriage!). We took the River Safari at 4pm and we were on the river for at least an hour and a half (you could stay out longer if you wished but we had other arrangements). Although we didn’t see any Crocodiles, the scenery was amazing and we saw many species of bird, including Sea Eagles and fruit bats, plus Monkeys and Water Monitors. I’d highly recommend booking with Thush over some of the larger companies if you want an authentic Sri Lankan experience!
Aggie– :
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.
Pairosa– :
My Son was looking for some water sports and this was best place when many options at economical ate. He enjoyed Jet Ski and we all went for boat ride. They took us around the lake and mangroove trees which was awesome. Really nice place to enjoy. found this more cheaper then madhu River.
Grenza– :
We took this nature tour from our hotel Colombo mand it was very well organized. excellent.
Ludmila– :
Please clean up the litter and save the animals before taking tourists there. Please save our nature. Horrible problem of this country with all the plastics and rubbish in the environment. Please save our lovely country
Andreas– :
We went on a boat safari at Bentota River. It was a 2 hour wildlife tour. It was all toghether a different experience. It was an excellent experience in a private boat.
On the way we saw few Water monitor lizards in their natural habitat, Monkeys, Kingfisher etc. The path was adventurous. On the way one can also get a picture with a baby crocodile.
Kasun– :
We went on a river safari on Bentota river, organised by Bentota Travel Mart. Saw water monitors, crocodiles, huge fruit bats, monkeys and a white frog.
Dheeraj– :
We had 1 hr boating at Bentota river. Lot of mangroves, birds & water life. We saw crocodiles, water monitors, monkeys and few other species. Overall, worth exploring.
Vikram– :
Beautiful river with mangrove trees! If you visit at twilight hours/when the sun goes down you can see a flock of huge flying dogs flying over the river. Stunning!
I nearly mistook my girl friend for one at one time
Jina– :
These are some of the oldest mangrove forests I have ever seen. The trees are truly impressive, and you can also see crocodiles, langur monkeys and lots of birds. I’d strongly recommend taking the boat tour of the river. It’s worth it!
Anystan– :
The river runs in parrallel to the beach and is wide and clam. Excellant for watersport or a river trip. Quiet a lot of wild life further up river including small crocs
Kaman– :
Booked privately for a 2 hour Safari. The guide was very knowledgeable and endeavoured to seek as many creatures as possible. We managed to see a baby crocodile plus eagles, chameleons, monitor lizards etc. A very enjoyable trip
Melani– :
We had a two hour boat tour along with a dozen other boats 🙂 Not much to see actually but the place is nice and calm.
beks– :
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.
Giblio– :
I’d been on a mangrove cruise near Sigiriya already so wasn’t expecting much from this, but how wrong I was! This was a million times better! We saw loads of native animals and birds and had an excellent rower guide who somehow spotted creatures lurking in the darkest of swap areas and took us over. It was an awesome experience and extremely picturesque. It was also not crowded (I only saw one other boat out) so you got peace to see all the wildlife and not disturb it with crowds.
I highly recommend this safari river cruise.
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
Namada– :
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 .
Lemanski– :
Its unbelievable experience in srilanka. Fish spa ,boat ride, watching birds, this all in one place. I enjoyed lot.
Simson– :
We made a boat tour through the mangroves and the Bentota river, we have seen a crocodil during our tour and we ended our tour on the meditation island with a small temple – located between Bentota and Aluthgama.
Krishantha– :
After a long time spent bit of time with the nature
Jerome– :
Our guide was amazing..well planned and spaced out trip. The entire trip is very interesting. The first part of teh trip is the most interesting with boating in the estuary and temple visit.
Jeremy kuray– :
We were stuck at home for many months due to the COVID-19 restrictions and therefore we wanted to take this day trip. It was very easy to work Seerendipity and I must say they are very professional. We just had to call them and everything was planned us and informed us of the pickup time. Our guide/driver Guna showed exactly at the pick-up time and help us to have a memorable trip.
Milina Tahaat– :
First off, our tour guide Sam was fantastic and did an awesome job leading us on this nice trip. He was pleasant and a great tour guide. The trip excatly matches the description. You do encounter many animals and ride through the mangrove bay and it was an amazing experience. The slow boat trip through the mangroves was long and about 20 minutes and it was a perfect opportunity to learn about mangrove, that you would encounter rarely.
Sicilia– :
We wanted to have a short and private tour because we had 2 small kids and we did not like to spend a lot of time while travelling. The trip was perfect for us and kids also enjoyed a lot.
Yoram wikram– :
Moonstone mines, sea turtle conservation centre, boat trip and mesmerizing beaches all are very interesting, great one day trip
Clemens– :
We saw a large number of animals and birds within a short period of time. great trip
Meena Rai– :
We did a 1-week trip earlier with another tour operator and booked this crocodile safari towards the end of our Sri Lanka holiday. To be frank this one day trip is more interesting than the 1-week trip
Raymond tussel– :
Our boat driver had unnecessary haste and did not give us enough time to enjoy the boat trip. E.g he kept the boat about 5 minutes near the crocodile and started to move the boat. I think he had another appointment for a boat trip with another family, therefore, he cut short our boat trip.
Barbara Kaufmann– :
If you love nature this is the trip
Jansen– :
Very helpful company, they arranged an early pick-up and early return to Colombo on our request. We had to finish the tour early afternoon because we had to return to our cruise ship before it leaves Colombo. The local company managed everything very well and we enjoyed the trip a lot.
Reena ali– :
Very nice trip and you get the best value
Zusanna ebraham– :
We wanted to have a short break from our beach resort and have a day tour to see some interesting places. Earlier we did one day Sigiriya trip Seerendipity and they did it really well, therefore, we booked River tour with the same company. Really good service and all there tours are highly worth. Fortunately we had the same driver/Guide for both trip Almeida, he was really good.
Melissa gonzales– :
Our guide Sameer was a young but very experienced and nice guy. Very interesting trip with trees, plants and wild creatures.
Randolf– :
We learned a lot on this one day trip, especially Ruwan our guide was a very knowledgeable and helpful, very beautiful country and fantastic nature
Manfred– :
Perfect opportunity to spot many animals + birds
Lilian Ashwany– :
Probably one of the highlights of our Sri Lanka trip!
clemenski– :
We liked it, good trip but it was a bit raining
Illias Ahamad– :
We saw a green snake which was in a tree on the river bank, It was the first time I had seen a snake of that colour. We could not see it until the boat guy pointed his finger to it. They are well trained to spot all those birds, snakes, crocodiles which is hiding in the forest. It was a fantastic boat trip. We were lucky to see 2 crocodiles. Good guide and very knowledgable.
Samuel– :
Fantastic one-day trip
Mohandas gupta– :
Guys at the spice garden pushed us to buy their products.
Delinikar menor– :
Head massage was really good at the spice garden. Nice tour with a lot of wildlife.
Chan chan– :
We have doubt about the sea-turtle conservation project if it really fulfils its duty as a conservation centre. However the boat trip was very interesting and our guide was really good.
Iswaree karleph– :
The boat trip was a really important highlight for us. The mangrove tunnel is really amazing.
Riyana raynold– :
A highly recommendable short trip.
Leonardo melanski– :
Excellent private tour.
Desmond metto– :
We had time only for a short trip as got only 1-day break during the seminar and it was a nice trip to escape from busy and hectic Colombo. Our guide Saman was very good and helpful.
Lillian gillard– :
There should be more time to spend on the beach.
Chamal Raj– :
Well organized day trip with plenty of time to see trees, plants and many wild creatures. Good vehicle and friendly driver/guide.
Brendon melisa– :
The trip was good unfortunately it rained a lot during the boat tour. The roof protected us from the rain but did not see much.
pamlea anderson– :
I never have seen a crocodile so closely, once I thought it could be dangerous when the boat driver moves the boat closer to the crocodile. It was huge about 5 meters, it was a real surprise for me. Our guide was good and very friendly.
Ruban Alexander– :
Not enough time to see the beaches rest
mirla joseph– :
The trip is good but a little bit too packed, Good guide and a very good vehicle.
Imash boss– :
Great tour, the guide, Malan, was really good and I really loved that it had many interesting places. Good way to comfortably explore the natural attractions in Sri Lanka.
Jane slahamand– :
This adventure was flawless and gave me fabulous memories to share with others. It ran like a well oiled machine run by amazing, kind, respectful and terrific crew members. Would recommend to everyone!
Aneesha meenakshi– :
Best tour I’ve ever been on Sri Lanka trip. Tour guide was amazing, fun and informative. Beautiful day, with an amazing boat trip. Run smoothly.
Jihan Mynt– :
Loved it!!! What a great experience!!!!! No words can do it justice you just have to go!!!!! You will have the best experience!!!!
Rashma Faritas– :
Me, my wife and daughter went on this trip in februeary, It was an amazing experience, wondeful scenery, amazing tour guides and nice places. The total package was well planned!! Felt safe all the time, also my daughter (3 years) was well taken care of 🙂 Will deffinently go again
Julia Trokenheim– :
This tour is the highlight of our trip thanks to our guide Silva. He went above and beyond to make sure we all had an amazing time. We were never rushed and he gave us plenty of local snacks and the restaurant we went to was delicious authentic Sri Lankan food.
Giliyano lurano– :
We booked 3-day trips with Seerendipity from our beach resort in Bentota. This was my favourite tour in Sri Lanka. The boating through the mangrove channel was amazing and we were greeted by a 4 meters long crocodile. The guide was the nicest Sri Lankan local I met and we were so happy with the service and the trips elements in general.
Melina chong– :
This was absolute must one day trip for nature lovers. The mangroves bay is fantastic and travelling in boat along the mangrove channel is a marvellous experience. The trees, plants and veins of teh bay with mangroves make a natural tunnel, which is more than 100 meters long and it is very clean, however, some parts of the river are polluted due to the dumping ground.
Nelina Agarwal– :
What a day of wonderful surprises. From boating in the estuary to walking in the spice garden to watching the endangered sea turtles, an amazing lunch, in a beach restaurant. Thank you so much to Silva our driver/guide for taking us on this adventure. We would highly recommend this day of exploring the beautiful riverside beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka.
Miller reed– :
Our driver/guide Malan and Boy were brilliant, the trip was amazing and much better than expected. Malan suggested a brilliant seafood restaurant and it was amazing. Lunch was great. Every part was different but fantastic. Highly recommend this trip.
Rudolf higgins– :
This was an awesome way to pack several activities to enjoy nature, into one day. Our tour guide Silva was great and made sure we were all having a wonderful time.