This tour pairs two stops on Sri Lanka's south-west coast: a turtle hatchery at Kosgoda and a motorboat safari on the Madu River, the Madu Ganga. It starts from Kosgoda with an experienced driver, who collects you from anywhere within a 5 km radius of the town and brings you back at the end.
The first stop is the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery. The beaches around Kosgoda are a nesting ground for sea turtles, and the hatchery collects eggs and buries them in protected sand pits until they hatch. You see the young turtles in their tanks, hear how the hatchery works, and may have the chance to take part in a turtle release.
Next comes the Madu River, a coastal wetland that flows out to the sea at Balapitiya and was listed as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2003. The motorboat safari lasts about an hour and a half, weaving between small mangrove-covered islands and through narrow tunnels where the mangrove roots and branches close in overhead. Along the way the boat stops at Kothduwa Purana Raja Maha Viharaya, a Buddhist temple on its own island, and at Sathapaha Duwa, a tiny island with a shrine dedicated to Kataragama.
Other stops take in the Ja Kotu prawn-fishing kraals, the mangrove caves at Kadolana and Cinnamon Island, where islanders produce peeled cinnamon. You also see a Sekkuwa, the traditional press used to extract coconut oil, watch artisans crafting traditional Sri Lankan masks, and can dip your feet at a stop where small fish nibble at them.
The tour includes the driver, pick-up and drop-off within the radius around Kosgoda, drinking water, and all taxes and service charges. Food, drinks and gratuities are not included.
