Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. known as Ceylon before 1972 is an island nation in South Asia, located about 31 kilometers (18½ mi) off the southern coast of India. Originally known as Heladiva, it is home to around twenty million people.

Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia and has been a centre of Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times. Today, Sri Lanka is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation, with a fifth of the population following faiths other than Buddhism – notably Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population (around 78%), with Tamils, who are mostly concentrated in the north and east of the island, forming the largest ethnic minority. Other communities include the Muslim Moors and Malays as well as Burghers. English is widely spoken and is studied as a compulsory secondary language in school.

Island has a pleasant tropical climate and average temperature of the low lands ranges between 25-30 degrees Celsius. Famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, rubber and coconuts, Sri Lanka boasts a progressive and modern industrial economy. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage make it a world famous tourist destination.

Sri Lanka's Per Capita GDP is presently US$ 900 – the highest in South Asia and the Literacy rate is 92% – the highest in South Asia and second highest in Asia. According to the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) Forecast 1998, Sri Lanka's Business Environment ranks 11th in the region, and 42nd in the world, ahead of India, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan.

After over two thousand years of rule by local kingdoms, parts of Sri Lanka were colonized by Portugal and the Netherlands beginning in the 16th century, before the control of the entire country was ceded to the British Empire in 1815. During World War II Sri Lanka served as an important base for Allied forces in the fight against the Japanese Empire. A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century, with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948. Since then Sri Lanka has enjoyed a stable democracy and continuous economic progress, despite the ongoing conflict between the Sri Lankan government and a separatist militant group known as the Tamil Tigers in the northeastern parts of the country.

City of Weligama

Located in south cost of sri lank a term weligama literally means” sandy village ’witch refers to the areas sandy sweep bay. Tourism & fishing are two main businesses in weligama; it’s situated at a distance of 144kmsFrom Colombo.

Weligama is a popular tourist destination for surfing and hosts several hotels. It is most famous for its distinct stilt fisherman; weligama major religions are Buddhist, Islamic, Christianity and Hinduism…. There are many historical places and tourist attraction within weligama.

Things to Do in Weligama

• Surfing
• Kite Surfing
• Boat Riding
• Diving
• Snorkeling
• Fishing
• Yoga

Things to See in Weligama

• Agrabodhi temple
• Laper King Statue
• Whale and Dolphin Watching
• Lace Weaving
• Gem & Jeweler Factory
• Turtle Farm
• Snake Farm
• Bathik Factory
• Handicraft & Mask Factory
• Herbal Gardens
• Tea Factory
• Natural Silk Factory
• Stilt fishermen Weligama

Reaching Weligama

Weligama can be reached by main A2 Colombo-Galle-Matara motor way as well as by Colombo-Matara southern Express way & Railway line.

Weligama Town

Weligama bus station is in the center of the town of Weligama, one block inland from the bay. Weligama railway station is another block inland from the bus station. Directly opposite the railway station is the small post office of the town. Close to the post office are banks.

Weligama Beach

Weligama is a popular tourist destination for surfing and world famous sandy beach. The name Weligama itself, in Sinhala, means `Sandy Village' which is a direct reference to the sandy bay beach. The loveliest stretch of the bay beach is round the island of Taprobane. Most often dozens of traditional colorful outrigger boats are seen pulled up following the night fishing expeditions.

Weligama Countryside

From Weligama beacha walk in the countryside reveals the tropical beauty of the southern villages of Sri Lanka: the river that run through the forest, coconut plantations and rubber plantations bring in vivid landscape; the rice fields lead to the Buddhist temple.

Stilt fishermen Weligama

Weligama beach is famous for its stilt fishermen. In chest-deep water on the beach, just few meters off-shore, are the stilt fishermen perched on a cross bar- one on one- of a single pole planted into the sea-bed. These fishermen, the poorest of the poor, spend hours with their lines cast out to the sea to catch small fish.

Taprobane Island - Weligama

The most enchanting feature of the bay beach is the small island called Taprobane, just 200 meters off the shore at Weligama. Peeping through the lush tropical greenery of the rocky island is red-tiled roof of the exquisite white villa built on the centermost elevation. The villa was built by exiled French Count de Maunay, who owned the island in the 1930s. During the 30 years that Count de Mauny made Taprobane his home playing host to Kings, Statesmen, Aristocrats, Governors and Magnates.

The villa and its gardens with the tropical beauty therein enraptured all the distinguished guests of the Count. Today the whole island and the villa that consists of 5 suites and infinity swimming pool, managed by a staff of five members are available for holiday makers.

Weligama Lace Weaving

Along the beach road are the verandas of the houses where the ladies can be seen busy at turning out exquisite products of crochet and tatting lace: blouses, table clothes, table mats etc. Introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century Lace making has remained a traditional handicraft of in the coastal stretch of Weligama. The trade of making lace flourishes herein at Weligama during the main tourist season of October to March.

Snake Farm - Weligama

14km from Weligama on the Akuressa Road is the popular Snake Farm, which has fifteen kinds of snakes. Among the snakes are enormous pythons. The visitors are allowed to handle snakes.

Agrabodhi Temple at Weligama

The Agrabodhi Viharaya located about 1 Km from Weligama rest house towards inland is an ancient temple established in the 3 century BC. Agrabodhi Viharaya is a reconstruction of an ancient Buddhist temple built in the third century and destroyed by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. The Sinhalese literary works of the 13th and 14th centuries had narrated on Agrabodhi Viharaya Buddhist Temple establishing the importance of it.

Leper King Statue

At the western end of the town, near the railway track, stands a 3meter high rock carved statue of a regal figure. It was believed to be a statue of a king whose identity hasn’t been established today.

According to the legged, tha statue depicts an eight or ninth century provincial ruler who had revered from leprosy by drinking coconut milk for three months. The other belief is the statue depicts the Mahayana Bodhisahva, possibly Avalokitesvara. The carvings of mediating Buddha’s in the tiara of the statue lend credence to the belief concerning the Bodhisatva.

Mirissa

Mirissa and its breathtaking sandy beach pretty much transforms your dreams and visions of a tropical paradise into an everyday reality.

Located close to the Southern tip of the Island of Sri Lanka and only about 200 km from the Equator, this secluded crescent shaped beach is the perfect place to sit back, relax and forget about all the hussle and bussle of your other life that’s a million miles away.

This small sandy tropical beach boasts some of Sri Lanka’s best and most stunning sunsets and sunrises All the Guest Houses in Mirissa are set back from the actual beach giving you the impression that you are on a deserted palm fringed island. Every now and again the silence is broken by the sound of a coconut falling on the sand or a chilled beer being opened by someone further up the beach

Midigama

This is Sri Lanka’s surfers’ paradise, known for its powerful left break. For the best surfing in Ahangama, head straight out from Kabalana Beach Hotel; in Midigama, look for the breaks near the 139km marker. The whole area is popular with surfers as it’s cheap to stay here and the breaks are never crowded. But apart from surfing, the area doesn’t have wide appeal; the beaches can be pretty thin and there’s no real concentration of places that appeal to travellers.

Unawatuna

Unawatuna is a coastal town in Galle district of Sri Lanka. Unawatuna is a major tourist attraction in Sri Lanka and famous for its beautiful beach and corals. It is a suburb of Galle, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southeast to the city center and approximately 108 kilometres (67 mi) south of Colombo. Unawatuna is situated at an elevation of 5 metres (16 ft) above the sea level.

City of Galle

Gallle (Sinhala: ගාල්ල;Tamil: காலி) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the administrative capital of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the district capital of Galle District. Galle is the fourth largest city in Sri Lanka after the capital Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna.

Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali[1]) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, during the Dutch colonial period. Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by the Portuguese in South and Southeast Asia, showing the interaction between Portuguese architectural styles and native traditions. The city was extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and is the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers.

Other prominent landmarks in Galle include the city's natural harbor, the National Maritime Museum, St. Mary's Cathedral founded by Jesuit priests, one of the main Shiva temples on the island, and Amangalla the historic luxury hotel. On 26 December 2004 the city was devastated by the massive Tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that occurred a thousand miles away, off the coast of Indonesia. Thousands were killed in the city alone. Galle is home to a cricket ground, the Galle International Stadium which is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world.[2] The ground which was severely damaged by the tsunami, was rebuilt and test matches resumed there on December 18, 2007.

Important natural geographical features in Galle include Rumassala in Unawatuna, a large mound-like hill, which forms the eastern protective barrier to the Galle harbour. Local tradition associates this hill with some events of Ramayana, one of the great Hindu epics. The major river in the area is the Gin River (Gin Ganga), which begins from Gongala Kanda and passes villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada and Wakwella, reaches the sea at Ginthota. The river is bridged at Wakwella by the Wakwella Bridge.