Galle, Sri Lanka

• Galle is essentially a beach fort town. Do not expect more. There are well located restaurants within the fort with a beautiful sea view and authentic Sri Lankan cuisine that you should try.
• Fort is the place to explore within Galle. The lighthouse and area around it is spectacular shares during sunset with fort on one side and the infinite sea on another.
• Galle beach is another attraction although nothing compared to so many beaches in Sri Lanka. Beachside restaurants are a good option for breakfast.

Galle (pronounced Gaulle) is a seaport in southern Sri Lanka. We chose it as our base because of its equal distance from Weligama and Hikkaduwa. The fact that Unawatuna beach was a mile away was a bonus. The plan was more or less a success as we were able to easily nevigate through major beaches in southern province. However a better approach would have been to stay at Unawatuna itself, watching the sunrise and enjoying the buzz of the commercial beach.

Lighthouse, Galle Fort

We reached Galle in the afternoon as our hired car zoomed through the expressway in couple of hours from the airport. Taking a shower and a quick nap, we decided to explore the beach town right away. The main attraction is Galle Fort. Its a walled area with chic restaurants and high street shops. A tuk-tuk helped us to the lighthouse area of fort. A narrow passage goes into the sea where a small but majestic beach awaits. In the dying sun along the silhoutte of the lighthouse, with the bustling city lined little far, it was a perfect beginning to our trip.

Galle visible from beach

We sat for an hour at the beach and later at a high point near the lighthouse. From the cold winter of Delhi to the pleasant breeze of Galle, we were happy where we were watching the dark sea waves hitting on the fort wall. When we felt hungry, we went for the restaurant also facing the sea. It was our first proper meal in Sri Lanka so we decided to go for the local cuisine. It was not bad, although there was too much coconut which I dislike. The view was perfect though.

Placid sea and sun set, Galle Fort

We came back to our hotel late in the night and went for sleep as the next day was planned for an early excursion to Mirissa for whale watching. The next morning we visited the Beach of Bonavista which is the city beach good for surfing and half mile from our hotel. The morning jog we did was good but the walk to and from the beach was better. On way back we visited the local hypermart called Arpico. It was a modern shop with all that we needed.