River safari in Sri Lanka - Madu Ganga River

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We have now tried a river safari in Sri Lanka, in the Madu Ganga River, which turned out to be an unexpectedly exciting trip with everything from monitor lizards to fish spas. We also visited a sanctuary and 'hospital' for sea turtles.

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River safari in Sri Lanka

After the visit to the charming city bile it was time for us to slowly make our way back to Colombo, to fly home in a few days. On the way, we had set our sights on a river safari stop in the Madu Ganga River. The trip started near Balapitiya on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka, a little south of the Bentota River. Here we paid about 300 SEK per person for a one and a half hour trip with motorboat and guide.

The Madu Ganga River connects the sea with Lake Maduganga, making the water here brackish. It is full of mangroves, and we glided the boat through dense mangrove swamps.

As the river slipped into the larger lake, we saw long bamboo fences in the water, which according to our guide were used to hold shrimp. We also saw several floating kiosks, and a Buddhist temple with a Buddha statue in front.

Animals at Madu Ganga River

The guide was very good at spotting different animals during the trip. We saw many different birds, such as eagles and cormorants, and some other birds that we can't name.

We also saw two water monitors, and a shimmering green jellyfish. According to the guide, the jellyfish is only present in the river during one month of the year, and according to him it is not really known why it is that way.

Fish spa in the lake

After a while we made a stop and then it was time for ... fish spa! In small pools in the water there were lots of so-called "massage fish". Here we were asked to put our feet down if we wanted to "feed" the fish, and at the same time get some foot treatment. The fish were hungry, we can say!

Sea turtles

After our river safari in Sri Lanka, we continued just a little bit north by car, to get to Ahungalla Sea Turtles. It works to breed the endangered sea turtles and then, when they are big enough, release them into the wild.

Adult turtles that have been injured, for example by getting caught in fishing nets, are also cared for and treated. If possible, they are also released into the wild whenever possible.

It's sad that turtles have such a hard time surviving, so it's good to give them some help. And aren't the little turtles cute? We weren't allowed to touch the smallest ones because their shells hadn't quite closed yet, but we could hold the slightly larger ones.

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