If you read reviews about the resort of Unawatuna (Sri Lanka), you will surely have a desire to visit this paradise, an exotic corner. It is difficult to say what attracts vacationers, perhaps, the powerful waves of the ocean, the color of narrow streets or the magical jungle. In a word, if you need a good rest, Unawatuna is waiting for you.
general information
The town is small and quiet, located in the southwest of Sri Lanka, 150 km from the main airport and only 5 km from the administrative center of Galle . The settlement is located on a small plot of land that extends into the ocean, surrounded by reefs and the unique, natural zone of Rumassala.
Unawatuna does not know what vanity is, everything is calm and measured here. Infrastructure is considered one of the most developed in Sri Lanka.
The resort is a family holiday thanks to the magnificent sandy beach, which is located in the middle of the jungle, framed by palm trees and gardens. Here people relax, get acquainted with the culture of yoga and Ayurveda. Many come here just to live away from civilization.
How to get to the city from Colombo
There are several ways to get to Unawatuna, each of them is attractive in its own way, as it introduces the nature and color of Sri Lanka.
The main airport of Bandaranaike is 160 km in the city of Colombo. From here you can reach the picturesque resort:
- by train;
- by public transport – by bus;
- in a rented car;
- by taxi.
Bus number 187 runs from the airport to the train station. Any train coming to Matara will do. In this direction, at least 7 trains leave daily, following all villages located on the coast.
Passengers are offered tickets in three classes. Classes 2 and 3 are chosen only by the desperate and most courageous, since traveling in such conditions is unlikely to be a pleasure. The cost of tickets to class 1 – the carriage of Rajadhani – almost $ 7. The car has air conditioning, there is Wi-Fi, clean and comfortable seats.
Children under 12 years old get a 50% discount, and kids under 3 years old travel free. The journey takes 3.5 hours. The beach from the station is 2 km away, you can get on a tuk-tuk or walk. Renting a tuk-tuk will cost several times cheaper if you walk literally 200 m to Matara Road (A2 highway).
Prices and schedules are subject to change, check the relevance of the information on the official website www.railway.gov.lk.
After tuk-tuk, the bus is the most popular form of transport in Sri Lanka. From the airport to the bus station can be the same bus number 187.
Unawatuna is followed by all flights to Matara. Be sure to inform the driver that you are going to Unawatuna. Benefits of traveling by bus:
- cheap;
- conveniently;
- available;
- You can consider the beauty of nature.
There are two types of buses from the bus station:
- regular – a ticket costs about $ 3, the journey takes 3 hours;
- express – ticket costs $ 6-7, the journey takes 2.5 hours.
Bus stop on Matara Road, here you can rent a tuk-tuk or take a walk.
The method is undoubtedly comfortable, but not the most affordable, since renting a car will cost a considerable amount. In any case, if you want to travel by car, take care of transport in advance.
It is most convenient to order a transfer from the hotel where you will be staying. The cost of the trip is an average of $ 65-80. The road from the airport will take about 3 hours.
Depending on which route you choose, the time spent on the journey depends. The route takes from 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes.
The express track is the fastest, but you will have to pay for the fare. In this case, it’s better to pay and enjoy the trip than to drive along an overloaded free highway. Payment – about $ 2.
Free tracks are Galle Main Road and Matara Road Matara Road. Here regularly follow buses that need to be passed, stopping and snuggling to the side of the road.
It is important! From other cities in Sri Lanka, you also need to follow through Colombo.
Weather and climate. When to go to Unawatuna
In Sri Lanka, there are two seasons, the main criteria:
- wave height;
- humidity level;
- amount of precipitation.
Summer lasts from March to July, and the time from August to February, locals call winter.
This is not the best time to travel southwest Sri Lanka. High humidity, turbid water, the raging ocean, torrential rains will deprive the rest of special impressions and exotics.
The advantage is low housing prices.
At this time in Sri Lanka, everything blooms and smells fragrant, at night on all beaches it is noisy and fun. The ocean is calm, so in the fall in Unawatuna there are many couples with children. Heat is easier to tolerate due to lower air humidity.
The disadvantage is housing prices increase several times.
Spring is the beginning of the low season, there are few tourists, the beaches of Unawatuna are free, the streets are quiet and calm. The ocean is calm enough, but storms and thunderstorms are a frequent occurrence.
This is the best time for a secluded, relaxing holiday.
Winter is a high season, you need to book accommodation in advance, since there are practically no empty seats. At this time in Sri Lanka, the ideal weather for swimming, it is in the winter that families with children come here.
Read also: Rest in Wadduwa – what can you count on?
Transport in Unawatuna
Given the width of the streets in the settlement, the only transport that can drive here is tuk-tuk. An original cart without doors will take you anywhere in the city. The cost of the trip is negotiable.
Buses run regularly on the main road with a break of 5-10 minutes.
It is important! An alternative way of transportation is a motobike, rent will cost $ 10, refueling costs a little less than $ 1 per 1 liter.
Beaches in Unawatuna
Long Beach in Unawatuna in Sri Lanka is recognized as the most visited and beautiful. It is located 160 km from the airport and 130 km from the administrative center of Colombo.
The beach is small, especially cozy, but there are many vacationers here. The recreation area is located in a natural bay, protected from powerful waves of the ocean by a reef, on the coast grow jungle. That is why there are almost never waves near the shore; they remain beyond the reef line. Families with children often come here, you can go snorkelling.
Children more like the western part of the beach, here the descent into the water is more gentle, the bottom is shallow, the strip of sand is wide.
On the eastern part of the beach there are bald spots – places where sand is completely washed away by the ocean, these areas are covered with stones.
Near the beach you can find many hotels with different price levels, as well as small family hotels. There are no large hotels, so tourists who travel on their own, and not through a travel company, come to this part of Sri Lanka.
Within walking distance from the recreation area, cafes and taverns, a variety of dishes are served here. In the evening, the coast looks like a large restaurant, all establishments set tables on soft, warm sand and light torches. The atmosphere is incredible – dinner to the sound of the ocean you will never forget. Be sure to bring a camera with you, because the photos of Unawatuna Beach without exaggeration will turn out to be bright and unusual.
A quarter hour walk from the main beach is another no less picturesque beach – Jungle Beach. If you order a drink or food in one of the cafes or restaurants, sun loungers are provided for free.
A few kilometers from Unawatuna – in the village of Katugoda – is Bonavista Beach. The recreation area is also sheltered by a reef-protected bay.
Another Unawatuna beach (Sri Lanka) is located a few kilometers from the city. A significant drawback of the beach is located along the road.
sights
Around the world erected 80 amazing houses, they were built by the Japanese as gifts to different countries. In Unawatuna, a multi-tiered house is built on a hillside, there is a feeling that the structure grows directly from the jungle. Near the pagoda offers a magnificent view of the town and its surroundings. A temple was built near the pagoda; everyone can visit it.
The pagoda is a quarter hour walk from the main beach, easy to reach, just follow the signs on foot or by car along Matara Road and along Rumassala road. Near the pagoda there is parking. The entrance is free.
Located just a hundred meters from the Japanese Pagoda. The attraction is not very popular and visited, in the guidebooks you will not find it. The monastery has several statues of Buddha, unique murals and paintings. There is a special silence. If you are lucky enough to come to the temple during a meal, the monks will hospitably invite you to share food with them.
You can get on foot from Unawatuna, the trip takes 25 minutes. A small, asphalt path leads from the pagoda to the temple. Move towards the beach, after 100 meters turn left. Entrance to the monastery is free.
If you stroll along the coast of the beach in a southerly direction, you will find yourself in front of a cape on which a hill rises. A temple was built here, it cannot be ranked as a special architectural monument, but you should visit it for the beautiful view that opens from the top. If you want to visit the temple, remove your shoes first and, of course, take your clothes with you, since women are not allowed to enter inside the swimsuit. The entrance is free.
Rainforest located near the city. Sri Lanka has national nature parks, but visiting the rainforest is an exciting event. For a walk you do not need a guide or special transport – just walk and enjoy nature. You can get into the forest on foot – follow from the city center towards the beach, and the path will lead to one of the most fascinating places in Sri Lanka. The forest continues beyond the line of the beach.
Be careful and do not go beyond the fence, because the houses and lands of residents are built in the forest. Thickets of mango grow near the water itself.
Read a detailed description of other national parks with photos in this article .
The bench is located at 266 Matara Road. The prices here are, of course, high, so many tourists come here as a museum of antiques.
Moving east along the coast, you will be taken to a farm where turtles are kept. Animals swim in huge pools, a guide accompanies tourists on the territory, telling about all kinds of turtles. The story is in English. Even if you arrived at the farm on your own, and not as part of an excursion group, you will also have to listen to a detailed guide story. Vacationers are offered to let out small turtles in the sea, they show the laying of tortoise eggs and, of course, you can take a picture with a turtle.
- Entrance to the farm costs about $ 7.
- You can visit turtles daily from 8-00 to 18-30.
It is most convenient to get on a tuk-tuk, but you can get on a bus or rent a car. If you want to use public transport, take the bus to Matara, it will take you to the small village of Khabaraduva, there is a farm here. Be sure to warn the driver to tell you where to get out. Distance from Unawatuna 7 km. You will not go past the farm – you will see a large sign.
Just a few tens of kilometers from Unawatuna is a small rain forest. This is not a very popular place among tourists, but from this the forest does not become less attractive and bewitching. There are not so many exotic animals and birds as in national parks, but there are a lot of plants and they are all bright and unusual. Be sure to bring a swimsuit with you, because there is a swimming pool in the forest filled with the purest water from the stream.
Entrance to the forest is free, you can come here around the clock. It is most convenient to rent a tuk-tuk or a car. The road takes half an hour (approximately 20 km).
Mobile and Internet
Given that the town is located on an island with unlimited Internet access, it is difficult here. Mobile Internet is not inferior to the quality of services in Vietnam.
It is important! The best companies are Mobitel, Dialog, Airtel, Etisalat, Hutch.
Mobitel, Dialog cards are sold in almost all stores, SIM cards of other operators are difficult to find. It’s easier to get a SIM card directly at the airport, you can pick up a complete travel package that provides Internet traffic and a certain time for calls abroad at reduced rates. Immediately after the purchase, check whether there really is money in the account.
It is important! Some SIM cards have a limited duration of 1 month. After that, you need to go into the mobile phone salon and activate the card again. The cost of a SIM card varies from 150 to 600 rupees. For a card at the airport with a full package for a tourist you will have to pay almost 1800 rupees.
How to choose a connection in Unawatuna (Sri Lanka) is an urgent issue for those who are going on vacation, because communication with relatives and friends needs to be maintained. The Mobitel operator offers the lowest rates for calls abroad, and Hutch has the most expensive rates.
As for Internet tariffs, all operators offer different tariffs, and traffic is most often divided into daytime and nighttime. Hutch offers the lowest rates – a little over 40 LKR per 1 GB.
It is important! To connect to the Internet, you must create an APN access point.
Prices on the page are for April 2018.
You can deposit money into your account in three ways:
- visit a mobile phone salon;
- buy a card in any store – instructions are written on the back of the card;
- online on the website of the respective operator.
The optimal mobile Internet operator Mobitel, almost no complaints. As for the Dialog provider, during the day the Internet speed is quite comfortable, but in the evenings it catastrophically drops. Yes, and Dialog’s services are the most expensive. The Hutch mobile provider is pretty stable, but finding a card is very difficult.
Unawatuna (Sri Lanka) – a unique place where everyone will find for themselves exactly what they expect from the rest. The resort is beautiful at any time of the year.
Video: An overview of Unawatuna resort and its beaches.
