Wadduwa Sri Lanka is a small resort village with a total area of about 35 km², located in the western part of the island. In the south, Wadduva borders on the fairly well-known resort of Kalutara – they are separated by the Kalu Ganga river, and in the north is Panadura – here the border is the river Bolgoda and Lake South-Bolgoda.
The name of this small village is associated with one of the local legends. Many Sinhals living in the area practiced medicine – they called them “veda mahaththayaa”. As a result, the village was called “veda doova”, that is, “land of doctors”.
Wadduwa is famous for its extensive plantations of palm trees. It produces toddy palm wine and vinegar, and also makes numerous products from coconut fiber: panicles, rugs, mats.
The weather is warm all year round and the air is humid.
Wadduwa Infrastructure
There are very few hotels in the village of Vadduva – only 9, but, nevertheless, there is a choice. Wealthy holidaymakers usually settle in large 5-star complexes with spas – Blue Water and Serene Pavilions. Ayurveda lovers will love the 4-star Siddhalepa Ayurveda Hotel.
The most affordable and most popular option for housing in this village is the 4-star Villa Ocean View hotel, there are several more cheaper villas and guest houses. Most hotels are located very close to the beach – a leisurely step can be reached in literally 2 minutes.
In several hotels, Wadduwa try to organize animation: live music, discos in the evenings, darts competitions, snake shows, volleyball, water aerobics. But those who saw a really cool animation, all this is unlikely to impress.
On Galle Road, the main street of Wadduwa, there are several massage “shacks” (it is difficult to name them differently). Nevertheless, massage there is done quite well and much cheaper than in hotels. One of these massage rooms is located in a two-story building opposite the Villa Ocean View hotel – although there is not a hotel atmosphere there, it is cozy and clean. On the same street in Wadduwa there are small souvenir shops where you can buy inexpensive and good tea – at the tea factory the same will cost 2 times more.
There are no large supermarkets in Wadduwa, and grocery stores sometimes turn out to be unusable. There are fruit stalls on Galle Road, although the assortment is not the widest: bananas, watermelons, coconuts …
It is better to buy fruits at the fruit market, which is located a 15-20 minute drive from Wadduwa, and you must bargain.
Wadduwa Beach
The beach here is very beautiful. But it is not snowy white at all, as they sometimes talk about it, but it is painted in yellow, red and black – it is sand and clay. The length of the beach strip is 8 km, and palm trees with emerald green leaves grow along its entire length.
But the way this beach looks to a large extent also depends on the weather in Wadduwa. In the dry season, coastal ocean waters are warm, completely clean and transparent. In the rainy season they are also warm, but they cannot be called transparent and clean. At this time, the ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka is restless, the waves are up to 1 meter high and therefore swimming is unrealistic.
That is why almost no one is on the beaches of Wadduwa this time of year – everyone is sunbathing, sitting on the sunbeds at the hotel. At this time, you can take stunning photos on a deserted wide shore, there will be no one in the frame.
See also: What to see in Galle – a guide to the city of Sri Lanka .
What should a tourist do in Wadduwa?
Travelers go to Wadduwa not only for beach vacations. Although this village is very small and there are no special entertainments on its territory, you can always find them in the larger cities of Sri Lanka. In the center of Wadduwa, there is a stop at which all buses passing through Galle Road stop – a trip to the nearest settlements will be quick and cheap, although you can use the services of a more expensive tuk-tuk.
In Wadduwa, as in almost all resorts in Sri Lanka, foreigners are impressed by nature. This island is a place for passive cognitive relaxation: vast expanses of the ocean, beautiful weather, delicious Sri Lankan cuisine , excursions.
One of the most popular “lures” in this resort is Lake Bolgoda. Rather, wetlands of 400 km², which consist of North and South lakes, connected by channels and the ocean. Bulgoda is located in Panadura – it is very close.
For tourists on the water area organize a safari. The local landscapes look especially charming in the mornings and evenings – even looking at the photos of Wadduwa, you can understand this. In the central part of the far North Lake there is a small island on which all the conditions for a picnic or a private party are created – there is a beach, tables are set under umbrellas. In shallow water, many ride catamarans, ride “buns” (ocean waves are scary for this), more athletic travelers prefer rowing.
These lands are also suitable for fishing. Here you can catch white sea bass Barramundi, mangrove snapper, spinopera (“silver knife”), tarpon, tilapia, gourami, Malabar zebrafish (malabar).
The Kalu Ganga River flows south of Wadduwa and passes through the town of Kalutara. The width of this river over almost the entire course does not exceed 250 m. In most cases, tourists spend 2-3 hours rafting, although for experienced rowers a 2-day rafting is possible with rapids of categories 4 and 5 and a waterfall 7 meters high. It is good to go rafting in clear and cloudy weather, the main thing is that there is no rain.
If you want to feel the mysterious, calm, harmonious atmosphere – this will help the Buddhist temples, of which there are up to 40 pieces. The most significant of them is the Priidarshanaramaye temple. Nearby is the village of Kalutara, which was built around the temple of Gangatilak Vihara. Nearby, another attraction is Richmond Castle, the architecture of which originally combines the architectural motifs of India and Britain.
It is worth visiting the village of fishermen Hambantota, from where they organize excursions to the national parks of the islands of Udavalava, Yalla, Bundalla.
In the city of Katagarmu, which is revered as the sacred of representatives of completely different religions (Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism), numerous pilgrims come from Sri Lanka itself , as well as from other countries.
In the northern part of the settlement, the Buddhist temple of the Dagob Kiri Vihara, the Muslim sanctuary Masjid-ul-Khizr and the Hindu temple of Katirkamam peacefully coexist. You can also go to the neighboring fishing town of Beruwela to visit the local temple and port, as well as buy the freshest seafood at the local fish market.
Climatic conditions
The weather in Wadduwa in Sri Lanka is always warm: regardless of the season, the thermometer does not fall below +25 ° C. And although in the mountains you can observe temperature differences during the day, on the shores of the ocean is always warm and the sun shines.
The water temperature in Wadduwa, as well as on the entire south-west coast of Sri Lanka, is around +26 ° C at any time of the year.
There is not much difference in the months, the only significant factor is the rainy season, when there are heavy rains with thunderstorms, and humidity reaches 100%.
Wadduwa Sri Lanka is best for visiting from October to April. At this time, it rains rarely, the ocean is calm.
