Most Popular Activities

The most important thing is not to do anything but to relax. Polhena beach is one of the safest an amazing beaches in the country. The breathtaking sea beach with golden sands will inspire you. A Coral barrier reef offers us with fantastic all year long snorkeling and diving on the warm and secure southern shore of Sri Lanka. You can enjoy fishing just in our front yard, while sipping a Sri Lankan beer or fresh coconut water. When snorkeling in the shallow water in front of the resort, very often you will come across a turtles throughout the year. We have a collection of books about, history of Sri Lanka, Buddhism, Eastern philosophy as well as contemporary reading.

Yoga classes to be organized in due course. The hotel will provide complimentary bicycle to explore the Matara city and village life style. On a market day, you will find fresh fruits of all varieties, our guests are most impressed by the many varieties of banana which you do not find in most parts of the world. Bird watching at "Kirala Kale" is only a 30 min bicycle ride away. Crocodile watching on the banks of magnificent river Nilwala in our experience you will not be disappointed. Whale watching tours can be organized.

Nupe Old Dutch Market

The building at Nupe is an early Dutch building and a prominent landmark in Matara. It was constructed to be used as a market. At present, it is used as a training centre for artists engaged in performing arts and is administered by the Cultural Centre of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage.

Dutch Reformed Church

The oldest building within the fort is the Dutch Reformatory church, which is situated near the entrance. It was built by the Dutch in 1706., the date however etched above the entrance, 1767, refers to the reconstruction of the church by the Dutch following the Matara Freedom Fight. The door and window panels are made of heavy wood while the walls now show signs of crumbling as the proper mixture to rebuild them could not be found within Sri Lanka. Inside are gravestones on the floor dating back to 1686, of significant community members and beneficiaries of their time. There is an evidence of greater antiquity in the gravestones, which paves the floor of the church. The oldest of the gravestones is of Barbara Jongeling, the wife of Lambert Lambertijn, the medical officer of the station in 1686.

Matara Star Fort

The 18th century star fort was named "Redoute (Fort) van Eck" after Lubbert Jan Baron van Eck , the Dutch governor at the time. The decorated gate bears a date of 1763, the fort's name, the Dutch coat of arms, and - within its lunette-shaped pediment - the insignia of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). A chain-operated drawbridge crosses the fort's moat. It was built by the Dutch in 1706., the date however etched above the entrance, 1767, refers to the reconstruction of the church by the Dutch following the Matara Freedom Fight.

Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Weligama)

The 3m (10ft) tall Bodhisattva is sculpted in bas-relief within a hillside niche. Avalokiteshvara is identified by his typical iconography and details of costume, including the seated Buddha in his crown. Signage dates the figure to the 6th century AD; other proposed dates have run as late as the 8th-9th centuries. Weligama is only 6 Km away from the Culture Resort.

Whale Watching

The sea between Matara (Dondra) and Galle is guaranteed to be the easiest places to watch whales, a top spot to watch blue whales and sperm whales.

Surfing

Southern Sri Lankan beach is famous for surfing, you can hire surfing gear and there are surfing class and camps along the southern beach. There are no incidents of shark attacks and shark have not been sighted anywhere in southern beach.

Dondra Head Light House

Dondra is the southernmost point of Sri Lanka. Dondra Head lighthouse is a lighthouse located on Dondra Head near the southernmost point of Sri Lanka. This is the tallest lighthouse in Sri Lanka and also one of the tallest in Southeast Asia. The lighthouse is near the village of Dondra, and is approximately 6 km from the Hotel . The name Dondra is a synonym for "Devinuwara" in the local Sinhala language, "Devi" meaning "Gods" and "Nuwara" meaning "City". Dondra is therefore derived to mean "City of the Gods".

Sir James Nicholas Douglass designed Dondra Head Lighthouse with construction by William Douglass of the Imperial Lighthouse Service, commencing in November 1887. All the building materials including the bricks and steel were imported from England. The granite rock was supplied from quarries at Dalbeattie in Scotland and Penryn in Cornwall. The lighthouse was completed and commissioned in March 1890.

Galle

Galle is a major tourist attraction situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka 119 km from Colombo, and 15 minutes drive on the southern expressway from the Culture Resort. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa 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 landmark in Galle include the Cities, Natural Harbour , the National Maritime Museum, St Mary's Cathedral ,Founded by Jesuit priests one of the main Shiva Temple of the island. Galle is home to a cricket ground, which is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. 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.( It is said that Roomassala area has highest gravitational pull in the world). A day trip to Galle is highly recommended in your itinerary.