- Arrive At Arugambay by noon for Lunch. Your Lunch will include typical Sri Lankan meal with the taste of local spices.
- Evening at leisure or go for a walk along the beach to explore the surroundings. The clients have the option of a canoe ride in the lagoon.
- Once you come back to the campsite after the evening leisure, a delicious five course dinner including hearty BBQ meals will be waiting for you. Before your dinner, you will be welcomed to have a glass of cool beer or kicked with a local sprit.
- Overnight stay at the Campsite
- Early in the morning after breakfast, the clients will proceed to Kumana Bird Sanctury, with packed lunch.
- On the way they can visit the Kutumbigala.
- Back to Arugambay campsite and rest of the day at leisure.
- Dinner and overnight stay at the Camp
- Leaving after Breakfast. On your way we will take you to the “Muhudumahaviharay” / Magulmahaviharya” and the “Tharulengala”.
- Departure to your next destination.
Arugam Bay is a bay situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's southeast coast. The bay is located 320 km due east of Colombo. It is a popular surfing and tourist destination.
It is the third highest ranked among the world’s top ten surfing destinations. So, if you are a surfing enthusiast or are interested in learning to surf this is just the location for you. You need not even bring your gear along, as you can hire surfing gear from local outfits, which also provide training for newbie surfers. It boasts of over 10 surf points and the waves are great between April and October and it also is the scene for local and international surfing competitions staged during this period.
During November to April the sea is fine for swimming and snorkeling and conditions are just right if you are looking for a quiet get- away.
If you are a wild life enthusiast your excellent wild life sanctuaries are just minutes away from this destination. The Lahugala sanctuary famous for elephants is not more than a 20 minute drive from here. You may even pass some of these majestic beasts if en-route if you take the inland route to arrive here.
The Kumana bird sanctuary lies just 10km south of Arugam Bay and birds from as far as Siberia are known to migrate to this location to escape winter.
The sand dunes at Panama allow you to wander around an unspoilt stretch of land, and even go on a jeep safari to the dunes. The Pottuvil dunes are much closer, but it is situated in the midst of a busy little town, but none the less attractive in its own little way.
The area close to Arugam Bay also boasts a host of ancient monuments. The Kudumbigala archeological reserve is host to monastic caves dating from around the 12th Century AD. The ancient Okanda temple dedicated lord Skanda situated on a rocky outcrop south of Arugam Bay is believed to be featured in “Sinbad the Sailor’s tales”. Monuments related to the Southern kingdom of Magama almost a thousand years old are found in Pottuvil town, by the dunes and within the Lahugala sanctuary. They are said to be built to honour the mother of the warrior king Dutugemunu of the Anradhapura kingdom.
Kutumbigala
Situated 16km southwards from the Panama village is the very important ancient “Kutumbigala Aranya Senasanaya” [Buddhist Hermitage]. This Hermitage, dates back to the early Anuradhapura period. This Hermitage, covering a vast area where, the most number of Arahath Theras dwelled is considered one of the most important ancient Sacred Lands (Pudha Bima) in the country. A Sthupa built on a rock called ‘Belum Gala’ is built as a replica of the Dharmachakra Dhammika Stupa of Isipathanaranama of India and is the only such Stupa in the country. This ‘sacred land’ has more than 200 caves with drip ledges cut into them indicating number of Arahath Theras who dwelled in this land. An area of over 11,000 acres surrounding this land was declared as the “Kutumbigala sanctuary” in 1974.
Muhudumahaviharaya
According to the legend this is the place where Viharamahdewi was washed ashore and rescued.
Magulmahaviharaya.
Place where King Kawanthissa got married to Viharamahadeviya.
Habuthagala Vihara or the “Tharulengala Aranya Senasanaya”.
In addition to the caves found on this hill, one can see ruins of so many buildings at various stages of the hill. Among these ruins are some artifacts hitherto unidentified. As there is no archaeological survey done here, it is not possible to date these ruins correctly. However from one or two stone inscriptions and other historic documents elsewhere in can be deduced that this hermitage is built before the 2nd century BC.
Another important feature here is that, there have been three sthupas in this sacred land: two of them on rocks on the hill and one at the base of hill. The two on rocks are completely destroyed leaving only signs of them on top and bricks can be seen fallen down. The remainder of the other, which is at the base of the hill, has a circumference of 150ft and a height of 20ft
The caves on top of the hill and on slopes are amazing creations of nature. There so many caves here with and without drip ledges. Among them the most amazing is the cave in the second circle, perhaps the largest in Sri Lanka. This cave 512ft long, 30ft broad and 82ft high at the highest point has a drip ledge cut right along. This cave has a flat outer area and the interior is in eight levels. Another important cave found here is the shrine room cave which is situated near the entrance and facing the east. This cave, 175ft long, 31ft broad and 35ft high, has in it a 41foot reclining Buddha statue, which is considerably damaged by treasure hunters.
Our rates include
- Safaris at National Park, including transport from the entrance of the park to the campsite and back to the entrance in a non-A/C open 4WD vehicles.
- Entrance fees to the parks
- Wild life Dep. Service charge for trackers.
- Services of a well trained Team Leader / Naturalist.
- Accommodation in fully serviced camps with meals, on full board basis at National parks
- All government taxes
Our rates do not include
- Transportation up to the park entrance.
- Any additional beverages or food, which would be ordered extra.
- Any tips to the staff.
- Any personal effects not mentioned here.
Payment: Full payment with the confirmation.
