Galle
Galle, pronounced ‘Gaul’, is a city located on the southwestern tip of the island and is the capital of the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Galle has been a prominent harbor long before western rule in the country, as far back as the early fifteenth century. It is said that even King Solomon drew ivory, peacocks and other valuable spices from this ancient seaport.
The "modern" history of Galle starts in 1505, when the first Portuguese ship, under Lourenço de Almeida was driven there by a storm. However, the people of the city refused to let the Portuguese enter it, so the Portuguese took it by force——a scene depicted in the wrought-iron staircase on the entryway to the Lighthouse Hotel, sculpted by Sri Lankan artist Laki Senanayake.
The most pivotal attraction of Galle remains the Galle Fort, first built by the Portuguese then modified by the Dutch during the 17th century.
In 1640, the Portuguese surrendered to the Dutch East India Company, who built the present Fort in the year 1663. They built a fortified wall, using solid granite, and built three bastions, known as "Sun", "Moon" and "Star". After the British took over the country from the Dutch in the year 1796, they preserved the Fort unchanged, and used it as the administrative centre of Galle.
On 26 December, 2004 the city was devastated by the massive Boxing Day Tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that occurred 1,000 miles away, off the coast of Indonesia. Thousands were killed and several structures were destroyed, with water going over the walls of the Fort as well. However, the city has since been rebuilt and is a major tourist destination.
The city, covering an area of 1,652km^2 (638 sq miles), has a population of approximately 100,000 people; a sizeable city by Sri Lankan standards and is around 119km from Colombo, or around a 3-4 hour drive.
The drive down from Colombo to the city of Galle is a beautiful, relaxing experience with miles of endless beach, adorned with white sand and coconut palms.
Galle, much like Colombo, is a coastal city and therefore experiences high amounts of humidity, heat and a lot of rain during the monsoon periods. It is advised to take umbrellas for protection from sun and rain, as well as sunscreen and plenty of clean, bottled water when travelling.From Colombo one can take either the train or bus. Both travel right next to the coast and offering splendid views.
The most convenient way of getting around the city is by hiring a tuk-tuk. You could also rent bikes or walk around during mornings and afternoons.
For a detailed list of hotels in Galle, do visit our webpage.
The Galle Fort is a wonderful experience, and you can spend most of the day wandering narrow alleys, visiting little cafés or lounging on hotel verandahs. Shopping in the fort is great, with several antique, vintage clothing, gem and jewellery offering local and imported wares.
In January, the Galle Literary Festival, soon becoming a popular stop on the Literary circuit attracts a number of authors and literature buffs. Past authors have included Jung Zhang, Germaine Greer, Simon Winchester and Ian Rankin.
Unawatuna is a small, tranquil bay village in Southern Sri Lanka, quite unlike the bustling vibe of Galle city. It lies tucked away, a 15 minute drive from the city and accessed by a 1 km tarred road on the inside of route A2, the Galle-Matara road. You have to turn off the main road at the 123km highway post.
The beach strip of Unawatuna is complete with guest houses, home stays, restaurants, hotels, internet cafes, boutique hotels, jewelery shops and antique stands making it a very popular among tourists.
