Retired General Manager in the Hospitality industry for more than three decades.

A gorgeous beach South of Bentota Bay Beach Resort, the road & railway line run close to the long & continuous stretch of beautiful coast to arrive at the town of Ambalangoda, 86 km (54 miles) from Colombo. The town has a gorgeous beach. Ambalangoda provide a feeling of seclusion & opportunity to explore its long stretch of undeveloped beach. The Amazing Masks The town is famous for masks & puppets. The traditional masks are carved from light Balsa like Kaduru wood (Nux vomica). Kaduru trees grow in the marshy lands bordering paddy fields. The wood is smoke dried for a week in preparation. Moonstone mines The village of Meetiyagoda near Ambalangoda is where the moonstone is found concentrated within an acre of land believed to have been blessed by the moon. The mysterious gem, captivating as a full moon gleaming in the night sky, is considered sacred & has appeared in jewelry for centuries. A mesmerizing interplay of light, known as schiller or adularescence, causes a silvery-white sheen to glide like veils of mist across the milky surface of the moonstone. Some believe that this moving light is evidence of a living spirit that dwells within the gem. Boat ride in River (Madu Ganga Wetlands) 915-hectare Madu Ganga Estuary is connected by two narrow channels to the Randombe Lake, forming a complex wetland system encompassing 64 mangrove islets. In the year 2000, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) undertook a detailed biodiversity survey of the region & revealed the existence of no less than 10 major wetland vegetation types supporting over 300 plant species & 248 species of vertebrates. This remarkable diversity has led to its being classified under RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands in 2003. Cinnamon in Madu Ganga (river) In addition to fishing & traditional occupation of coconut coir, the inhabitants of 65 little islands in River Madu are engaged in the cinnamon production.