Tour of Sri Lanka 2025 | Day 3 | Galle – Mirissa | 87.4 kms

Get up around 7am and slowly start to get ready. Have my morning coffee before packing my ‘Carry’ bag. I plan to cover some places, return back, pack all my stuff and head to Mirissa, my next city in the line of my tour.

I move out around 8:45 am and head towards Galle, this time to experience authentic Sri Lankan breakfast. Upon reaching, I ask a fellow old gentlemen about the place to have authentic breakfast and he points to a hotel signboard 50 mtrs away. I thank him and move in the direction. I park and enter via a series of steps. I am greeted with the kind smiling owner. I tell him me an my requirements. He serves me an assorted platter along with ‘String Hoppers’. The items include ‘Daal’, Chicken, Fish, Spicy coconut Sambol, etc.

The serving lady keeps on filling the vessels with gravy and to finish that, again I need to order the String Hoppers. It has became by far the heaviest breakfast till date. I am so full that I cannot move. I thank the owner and I finish it off with tea. The breakfast is really tasty and spicy. I am sweating as I come out.

I proceed towards the jungle beach which is not for away The road passes through mountain as we climb upwards. The vegetation is dense and the road is narrow. I pass through one school where kids are playing on the ground. I reach the parking space. Nearby, the Japanese peace pagoda is also there. White stupa is so huge, it’s difficult to capture in one frame. It is radiating bright with the morning sun. I move around it in a circular fashion and take some photos. I also visit the nearby Japanese peace temple and offer my blessings. A huge statue of Hanuman also stands nearby. I then go down a rocky path towards the beach. The beach is small, almost like a ‘private’ one. People, mostly Russians are having a leisure time sunbathing and snorkeling.

I sit and watch as people play and relax around the beach. I cool off with some tender coconut and then decide to leave. I meet a Swiss guy in the parking lot and we exchange greetings. Next, I go to the Turtle hatchery and conservation centre at Habaraduwa, a mere 7 kms ahead. The centre is a small building with small ponds with turtles in them. They range from 5 days to 5 years. The guide present there explains in very detail about the various turtle info along with their conservation techniques. He also lets me hold a 5 day old turtle. Overall, its a great experience.

I ask him what more I can explore nearby. He phones someone and arranges a ‘Koggal Lake’ boat tour. He guides me to the place on his motorcycle. We reach the lake, the boat is all for me. I hop in as the captain of the boat starts his engine. He shows me all the places where the animals and birds are resting. We see water lizard, loathing on the tree branches.

We then visit Cinnamon island, where I get to see how the cinnamon is extracted from the tree stem. I even do it myself after the lesson. It’s a great experience. Cinnamon is grown on that island in around 8-10 acres. We then return to base where I visit a spice and herbal garden located nearby. The caretaker there explains in a detailed way about the various plants and their medicinal properties. I also see vanilla tree for the first time. Before leaving, I buy a vanilla extract bottle for myself.

We see an eagle, some 2-3 new species of bird and some varieties of monkey, to whom we hand feed. They come down from the tree branches swinging when the food kept on my hand is stretched wide in their direction. We see baby and even adult ones. Next, we get a chance to see the black monkeys only native to Sri Lanka.

I return to my hostel to pack my things as I plan to ride to Mirissa. On the way, I stop 2-3 times as I am surprised by sudden showers. I reach around 4:30pm and till the time I am finished packing and loaded my luggage onto the bike, the rain has stopped and by 5:15pm, I head for Mirissa, around 42 kms.

I get lucky as I am not welcomed by rain again but it seems like Mirissa received a huge portion of it just before my arrival. Huge pools of water can be seen on the roadside. I reach around 7pm, book a hotel online through app. The name is ‘Sago Pearl Guest House’. I check in, get relaxed and afterwards, go for a dinner outside. I have booked a whale watching tour through the help of the guest house landlady owner.