Brief Gardens by Bevis Bawa (Approximately 15Km)
Geoffrey Bawa’s younger brother Bevis Bawa spent 40 years growing and shaping ‘Brief’, the 2.5 hectare plot of land on the southwest coast, north of the Bentota River, which was his home for the greater part of his life. ‘Brief’ became a popular tourist destination and attracted an assortment of visitors from Colombo as well as internationally famous writers, artists and Royalty. Access to the 5-acre ‘Brief’ is by private vehicle as there is no public transport.
Lunuganga (Approximately 30Km)
Lunuganga Estate was the country home of the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Geoffrey Bawa’s impact on Sri Lanka is unparalleled. His legacy as an architect and writer is etched in local history. Lunuganga is arguably the most famous of his works, a country home set in a sprawling lakeside garden estate.
Bentota Beach (Approximately 25Km)
Facing the Indian Ocean, a tropical lagoon and a major river Bentota offers a wide variety of water sports to be enjoyed. Apart from swimming, body-surfing or diving in the sea, you can jet-ski, Windsurf, parasail or enjoy a romantic river safari on the river and lagoon.
Galle Fort (Approximately 70Km)
A UNESCO World Heritage Site - in the bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards, It is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which more than 423 years later maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by The Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.
Madu River Safari (Approximately 45Km)
The estuary of the Madu Ganga (river) is a complex coastal ecosystem of mangroves and islands. A boat trip is a wonderful way of seeing some of the hundreds of species of plants and animals; monkeys enjoying fruit on the trees, water monitors gliding slowly through the water.
Beruwala (Barberyn) Island Lighthouse (Approximately 20Km)
Located on Barberyn Island, on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, a ten minute boat ride will take you to this lighthouse, away from the bustle of the mainland. Built by the British, the structure is 110 feet tall with round, yellow embossed stones gracing the peripheral looks. The glass at the tower is the original glass installed by the British in 1928, which pays grand homage to British engineering and architecture.
South Asia’s tallest Buddha statue (Approximately 16Km)
This 135-feet tall Buddha Statue, similar to the Avukana standing Buddha Statue, has been built on a hill top at Batamulla Kanda Buddhist Centre at Matugama.
Sinharaja Foothills (Approximately 105 Km)
A 2 hr 30 minute drive from The Ark will take you to the southern foothills of Sinharaja, the heart of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity. Sinharaja virgin rainforest was deservedly designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989. The forest offers huge diversity of species both flora and fauna with a large proportion being indigenous to the country, and some more specifically endemic to Sinharaja itself. Many indigenous birds such as Layard’s parakeet (Psittacula calthrapae), the Jungle fowl (Gallus), the Spur fowl (Galloperdix bicalcarata), the Ceylon Wood Pigeon (Columba torringtoniae), the Ceylon Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus), the Ceylon Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis), the Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush (Garrulax cinereifrons), the Brown-capped Babbler (Pellorneum fuscocapillus), the Red-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus) and the Ceylon Blue Magpie (Urocissa ornata) among others are prominent in this area.
