The Galle Story

Galle is one of those places where the days blow by like minutes, leaving you wondering where the time has gone. It is a traveller’s lair, with its rugged coastline, indescribable beaches and cheap huts. Life in Galle is also all about the food – vendors roam the streets, their carts chanting Kollywood, Bollywood and even Hollywood music, and parippu vade, boiled kadala and thambili are considered staple diets, alongside rice and curry.

Situated 119km from Colombo, the south-western city of Galle itself is a cultural site. From the Fort built by European occupiers to the St. Mary’s Cathedral founded by Jesuit priests, and home to one of the main Shiva temples in the island, the city boasts of a multi-religious, multicultural and multiethnic community.

From the wee hours in the morning to the ungodly hours at night, one finds much to do in Galle. Whale watching is one such excursion which has drawn tourists from near and far. A one hour tuk-tuk ride will take you to Mirissa Water Sports. Although only aware of the whales’ emigration path for around a year or so, whale/dolphin watching tours have become highly popular. Trips are made at seven a.m. and again at three p.m. along with a local guide and boat crew. Our boat was fortunate to encounter a pod of five hundred dolphins and two blue whales… a truly memorable outing!

A UNESCO heritage site, the Galle Fort, with its majestic walls and the spectacular view is enough to make any local proud of their motherland. At any given time of day, one can find tourists and locals alike roaming the ramparts of the fort, aimlessly wandering the streets and taking in the surroundings.

I would also recommend anyone visiting the fort to drop in at the Historical Mansion Museum. The said attraction is part museum, housing ancient artefacts, and part jewellery store, selling custom-made jewellery, with visitors also being able to catch a glimpse of the work in progress.

Another noteworthy attraction is the Galle jumpers – a group of youngsters who turned their hobby into a money-maker when foreigners showed an interest in their daredevil type jumps from a top a bastion.

And watching the sun go down in Galle is an experience, as you can almost imagine a Dutch soldier who stood guard on the same rampart where you stand, eyes alert, watching the same sun go down centuries ago.