Bird Watching And Scenic Photography on the River Mahaweli Ganga in Sri Lanka
What can be better than to write of the morning I spent on a boat, out on the River Mahaweli Ganga? It is an experience I highly recommend. When your bones are tired from visiting temple after temple, a morning sunning yourself on the boat is just what the doctor ordered.
Please read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of the Sri Lanka series.
The Facts
I did not know beforehand that I would have an opportunity to spend a morning just chilling. After all, it’s not every day I’m privy to backwaters and canals. So, when I browsed the pamphlet of activities in my hotel room, I immediately knew I wanted to do this.
It proved to be a bit exorbitant but, like I said, this isn’t an everyday occurrence in my life. Also, my hotel – Mahaweli Reach Hotel, Kandy – was quite accommodating about it. They needed a minimum of two pax for the boat ride but agreed to let me go alone.
I chose the very first slot in the morning as I had to leave for Negombo the same day. Mahaweli Reach Hotel has a private jetty and boat. This means the vessel & accompanying crew are privately yours. So, you can be assured of an exclusive, wonderful time.
The cost I incurred for one adult was LKR 4,000 (or INR 1,129). The cost included boat fuel, boatman cum guide cum photographer, and life jacket. Mahaweli Reach Hotel also offers breakfast on boat; so you can opt for that too.
The Experience
As my slot was 8:30 AM, I presented myself at the front desk at 8:15. One of the front desk staff accompanied me to the jetty where the boatman and an assistant began to attach the motor to the boat and to refuel.
I joked with the front desk staff member if the boat was safe as it did not seem to have been used for some time, but he assured me that it had been used just a day back. It was standard practice to remove the motor and store it in a dry place.
The boat turned out to be a beautiful one. It had undercover banquette style seating down the sides. It was comfortable for a morning out. The boatman handed me a lifejacket to wear and then helped me climb over the side.
The morning was absolutely gorgeous. The sky was a blue with fluffy white clouds providing just the right contrast. As I set sail, I enjoyed the light Sun which was adequately shaded by the overhead canopy. But, do carry your hat and sunglasses.
I relaxed with the tropical breeze in my face. I enjoyed listening to my boatman describing the flora and fauna around me. I enjoyed the scenery. Both the riverbanks were lush green with vegetation. I did some, scratch that, a lot of photography.
The River Mahaweli Ganga is famous for its birds. I spotted many spectacular aquatic birds like egrets, herons, ducks and kingfishers. A few of them spread their wings and preened and posed for photographs while a few others would quickly dip into the water as soon as I pointed my camera at them.
Apart from the birds, just across the jetty, were three trees full of fruit bats hanging upside down. I had seen them flying about at night; in the morning hours, they made for an intriguing sight. At first glance, they looked just like gigantic leaves but soon, I could ascertain their shapes.
The blue of the sky reflected in the river, making it look as if a sheet of blue – stained glass was placed beneath us. We crossed under a railway bridge – a line that connected Kandy to Galle. We sailed to a white pagoda with paper lanterns floating at its base, in the river.
I also spotted a blue water pump building. We turned back after seeing a hydroelectric power project. On the way back, my boatman was kind enough to click a few photographs of me. We arrived back to the Mahaweli Reach Hotel jetty by 9:30 AM.
