Madu River Safari in Sri Lanka – birds, bats, and Gods

One of the major highlights of our trip to Sri Lanka was a boat cruise across the Madu River, referred to in the tour operator’s itinerary as 'Delightful Madu River Safari'. It was indeed delightful, and truly marvellous, something that you should not miss out on. It is not some kind of luxury cruise that you may have enjoyed in, say Goa. It is a cruise in a motorboat and as you ride along through lush mangroves, you will be enchanted in many ways.

The Madu River has more than 64 natural islets and your glide across the serene waters will take you through an audio-visual treat of the wetlands ecosystem. 

There's the pyrotechnics on the sky's canvas-

There's the lush greenery-

A bridge across the river-

An unexpected mid-river sight between the sky and the sea-

There are the birds and their chatter, the bats (likely not something you would really like to see!), the serene idols of Gods, and other sights and sounds. 

Absolutely magnificent to behold is the serenity of Lord Buddha -

As part of this enjoyable safari, we visited Cinnamon Island where, as the name indicates, cinnamon cultivation is the primary occupation. The soil here is highly suitable for producing superior-quality cinnamon peelings, oil, powder, and incense sticks.

Tip- We had taken the river safari in the morning after breakfast and it was part of the tour cost. If you are going independently, it is advisable to check the costs as per the number of people, and not get fleeced. 

You could be interested in reading a lovely visual narrative on the journey through the Madu Ganga River.