Down South, Galle Dutch Fort, Sri Lanka#visitsrilanka #galle #srilanka #downsouth #dutchfort #travel

Special Thanks to Alberto

Tour in brief
This tour generally covers the whole Galle Fort/Tea Estate/Turtles/Mangrove Boat Safari. This includes amazing views, knowledge on colonial history, interesting back stories, and detailed insights. You also get to know about the modern Sri Lankan culture and its connection with the colonial era. Finally, at the end of the tour you can enjoy the sundown (during the evening tour) in the horizon before you leave the fort premises.

Galle Fort
Galle Fort, is situated in the the Bay of Galle on the south coast of Sri Lanka. It was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, and then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards.

The Galle Fort has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under criteria IV, for its unique exposition of an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Today, most of the properties are owned by the Sri Lankan Government and a few Dutch people who had the ownership from the beginning.

TURTLE CONSERVATION
A Project Aimed At Protecting Endangered Sea Turtles.
The Turtle Conservation Project is a sanctuary and rehabilitation centre aimed at protecting sea turtles that visit the shores of the island. Sea turtles have been listed as endangered species due to the constant threat they face, on sea and on land. The sanctuary facilitates a large hatchery, where sea turtle eggs are collected from nesting grounds and safely kept in their protected grounds, away from predators; both animal and human. In addition, adult turtles who have been injured or sick, are taken in and rehabilitated before being released back into the mighty blue ocean. Take a trip down to the Turtle Conservation Project for a chance to learn about these exotic species and how you can help save them.

Maadhu River Boat Safari
The Madu River area surrounding the river are all swampy marshlands covered in mangrove forests.
The forest covers over 61 hectares, that is over 150 acres. 14 of the 24 species of mangroves are found in this area.
It is interesting to note that mangroves play a huge part in preventing erosion.
The value of the mangroves was understood in December 2004, during the devastating tsunami, when forest acted as a natural barrier protecting the region.
The large growths of mangrove trees have caused a chain of ecological gain. The soil protected by the mangrove trees is very fertile. This has caused a rich growth of other wetland plants.
Over 300 species, 19 of which are endemic, have been discovered so far.
The region continues to be a treasure trove to biologists and ecologists with many undiscovered species in the unreachable depths of the mangrove forests.
The plant life in turn have supported a large number of wildlife that depends on them.
The largest animal in the region is the wild boar. There are other smaller animals such as monkeys, a variety of squirrels, etc.
When it comes to birds, cormorants and kingfishers are a common sight. For avid bird watchers, the mangrove forests are a dream coming true. There are over 111 bird species identified to inhabit the region.
There are 31 types of reptiles, namely snakes, lizards, and crocodiles.
There are also over 50 kinds of butterflies and 25 kinds of mollusks found in the Madu River zone.