After our 12-day birding tour we were ready to relax in the Portuguese-built fortified city of Galle on the southwest coast of the island.

Galle
Tuk-Tuks are a very common sight in Galle

We’d booked a house called Seven Pillars that was centrally located in the old city and handy for the shops and restaurants. The house was very spacious and was an excellent base for our short break.

The entrance to Seven Pillars
The lounge
The garden
Seven Pillars
Our bedroom
The dining room

We spent our two full days in Galle exploring this fascinating and historic city. The centre is very compact and it’s easy to walk around the city wall and enjoy the views over the ocean.

The city wall
The ocean from the city wall
The Dutch Reformed Church
The Meeran Mosque
All Saint's Church
A banyan tree outside the Magistrate's Court

Galle has many good restaurants serving Sri Lankan and international food. We particularly enjoyed The Arch and The Bungalow. 

The Arch restaurant
Prawn Curry at The Arch
The Bungalow restaurant
Butter Chicken at The Bungalow

Our three nights in Galle went all too quickly. Ahead of our flight we stayed at the Vivanta Airport Garden hotel in Negombo and enjoyed their extensive buffet. The next day we flew home after a very successful and enjoyable three-week trip to Sri Lanka.