Madu River

The mangrove river system near Balapitiya is one of Sri Lanka’s most distinctive half-day experiences – a slow motorboat safari through mangrove tunnels, past a cinnamon-producing island, a Buddhist temple island, and bird-filled waterways that feel completely removed from the tourist coastline just outside. The fish therapy pool in the middle of the system is either exactly the kind of thing you came for or the kind of thing you’ll laugh about for years. Either way, it’s good.