Galle

In this coastal town ,situated 111km /72miles (a hour drive)from Colombo, the Dutch presence is still visible . Galle was and ancient port (said to be the legendary Tarshish of the Bible), and our first international commercial and trade center .Today , Galle is the bustling provincial capital and administrative center of the south .It is famous for its lovely Unawatuna Bay , where the sea is reef-protected and therefore safe for swimming ,the old Dutch ‘star ’ fort (a World Heritage site )covering 36 hectares, the well preserved Groote Kerk(Dutch Church),Dutch Government House ,the new Oriental Hotel (1684), old bell tower and a tied –based sewage-system, also introduced by the Dutch . In Galle they still make the Dutch ‘Pillow -lace’ and do fine ebony –carving and gem-polishing .