Visit Sri Lanka’s spectacular South Coast. The port city of Galle is the capital of the Galle District and administrative capital of Southern Province. It has played a key role in the country’s history for centuries. Today, the old world charm of the buildings continues to draw visitors and has resulted in many an old establishment being converted into a Galle hotel. Sri Lanka has many historic landmarks but one of the most iconic is undoubtedly the Galle Fort. In and around Galle there are plenty of attractions both natural and man-made: Tamarind Hill Galle functions as a boutique hotel today but was built over two hundred and fifty years ago by a wealthy Sri Lankan aristocrat and subsequently served as the official residence of a British Admiral. The rocky outcrop that is known as Rumassala is a natural attraction but legend would suggest otherwise.
The story is aligned with the Indian epic Ramayana, in which a mythical battle between Rama and Ravana leaves Rama’s brother Lakshman close to death. In order to save the prince, special herbs that only grew in the Himalayan Mountains were needed. Given the urgency, Hanuman the Monkey God undertook the mission. However, upon arrival at the mountains, he forgot which herbs were needed and proceeded to tear out an entire portion of the mountain to bring back. Once the physician had extracted the required herbs, Hanuman threw away the piece of mountain. This boulder is now called Rumassala, which translates to ‘beautiful rock’. In earlier times, colonists had named it Buona Vista or ‘pleasant view’ and used it as a watering point that provided with fresh water for nautical journeys. Other theories backed by Sir Arthur C. Clarke suggest Rumassala may be a meteorite. The Rumassala Forest boasts a large collection of mammals, birds, insects and reptiles as well as medicinal herbs. The very top of Rumassala offers sweeping views of Galle bay and the Indian Ocean.
Damon Starky is a creative nomadic travel writer, who is well informed and experienced on a wide range of interests that would connect to the needs of any type of traveler. Google+
