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The town of Balapitiya lies about 80km from Colombo, and 3km from Heritance Ahungalla. It is at Balapitiya that the Madu Ganga river intersects with Galle road, providing an easy access point.
The Madu River Lagoon is more popularly known as Madu Ganga. It covers 915Ha and has 15 islands of various sizes. The average depth is 3 metres.
Total area – 915 Ha
Open water - 770 ha
Island areas - 145 ha
The Madu Ganga river is a shallow water body in southwest Sri Lanka, which enters the sea at Balapitiya.
The Buddhist Amarapura Nikaya sect had its first upasampada (higher ordination ceremony) on a fleet of boats anchored upon it in 1803.
Along with the smaller Randombe Lake, to which it is connected by two narrow channels, it forms the Madu Ganga wetland. Its estuary and the many mangrove islets on it constitute a complex coastal wetland ecosystem. In has high ecological, biological and aesthetic significance, being home to 303 species of plants belonging to 95 families and to 248 species of vertebrate animals. It may be one of the last remaining tracts of pristine mangrove forests in Sri Lanka.
The inhabitants of the islets produce peeled cinnamon and cinnamon oil.
The Madu Ganga Wetland was declared in 2003, in terms of the Ramsar Convention.
You can also visit Ma Duwa village, prawn farms, sand mines and local blacksmiths in Madu Ganga.
Prawn Cultivation
Cinnamon & Coir Industry
Fresh water Fishing
Mangroves
Koth Duwa Temple
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