OUR DESTINATIONS
Let us help you find your perfect holiday by phoning us on
We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
Alternatively, check out some of our holiday offers below.
- Destinations
- Asia
- Sri Lanka
- Matara
Matara
Matara is the largest town on Sri Lanka's popular south coast,
hosting the terminus of the railway line from Colombo. Today it is
a quiet town, but in past centuries was a thriving port central to
the spice and gem trade with the East and Holland. The original
town was established on a narrow peninsula in the estuary of the
Nilwala River, which was fortified by the Dutch. The original walls
still stand, containing some rather dilapidated old buildings
dating from the Dutch colonial era. Matara is scenically
attractive, surrounded by paddy fields and tea estates on the
fertile river floodplain. The area also boasts some sandy, safe
beaches. These assets have ensured that the town is a popular
tourist destination removed from the trouble spots in the north of
the island, where civil unrest remains a threat.
Information & Facts
Language
Most people speak Sinhala, which is the national and
official language. Tamil is also spoken, and English is spoken at
most tourist establishments.
Money
The unit of currency is the Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR), which is
divided into 100 cents. Major credit cards are widely accepted, and
travellers cheques in US Dollars are recommended. ATMs are becoming
more common, but outside the main cities they are unlikely to
accept international cards. Credit cards should be used with
caution due to the potential for fraud. Foreign currency can be
exchanged at bureaux de change, banks and hotels, but exchanging
cash is more expensive than exchanging travellers cheques. Banks
are closed on Sundays.
Time