Jul 3, 2025
Supar 🥳 memory - Madu Ganga Boat Tour is a popular eco-tourism activity located near Balapitiya, along the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Madu Ganga (also known as Madu River) is a beautiful wetland estuary that flows into the Indian Ocean and is famous for its rich biodiversity, calm waters, and scenic mangrove forests.
During the boat tour, visitors can explore over 60 small islands, some with temples, cinnamon plantations, and traditional fishing communities. One of the key highlights is a visit to the Kothduwa Temple, located on an island in the middle of the river. Some tours also offer fish foot therapy, where tiny fish nibble gently at your feet — a fun and relaxing experience!
The boat ride is peaceful and offers a great chance to observe birds, monitor lizards, crabs, and various species of mangroves. It’s perfect for nature lovers, photographers, and families looking for a relaxing day out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
May 4, 2025
Epic experience - We had great experience on our Boat trip! We’ve seen Birds Island, learnt some fun facts from our guide about prawns, some birds were flying behind the boat as engine pushed food to the surface, so they tried to get some of it behind the boat, very cool to watch! The guide was there on time. We put our feet in pool with fish that eat our skin, very cool experience! Visiting Cinamon Island is another big thing. We learnt a lot about production of cinamon, general fun facts, taste and were very happy about that! We also sailed through passages with disabled engine which was epic! The guide did us a lot of good photos. Definitely recommend this tour, amazing experience and great guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 3, 2025
A fantastic safe driver and great tour selection! - We were extremely happy with the boat tour and it was the perfect morning outing as a family with small kids. We were collected from the hotel on time and all of the communication via WhatsApp was clear and helpful.
We were so happy with the safe and patient manner of driving that we also booked a tour to Galle and back 2 days later. It was very important for us to feel safe and comfortable as some of what we have seen and heard regarding tired and inattentive driving is a concern. The driver was great and offered suggestions and pointed out cultural landmarks etc along the way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 22, 2025
Local place of interest - Interesting trip local guide very informative
Visited temple on one of the small islands
Saw monkeys and lizards
Rare plant grows on one bush that’s protected
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 17, 2025
Well worth the river cruise. We would highly recommend it to other families with young children. And to everybody else. - The guide was very friendly with us and our eight years old boy. The river cruise was very good with much to see. And as advertised we stopped at a interesting buddhist temple, and at Cinnemon Island with a informative guide of how to make tea, cinnemon powder, rope etc. from the cinnemon three. And it was very fun with the stop where the fishes did eat from our feet in the water.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 13, 2025
Fantastic Experience - booked Madu Boat Safari trip with Suduhansa Tours.
It was a great experience for me and I enjoyed the boat ride, plantations, prawn fishing and local fishermen fishing, Fish pedicure, cinnamon farm.and the monastery on one of the island.
We also stopped to have King Coconut and Ice cream from one of the shops on stilts in the river. This was owned by Ravindu’s parents and his mother was there to sell us what we wanted.
I did not see any crocodiles during my trip. I guess they were underwater.
Overall I enjoyed my boat ride of approximately 2.5 hours with Ravindu’s father who rode the boat for us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 12, 2025
Fantastic Experience - I enjoyed everything from the.boat ride to seeing fishermen fishing in their boats to seeing different species of birds to enjoying the fish pedicure and cinnamon farm and the monastery temple on the island
The boatman was very knowledgeable and gave so much of information of the various islands located on the river.
Also we had ice cream and King coconut water in the middle of the river from a stilt shop
I did not see any crocodiles though during the trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 9, 2025
We were a large group of... - We were a large group of 13
The tour company arranged a private boat ..and helped with accommodating and one elderly member with limited mobility get comfortable.
Review provided by Viator
Jan 9, 2025
Good trip - We were a large group of 13
The tour company arranged a private boat ..and helped with accommodating and one elderly member with limited mobility get comfortable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 19, 2025
More mangroves and animals would have been nice - I was on the Madu River Safari all alone with the two guides. Unfortunately, the drive through the mangroves was only very short and apart from a few birds I did not see any animals.
The visit to Cinnamon Island was disappointing. There, a quick program showed how cinnamon is produced and of course products were immediately offered for purchase. The Fish Spa was great and cost another 500 rupees extra.
It was also offered that I could buy a drink at a floating vending stall. However, I refused that as well as visiting the temple. I have now seen enough of that during my time here in Sri Lanka.
A life jacket like all the other tourists I wore during the morning was not offered to me and there was only one in the footwell of the boat.
The guides were nice but unfortunately the communication was rather difficult due to poor English skills
I was already disappointed because I would have liked to have seen more mangroves and also some animals and not left with the feeling that it is ONLY about making money as so often.
After all, I was driven back to Ahungalla for 500 rupees after 1000 rupees were originally demanded and I had then refused. Always a bland aftertaste after such experiences.
Were in total about 1.20 hours. on the road for 27 euros
Review provided by Tripadvisor
