Discover the Magic of Madu River: Unforgettable Boating Adventure

When we visited Sri Lanka, we had planned tons of fun activities – safaris in Yala and Udawalawe, beach visits in south Sri Lanka, and then this activity – boating in the Madu River.

At first, I wasn’t so enthusiastic about it. I don’t care about boating unless it’s for a safari or something particularly scenic about the place. But we had a free afternoon, and I thought, why not try this. It beats just hanging around the pool in our hotel.

Our experience

The specialty of the Madu River is that it flows through mangroves. When I heard the word mangroves, I started hyperventilating, thinking of thick forests overlooking the river. But that’s not the case here. For one, the river is located very close to Balapitiya town (west Sri Lanka, and maybe an hour’s drive south of Colombo), and second, we don’t go very deep into the wilderness.

However, there is one portion of the river where we go through the mangroves, which is super-thrilling.

We stopped at a small island called Cinnamon Island. The inhabitants of this island are well-known for their cinnamon plantations, so we stopped off at one of the farms, where we got to meet the farmer as he showed us how he shaves off cinnamon from the trees. We also tried some cinnamon tea and relaxed in his hut.

Eventually, we headed back to our boat, but not before picking up bags of cinnamon sticks as presents for friends and family.

After visiting Cinnamon Island, we headed into more open waters.

Our boatman had warned us not to expect too many animals. So, we had meager expectations and were enjoying the ride and the wind on our faces. But then suddenly, something unexpected popped out of the water.

This crocodile popped up so close to us that the boatsman had to quickly swerve away to maintain a safe distance. Here’s a shot I took once we got a little further away from the crocodile.

Apart from the crocodile, we didn’t see any other wildlife. What we did see was a lovely sunset near the end of the boat ride. The river ends in the Indian Ocean, and we can see the sun setting over the sea.

This was the culmination of our boat ride. After the sunset, we once again weaved our way through the different forks of the river before ending up right where we started our ride. We said our farewells to the boatman and then hopped back into our car to the hotel.

Do I recommend Madu River boating?

We went into it with low expectations, so it worked for us. It’s a pleasant one-hour boat ride in the river, and apart from the crocodile and Cinnamon Island, it was pretty uneventful. If you’re looking for something relaxing and a little off the beaten track, the Madu River might suit you too. It’s also pretty safe for families with young children.