The River Safari Excursion | Bentota, Sri Lanka

Time crept upon us so fast and although my itinerary was packed, nothing was booked, confirmed, or set in stone. So on Saturday morning, we decided to book our first trip, which was The River Safari, for the following day. The following morning, we headed downstairs for breakfast, and shortly after we made our way to the side of the beach where we waited to be picked up for 8.30am.

Our TukTuk driver dropped us off at the boat pick-up place, and that is where we met our boat driver before our wonderful River Safari excursion began.

The River Safari

Excursions In Bentota | Our First Trip

The boat was booked for two hours, and we saw lots of wildlife including crocodiles, fruit bats, birds, and monkeys. The boat ride cost us around $25 (roughly around £20 - £22 for all of us, which was a good price.

We enjoyed the calming breeze from the boat ride, and serene views of the temples and the ocean. Some of the animals that we spotted were water monitors (alligators), monkeys, fruit-bats, and a varied species of birds, all before speeding off to the herbal museum.

Bird Species on The River Safari Excursion

The Spice Garden & The Herbal Museum

The Herbal Museum was extremely expensive, so don't get duped into spending hundreds of pounds like I did on impulse. Many of the products can be found in local markets and pharmacies at a fraction of the cost. I do have underlying health issues, so when I found a product that was specifically targeted towards my issues, I jumped at the chance to buy.

I spent roughly £96 for a few products, and that was way over my budget considering I had no intentions to buy anything! It's nice to visit, but just a light warning- DON'T be duped into buying these products, because you can literally get them anywhere in the country at a fraction of the costs.

Nutmeg at the Herbal Museum

Little did I know, I would find similar products in many of the local pharmacies around. The tour in the Herbal museum was great, We learned a lot about natural herbs, plants, spices and where they grow.

Peppers? (I think)

We came across natural vanilla, jackfruit, durian, cinnamon, and much more in the garden. We were even amazed by the natural hair removal product, (which I happened to get duped into buying!) There were so many products, that I had forgotten many of the names.

I am yet to try the products I purchased, so I cannot give a review on how well they work. (But, hopefully my money was well spent! )

Overall, my experience on The River Safari was a pleasant one. I must say, it was a good ride, with serene views, and some amazing animals we managed to get some video shots of. It was very calming and a great price. I would definitely recommend it, and would even explore it all over again! It was definitely ONE of my highlights!

Why not book it for yourself?  https://gyg.me/dhWjRa5t

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