The Madu Ganga is a vast, labyrinthine network of mangrove channels, small islands and open lagoon water that shelters an extraordinary diversity of wildlife and traditional livelihoods just minutes inland from the Bentota beach resort. This day tour takes you south from Colombo or Negombo along the expressway to the banks of the Madu River, where a traditional wooden boat carries you into the mangrove interior at a pace that allows for genuine observation and appreciation of the ecosystems on either side. Your guide will navigate through channels thick with mangrove roots, pointing out kingfishers, monitor lizards, water snakes and the remarkable variety of birds that use this wetland as their home. A stop at a cinnamon island brings you face to face with one of Sri Lanka’s most important spice traditions, a demonstration of the hand-peeling and rolling process that produces Ceylon cinnamon, the world’s finest, which gives a fascinating insight into an ancient and highly skilled craft.