Picture gliding on a river in a boat, through lovely mangroves that are abuzz with chirps. Beautiful, isn’t it? A morning safari at the Madu Ganga and Bentota River rewards you with this very charming experience.

The more you sail, the more the river divulges. Its water monitors swim along, the blue-eyed cormorants perch atop dead branches, while fruit bats hang asleep, upside down onto the greener branches. A common, but very endearing sight is of infant monkeys clinging onto fishermen as they sail across the river on narrowboats. You might even spot a few crocodiles and water snakes in the river.

While you lose yourself to these fascinating animal sightings, there are a few other spectacles that await you. In the middle of Madu Ganga is a tiny rocky island that houses a tinier temple. And if you sail a distance, you’ll spot the estuary. The calmer rippling water meeting the gushing waves makes for quite a profound statement. Probably about how today’s relentless hard work is rewarded with bigger opportunities in due course.