Madu River Boat Safari Balapitiya

A wonderful boat cruise in the Madu river surrounded by mangroves touching 15 islands. Cinnamon processing demonstration and Fish feet massage therapy were the highlight of this trip. We were lucky to have Chanuka an energetic youngster as our boat coxswain and guide.

Madu River Safari, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰🌿 What a fantastic experience and another highlight of our trip! The Madu River safari was a wonderful way to explore Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, with spectacular scenery all around us as we travelled along the river. We loved seeing so much along the way, from monkeys swinging in the trees and eagles soaring overhead to a visit where we watched cinnamon being made. Seeing the Buddha statues and temple on the island was also really special and added a lovely cultural touch to the trip. We also loved seeing where the river meets the ocean, such a beautiful and fascinating spot. Our guide was excellent, knowledgeable, friendly and happy to share information along the way, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. We DECLINED the opportunity to have a photo with a baby crocodile as it felt unethical. He was perched in a boat in the middle of the river. A brilliant excursion combining wildlife, culture, local traditions and stunning scenery. Definitely one to add to your Sri Lanka itinerary! ❤️

Our boat safari on the Madu River was without a doubt one of the highlights of our trip to Sri Lanka! From start to finish, the journey was absolute magic. We glided through dense, beautiful mangrove forests, taking in the peaceful surroundings and rich wildlife. Along the way, we spotted incredible bats hanging from the trees and playful monkeys swinging. The stops along the safari were fantastic. Visiting Cinnamon Island was super fascinating—we got to see firsthand how traditional Sri Lankan cinnamon is processed. The fish spa was another hilarious and refreshing experience that everyone in our group loved! What truly made the day extra special, though, was our wonderful tour guide. He was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive throughout the entire ride. To make things even sweeter, he lovingly crafted a beautiful necklace made out of fresh wild flowers for us right on the boat—such a unique and thoughtful personal touch that we will never forget!

The entire tour lasted around 2 hours and was absolutely worth both the time and the experience. The people were extremely friendly, helpful, and very informative throughout the tour, making it engaging and enjoyable. The hospitality was truly top-notch, and they made sure everyone felt comfortable and well taken care of. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a meaningful and well-organized experience.

A relaxing 90 minute cruise through the waterways. We were welcomed with a fruit juice and bottled water. The calm waters and green jungle trees were refreshing in the heat. We visited Cinnamon Island and saw how cinnamon is produced. We happily paid for the privilege of seeing this and enjoying a small cup of delicious cinnamon tea. You can also pay to have a photo taken with monkeys, baby crocodiles, or have your feet tickled by tiny fish. There was no pressure to do these activities. We chose to hold the baby crocodiles, while wondering about the ethics 😬. We were impressed by the cleanliness of the river and the huge lagoon.

We had a great time on the boat tour! The driver was very friendly and made the trip enjoyable. The boat had a retractable roof, which came in handy when it started to rain — a thoughtful touch that kept us comfortable. Highly recommended for anyone looking to enjoy nature and a bit of adventure!

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Great boat tour, driver was friendly, retractable roof on boat for when it started raining, was worth the money. Seen black monkeys in the trees, herons and a man on a boat be out over a small crocodile that he had caught so had a picture with that. The tour starts right next to Balapitiya train station so only 50 metre walk.

I had a great time on the Madu River Boat Safari! The mix of wildlife, peaceful mangroves, and the unique fish spa experience definitely makes it a memorable adventure. I'm glad you enjoyed the scenery and the close encounters with nature!

Had a lovely time and able to visit the Buddhist temple. We saw few animals and had a good fish massage. Unfortunately we weren't able to see crocodiles or monkeys.

I was only person on boat trip so felt like a VIP. Visited temple island, cinnamon island to see how cinnamon is made. Had a fish foot massage and stopped if for a coconut drink. I even got to skipper the boat

A delightful, safe and friendly boat ride on the Lagoon and a tour of a Cinnamon Processing factory. Unfortunately we arrived just after 14-00H on a very hot and humid day, which meant we did not see too many animals, but the mangroves were superb and riding through "tunnels" of mangrove plants was an interesting experience as was the athletics required to get under the bridges in the boat. We were safe all the time and my friends enjoyed the challenge caused. The visit to Cinnamon Island was interesting as they showed how the scrolls of Sri Lankan Cinnamon are made from the branch of a tree to being packed for export. We did not stop at the historical temple in the lagoon as one of the group was very anti any religious activity to the extent of even visiting a Temple. A worthwhile boat ride even if ovly for the fun of it.

A wonderful experience inside Madu river, the largest river in Sri Lanka, which contains 64 islands, 6 of which are inhabited. If you find a nice and not sunny weather, you will pass by shrimp traps, ancient mangrove trees, a visit to Cinnamon Island, and fish therapy farms. You can take a picture with a small crocodile. Everything has its price. Don't miss trying the pineapple juice in the floating market. Honestly, it is the best juice I have tasted in the country. The cost per person is $ 25 per hour, negotiable. The tour guide Mr. Asuru was very kind, professional and responsive to our needs. We recommend him as a tour guide

The full tour is a 90 min boat ride that takes you to different places in the river. A Buddha temple, an island where you see how cinnamon is extracted, a dense mangrove forest right on the river, and a fish spa. You see different kinds of wildlife like Monkeys, Cormorants and Loris squirrels. It is an experience to be had at least once! Many different boating companies exist in Balapitiya, but this one is the most famous.

It was beautiful and it took around 90 mins for us to go over the couple of islands. Watched some beautiful birds and prawns nets. Must go place.

Beautiful setting for a river and mangroves cruise with added activities, such as a visit to a cinnamon plantation with presentation and a fish therapy stop. We went right to the edge where Madu river meets the Indian Ocean and were washed back in by the waves. Exceptional! We also saw a variety of wildlife, including a kite eating a fish. Staff were very helpful and service oriented. Would definitely recommend!

Saw this trip while staying in ahungalla, bit very expensive if arranged via the hotel so booked via WhatsApp. Very easy to book and Sameera picked us up from the hotel . We had an excellent time on the boat, the three guys pointing out wildlife and points of interest along the river. The pilot even took us to feed a semi tame monkey that lives near his house! Kids enjoyed the fish therapy, not something you can do at home any more and the guys seemed to avoid the crowds so the trip felt a bit special. Great day out.

While on a tour to Sri Lanka we had a chance to take Madu river safari. This was taken from Bentota and it passed through the mangroves giving a glimpse of the delta and the adjoining back waters. It was really enjoyable. We also had a brief stopover for coconut water.

A natural mangrove cave,A breath of fresh air an experiential boat ride,A cinnamon garden,Fish therapy A perfect place to get

An afternoon boat trip with the Madu River safari is well worth it, our pilot pointed out iguana’s, kingfishers and grey headed eagle. This trip included a visit to cinnamon island and a fish foot nibble which is quite amusing if you have sensitive feet. I would recommend this trip.

Good value compared to other companies. Got to see and do everything I wanted to do and bring back some of the good quality cinnamon to my country didn't even know you could get the oil.

We were a family of five and had the best time. We laugh and enjoy the monkeys in the trees the various bird habitats and especially love putting our feet in the water at the local place on the side. Some entrepreneurs local opened a little place where you sit on wooden bench and put your feet into the pond and the fish come and eat off your callous and dry skin. Funny and lots of laughs but your feet actually come out very clean and soft. We stopped at cinnamon island and had demonstrations on making cinnamon and then to sales room to buy local products. Alittle touristy but we are all about supporting local vendors

Came here as part of my tour. Takes about 1.5 hours stopping at a cinnamon farmer who demonstrates how the bark is retrieved and they sell some produce at low prices. Next stop is to the fish therapy which I’ve done before but the fish here are bigger. Spotted a few lizards and birds living in the mangrove.

Best experience of our whole trip. Sudushana Tours (Sameera) and boat guide were absolutely amazing. The tour was so much fun, the guide was so helpful with information and showing us things, he even stood on the boat and plucked fruit for us to taste and take home. It was a great adventure through special routes that apparently only this tour takes. I would highly recommend using Sudushana for this experience. It was seamless from start to end and very well priced.

Gave reasonable price compared to other operators. Overall good tour of mangroves, cinnamon island, fish spa etc. Should be tried!

The whole experience was amazing, cruising the mangroves was magical, stopping at the cinnamon Island where a local showed us how they harvest and produce cinnamon ( you can also purchase there cinnamon and oil which I did) . The temple isand was awesome to see, the people ae very kind and the Buddha statues are impressive. Dulleesha was a fantastic host ( very kind and good english) also and we had a 5/5 lunch with her which was an unexpected bonus!!

Overpriced for a boat tour , don't expect to see alot of animals, you get lucky if you find some crocodile or any other water animal , but the views, nature and the guide was great and the cinnamon village and fish spa was a great experience

Excellent day spent with several activities such as madu river safari, turtle conservatory and tour of Ahungalla with meals at home. Personalized service and everything is done to make you feel good, very attentive. We highly recommend him!

It was a very nice experience. We were 3 friends and together with Samira we went on a half a day tour. He picked us up from the Hotel and we drove to the lake. There we went on a private boat tour. We have seen bats in the trees, how to make cinnamon, fish spa, small Tempel visit. All in all a good start to experience Sri Lanka. We filmed it for our travel blog, so feel free to check it out: thetravellers on YouTube.

Awesome trip with top guys! We visited Cinnamon Island, which also had a fish massage pool ;-) The guys took us and brought them back to our hotel. Good guys! Thank you!

This trip is excellent for several reasons. Firstly Sameera, the owner of Suduhansa Tours organised. That meant we were in good hands and he communicates details with us as we need to know them. His timekeeping is excellent. He accompanied us on the boat. Seondly our boat pilot, Chandrasilli was good company. Thirdly we saw the beautiful sunrise with hundreds of birds flying and calling to each other as the only sound backdrop. For example we saw three different types of eagles: 2 types of herons, parrots: cormorants plus quite a few birds we were not sure about. The journey from Hikkaduwa is approximate 40 minutes and there is a Tsunami museum and memorial which can be visited on the way back. Fourthly we explored the mangroves and visited a Buddhist temple on an island in the middle of the lake and witnessed a face off between the 2 island bosses namely a Cockerell and a very large squirrel. Sameera who is Suduhansa Tours is our car driver from Kandy to the coast and then back to the airport in Colombo as well. He is a very safe driver and has excellent attention for the details that make trips work and are good value for money. I recommend him without reservation. Эта поездка отличная по нескольким причинам. Во-первых, Sameera, владелец Suduhansa Tours организовал. Это означало, что мы были в хороших руках, и он сообщает подробности с нами, как мы должны знать их. Его хронометраж отличный. Он сопровождал нас на лодке. Seondly наш лодочный пилот, Chandrasilli была хорошая компания. В-третьих, мы видели красивый восход солнца с сотнями птиц, летающих и призывающих друг к другу, как единственный звуковой фон. Например, мы видели три различных типа орлов: 2 типа героев

Superb excursion, and a little extra with a fish foot spa! What a laugh, watch out, it tickles!

The boat tour through the RAMSAR Convention-protected delta of the Madu River is a bit touristy, but can not rob the magic of this branched landscape. Especially towards evening, when hundreds of herons and cormorants return to their sleeping trees. Also the island with the old temple and the cinnamon island are definitely worth a stop. And a visit to the corneal nibblefish is fun for young and old.

During the 2 hours of the safari we saw several animals and visited the cinnamon island and a temple on one of the islands of the Madu River. Both the guide and the boy carrying the boat were very attentive and professional.

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

Very nice excursion in a quiet place, there is no feeling of being surrounded by tourist boat, the few Things to do like the demonstration of cinnamon making are nice. The boat driver was very friendly. Very good time with family.

We took the cheapest tour, family of 5. You turned into a small mangrove tunnel of 50 meters, stop at some canoe with a baby crocodile that wants money, a stop in front of a Buddha statue, a stop where they show you how to make cinnamon (interesting), where they want you to shop, a stop with fish eating old skin on the feet. The "guide" said nothing during the entire trip, which probably lasted an hour. Comparatively quite an expensive experience. Fun with the foot care, otherwise quite lukewarm over-priced experience.