Top places to visit in Ja Ela Sri Lanka

Ja Ela is a suburban place which is located at 30 mins drive from the capital Colombo. The beauty of this place is just unreal and it has pleasant weather throughout the year. The Place has everything from the canals to churches and shopping malls to wetlands. You will find everything in this lovely place. This place has great cultural diversity. Tamil and Sinhalese being the majority of the population in this place.

The place is full of activities, rather you can call it as an activity hub considering the size of it. On this list, we take a look at the best places that one can visit in Ja Ela.

8 Best Places To Visit In Ja Ela

Ja Ela with its amazing location and a weird yet fascinating etymology behind its name has many beautiful places to visit and here are five you can’t miss.

• Muthurajawela Marsh
• Dutch Canal
• Wolvendaal Church, Colombo
• Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
• Mount Lavinia Beach
• Pettah Floating Market
• Explore Old City Hall
• Kite Flying – At The Crow Island

1. Muthurajawela Marsh

The largest saline wetland is Muthurajawela Marsh. It is also the home for about 75 species of birds and 48 butterfly species. This is basically a canal that is located at a distance of 18kms from Negombo. The canal passes through river Kelani and lagoon. Since it is pretty similar to the swamp area, there is no wonder that this place is fully covered with mangrove forest.

People who are looking to take some time for adventures can opt and boat ride and get a wholesome experience on the place.

Also Read: 3 Amazing Ideas For a Fun-filled Weekend Break in Sri Lanka

2. Dutch Canal

This is a canal as the name says and it was constructed by dutch people to make sure the water is spread across the country in a very decent pattern. and mainly this is done to help the farmers with their paddy field. This was constructed in the 18th Century. This canal runs through the Kelani river in Colombo and the Puttalam Lagoon. There is another canal that runs parallel to this and it is about 15 km long. Boatride in this canal is the activity to understand the future and also to spend some quality time here.

3. Wolvendaal Church, Colombo

This is a majestic monument built again by the Dutch people in the 17 the Century. This masterpiece has preserved the architectural methods of Century Dutch colonization. The fact that this still stands after 300 years tall among the sights of Ja Ela is what makes it special. The Dutch constructed this architectural masterpiece for more than 300 years.

The atmosphere is very quiet and the church is quite relaxing for you. You can also spend some time meditating here. The graves of the Dutch officials who were the part of Colonisation can be found here. This has remained as one of the colonial structure that still stands out.

Also Read: Top 10 reasons to visit Sri Lanka for your next vacation

4. Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara

This temple is a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. Though there are several other Buddhist temples out there in Sri Lanka. What makes it special is the fact that it has a history of more than 2500 years. It is believed that Lord Buddha visited this place with another 500 monks. This was used as a worship place and also to preach Buddhism in Sri Lanka. You can still see the Gen studded stone and beautiful other paintings that depict the life of Lord Buddha. At the top is the 18 foot stone structure of Avalokiteshvara.

5. Mount Lavinia Beach

Unlike the other places on the list, this is a beach. Who wouldn’t love beaches? This is located at a distance of 38 Kms from Ja Ela. It offers vast expanses of the sea and one can peacefully take a long walk in the evening. Please are allowed to swim at this beach and you can witness the most beautiful sunset in the whole of west coats ar Mount Lavinia beach. If any of the above-mentioned things interests you or if you are just looking for a chill spot where you can be without much crowd. This is for you.

Also Read: 10 offbeat things to do in Sri Lanka that will make you fall in love with the country

6. Pettah Floating Market

Floating market in Srilanka? Yes, not many people are aware of this. But the Pettah floating market sprawls for a smaller distance and you can see every shop from clothes, footwear to bags, accessories on the shops not many are aware of the sprawling floating market of Pettah, floating for sure. This is a pretty little market which isn’t a pure floating market like the one you see in Thailand or Vietnam. This is established on the bridge above the lake Beira. Book Vietnam tour package and enjoy your trip.

7. Explore Old City Hall

This building stands right on the main street and it was built by the British people in 1865. This is a monument built to showcase the political power shift from the dutch and Portuguese to the British in the second of this. This is one of the major attractions for the history lover out there.

There is a museum on the ground floor and One gets to see the historical shift with the likes of age-worn trucks, vintage radio, age-old typewriters and other municipal equipment by visiting the museum. This place also has some fine wax figures and also this is adored for its ancient beauty.

8. Kite Flying – At The Crow Island

Surprisingly, the name crow Island has nothing to do with the crows. It is located at the mouth of the Nilwala Ganga river. This is a windy place which makes it even easier to fly kites. Kite flying is a tradition that is followed in this place for a very long time. Apart from that, you have the Crow Island beach park, Hiking to a certain extent. This is an offbeat place and if you re looking for some classic Sinhalese offbeat experience do visit this place.

In conclusion, this place has everything to offer for a perfect vacation. But it totally depends on the way you are planning it. Want some help in planning your next Sri Lanka trip. We at Pickyourtrail help travellers with customised itineraries for all their dream destinations. Head straight to pickyourtrail.com to start customizing.