Koggala Lake: adventures boat trip to spot some crocodiles

In search of wild crocodiles, monitor lizards, monkeys and many more!

Near Galle, about 20 minutes away by tuktuk, is Koggala Lake. This is a lagoon that was connected to the sea a few years ago by small rivers and canals to protect the nearby villages from flooding. The special feature here is the mixture of fresh and salt water, which provides a home for countless animals. There is a fascinating ecological system stretching for miles in and around Koggala Lake, which is used by both animals and humans alike.

In my search for places to see in Sri Lanka, I came across Naveen, a social worker. Through a travel guide I got Naveen’s number and he is the ideal contact person when it comes to things to do or tips in and around Galle. Since Marc really wants to see wild crocodiles, Naveen referred me to Sammy. He offers boat tours on the Koggala Lake — in which among other things salt water crocodiles can be observed.

After a few messages with Sammy the tour was already planned. The best time for such a trip is either early in the morning between 8–10 am or in the late afternoon from 3.30 pm. We decided to go for the morning tour. Sammy sent me the location via Whatsapp and so we started at half past seven in the morning.

Arrived at Koggala Lake

After just under 20 minutes of driving with the tuktuk — we booked one via the pick-me app and paid about 2€ — we arrived. Sammy has probably already discovered us in the tuktuk and so we drive the last meters behind him. Down from the main road into a small side street and finally a few meters over a gravel road, which we would probably not have driven without him.

From there we went directly onto Sammy’s boat, which was moored in a narrow channel. Precisely and skillfully he first turns the boat to then go out with us on the Koggala Lake. Already after a few meters we stop again, because directly at the water in the trees a few monkeys romp. Sammy tries to attract them so that we can see the monkeys better and take some photos. I’m a little skeptical at first, because the monkeys are finally wild but they seem to be quite friendly.

Continue onto the lagoon, which is simply beautiful and impressive. All around are small islands and green nature that frames the calm waters. While we are sailing around on the lake, Sammy keeps explaining to us what animals and special trees there are here. Different species of birds, monitor lizards, crocodiles and also fish. Again and again we drive to the edge or turn off the engine, so as not to frighten the animals. So we can look at some of them close up. Sammy has a real eye for spotting even hidden animals from far away!

Lunch with a monkey family

So he also discovers this monkey family, macaques, hiding in the trees and bushes. With the boat we virtually drive into the trees and stop there. Sammy makes squeaking noises to attract the monkeys. He also has a trump up his sleeve: fresh bananas!

He holds these out to the macaques, who approach hesitantly at first. Some stay more hidden, while others simply jump onto the boat and take their place on the roof.

Sammy asks us if we want to feed the monkeys. Again, we are a bit skeptical at first, but Sammy demonstrates it to us and so I try it too. Armed with a banana, I climb onto the bow of the boat and hold out my hand with the banana in it to a small macaque. Just as skeptical and cautious as I am, he approaches, only to quickly snatch the banana from me.

Now more and more macaques approach, because all would like to have something from the fresh fruits. I gradually lose my skepticism and feed more and more monkeys. Some are very careful and cautious, while others — especially the young monkeys — want to get their hands on the banana as soon as possible. It is a unique experience to be part of this little monkey family, so to speak.

After we have distributed all the bananas, we unfortunately have to say goodbye again to our newly won friends. If it had been up to me, we would have spent the rest of the day here feeding the monkeys! :-D

In search of crocodiles

As we continue our boat ride, we keep an eye out for crocodiles that might be in the shallow water at the edge of the islands. So far we have not discovered any crocodile. But a small lizard on a tree trunk, many different colorful birds and a large lizard swimming along the edge. It is not disturbed in the least by us or our boat and swims unperturbed next to us.

When Sammy suddenly stops the boat and looks in the water for something, I am briefly confused and a little afraid that it could be a crocodile. Marc would like to see indeed necessarily one or even better many crocodiles, but to me this does not apply! :-D To my relief Sammy only discovered one jellyfish. We have already seen many of them in Thailand. What shocks us both a little bit: He reaches into the water and gets the jellyfish out.

Marc and I thought so far that one should keep away from jellyfish, because they burn after all and can be partly also poisonous and deadly. But Sammy is sure of himself and so we can touch the jellyfish in his hand. It feels like jelly. Very slippery, flabby but still firm. A short touch is enough for us and Sammy releases the jellyfish back into the lagoon. Thoroughly disinfected hands and on we go.

Cinnamon Island

The next stop is a visit to Cinnamon Island. A small island in the middle of Koggala Lake. The jetty, where we moor the boat, is nothing more than a few wooden boards floating on barrels in the water. But it serves its purpose. Sammy fastens the boat while we pack our cameras and go ashore.

Along a narrow forest path, over a natural staircase of mud and rocks, we reach a small hut, where a local already greets us friendly. Sammy explains to us that only cinnamon is grown on Cinnamon Island. Only 4 families live here and there are no stores. Only the houses and the cinnamon. We are led around a little by the local.

At a cinnamon tree he removes the leaves of a trunk and crumples them before he gives them to our hands. He tells us to smell it and wow — that’s some intense cinnamon smell! He leads us through his “garden” which serves as a small cinnamon plantation for him. Through the trees and shrubs we follow him as he explains the plants and their uses.

Afterwards, we take a seat on plastic chairs in front of his hut and he begins to demonstrate how cinnamon is made. To do this, he first roughly planes off the bark of the trunk from which he had already removed the leaves earlier. Then he cuts off narrow pieces of the bark. Only the first layer of the bark can be used for cinnamon extraction, the rest serves as firewood.

The narrow pieces of bark are simply placed on a few threads to dry. If you leave them like this for 1–3 days, they automatically roll up during drying and get the typical cinnamon shape. If one takes these dried cinnamon sticks and grinds them, one gets cinnamon powder. He takes a few already dried sticks and we are allowed to try the traditional grinding of the cinnamon ourselves and make our own cinnamon.

The coarsely ground cinnamon is then sieved. There is a very special technique for this, which neither Marc nor I know. Even after repeated instructions, we just can’t manage to swing the sieve back and forth in our hands so easily and naturally. It has to be skillful!

Finally, we get a fresh cup of cinnamon tea. For this, a teaspoon of cinnamon powder is dissolved in water and then sifted again. Really very, very tasty! Before Corona, the local’s job was to show tourists the process of making cinnamon. However, due to the pandemic, he now has little to do and so is back to working as a fisherman to earn money.

We can still buy some of the cinnamon. Both as cinnamon sticks, powder or also as oil. We decide for a package in which of everything something in it. In addition, we get the fresh cinnamon bark as a gift to be able to dry it ourselves at home to cinnamon sticks. This was a real experience and it is just awesome to see how the locals can make something too delicious with such simple means. Wow.

Temple Island

Back on the boat, our next stop takes us to another small island on Koggala Lake: Temple Island.

Here only monks live in their Buddhist temple. Basically, the entire island consists only of the enormous temple complex with the dwellings, temples, prayer rooms, etc.. Since this is a religious place, the shoulders as well as the knees of the visitors should be covered. Hats and caps are also to be removed as a sign of respect. Sammy had already pointed out to us before the tour that Temple Island has this dress code and asked us to dress accordingly. I have therefore simply taken a light vest with me, which I can put on over my top and in addition long jeans chosen.

While we walk through the temple complex, Sammy explains to us which building is used for what. We also learn that Buddha is not actually a god, as many might think. Buddha is a normal person who lived before Christ. Buddha believed that people make themselves unhappy by always striving for more and thus never being satisfied with what they possess.

He made it his life’s mission to come to terms with himself and be happy.
This lifestyle was adapted by his followers and thus Buddhism was born. Unlike Hinduism, where different gods are worshipped for different virtues, here one speaks only to Buddha. Since there is basically no God in Buddhism, it does not fall by definition under the concept of a religion, but is an attitude to life, after which one tries to live.

At the temples Sammy offers to take photos of us. It is forbidden to take a photo with the back to a Buddha statue, because this is considered disrespectful. Although there is no penalty, but you should already pay attention and treat the culture with the necessary respect.

After we have explored the entire temple complex — and learned quite a bit about Buddhism in the process — we head back to the boat via a kind of staircase, which consists more of stones and let-ins in the middle of the forest. Once at the bottom, Sammy has another surprise. He has discovered fresh almonds, which he also cracks directly with a stone for us and lets us try. Much fresher you can get an almond probably not and that is reflected in the very intense taste again.

In search of crocodiles — again!

Actually that was it with our planned tour. Originally it was supposed to take two hours and include a visit to Cinnamon and Temple Island. We have already been on the road for about 3 hours and have seen some animals and experienced a lot. But we have not seen a crocodile yet. On the way back to the landing place of the boat Sammy gives us tips, which places we should still look at. For example the Udawalawe National Park. There you can observe elephants, crocodiles and many other animals in nature.

When Marc tells him that he really wants to see a crocodile, Sammy asks us if we have time. He has another place in mind where crocodiles are more common here in Koggala Lake. To this place we would drive another 30 minutes by boat there and accordingly also back again. Since we both like to make boat trips and Sammy also has the time, we go there to maybe find a few or at least a crocodile.

We drive into a narrow channel. There the water is so shallow that the motor of the boat has to be lifted up to avoid scraping the bottom. Skillfully and like a professional Sammy maneuvers us through this narrow channel, stops at the edge and searches in the bushes for crocodiles. It is already exciting to be in this remote corner of Koggala Lake but unfortunately we still can’t find any crocodiles. And Sammy really tries hard to fulfill Marc’s wish.

But if the animals are not there, they are not there. That is the big difference between wild, free-living animals and kept animals. And that’s what makes seeing a crocodile in the wild so special!

An unforgettable experience!

Even though we didn’t spot any crocodiles on our boat tour, it was still a great and unique experience! We saw so many different animals, learned a lot and were able to feed a family of monkeys from the boat. My absolute highlight
But also the short visit to Cinnamon Island, where we made our own fresh cinnamon or the side trip to Temple Island are a true and especially authentic experience. This tour with Sammy is not a typical tourist tour, even though he has been offering it to tourists for many years. Here you can still see the real life, the real untouched nature and the traditions.

Sammy is a very good guide, speaks good English and can explain a lot. He has the right answer to almost every question, can tell stories about everything and also has tips for other interesting excursions. So he also offered us to do a day trip to Udawalawe National Park together, so Marc can see his crocodiles. And I elephants! :-D

It was a very great day with unique experiences!