Sources · Destination Guide

Galle, Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa

Two dive coasts, historic Galle wrecks and a living fort on one southwest Sri Lanka trip

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Destination Guide Sources For Galle, Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa

Reference links used to build and maintain this guide.

38 sources • Updated Oct 29, 2026

Written by DiveJourney. Built from public sources and local operator knowledge. Last updated Oct 29, 2026.

Divinguru | 2026-27 Unawatuna seasonal announcement - Operator announcement explicitly says Unawatuna season starts 1 November 2026 and ends 10 April 2027; does not confirm individual departures.
Divinguru | Unawatuna location and hours - Operator address, contact and season; an older October-opening statement conflicts with the newer 1 November 2026 announcement.
Divinguru | Unawatuna and Galle dive sites - Operator site inventory, shallow and deep profiles, Rangoon and Orestes wrecks and possible macro life; marketing is not condition verification.
Divinguru | PADI Freediver course - Supervised freedive course with classroom, confined-water and boat sessions; 10-16 m training is a course limit, not a site recommendation.
Divinguru | operator rate card - Published operator-only EUR rate examples, rental distinctions, training fees and changes without prior notice.
Sri Lanka Sub Aqua Club | shipwreck inventory - Separates Galle and Hikkaduwa wreck names and depths, marks prior-approval archaeology wrecks, and warns other wrecks may be restricted.
PADI | International Diving School Hikkaduwa - PADI-listed Hikkaduwa operator, boat, scuba/snorkel and rental facilities. Hours are listings, not confirmed departures.
PADI | Divinguru Unawatuna listing - PADI operator listing and skills range; its older 15 October opening conflicts with updated operator notice.
Ceylon Nautica | locations - Operator advertises year-round Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna locations; not a verified schedule, boat launch, or permission.
Ceylon Nautica | pricing - Advertised dive, snorkel, freedive and generic overnight-vessel rates; no verified overnight itinerary originating inside this visitor circuit.
Sri Lanka Tourism | southwest beaches and Hikkaduwa itinerary - National tourism board says southwest coastal sea is generally calmer November-March and identifies Hikkaduwa Conch, Earl of Shaftesbury and reef names; older promotional dive depths may differ.
Sri Lanka Tourism | weather - National climate-season guidance: southwest monsoon May-September, transition October-November, relatively calm southwest December-February.
Department of Wildlife Conservation | marine tourism - DWC specifically lists Hikkaduwa boat safari and snorkeling; does not publish a current Hikkaduwa fee or blanket scuba permissions on this page.
Department of Wildlife Conservation | Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance - Legal conservation basis for reserve and sanctuary designations; no site-specific commercial permit list on this page.
Ruhunu Tourist Bureau | Hikkaduwa Beach - Regional tourism bureau lists Hikkaduwa Coral Sanctuary, glass-bottom boats, surfing, Seenigama Temple and tsunami memorial; calls sanctuary entrance free but boat rental paid.
Ruhunu Tourist Bureau | snorkeling Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna - Regional tourism bureau discusses Hikkaduwa reef, Unawatuna, Jungle Beach and November-April snorkeling window; wildlife sightings not guaranteed.
Ruhunu Tourist Bureau | Unawatuna, Rumassala and Jungle Beach - Regional tourism bureau for Rumassala walking, Japanese Peace Pagoda and Jungle Beach; advertised daily tours not verified inventory.
UNESCO | Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications - World Heritage status and conservation management of the inhabited Galle Fort.
Sri Lanka Tourism | museums - Galle National and Maritime Museums, heritage context and advertised opening days; reconfirm ahead of visit.
Central Cultural Fund | posted ticket prices - Posted 2 September 2026 full Galle museum ticket and separate listed Galle archaeology/recreational diving tour line items, not confirmation of bookings or archaeological permits.
Sri Lanka Railways | Coast Line station list - Official coast line includes Hikkaduwa, Galle and Unawatuna stations; individual trains may not stop at each station.
Sri Lanka Railways | timetable - Check train-by-train service and service alterations rather than inventing local frequencies.
Sri Lanka Tourism | airports - Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is the principal international arrival point.
Sri Lanka Immigration | official ETA notice and eligibility - 25 May 2026 advance ETA rule and list of eligible 30-day free tourist ETAs, with exceptions and nationality-specific terms.
Sri Lanka Immigration | visa eligibility - Passport valid at least six months on arrival, sufficient funds and onward/return documentation.
1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation | national ambulance service - Publicly funded islandwide emergency prehospital service, 1990, 24/7 dispatch.
Sri Lanka Tourism | emergency services - Police 118/119, tourism 1912 and ambulance 1990 emergency numbers.
Sri Lanka Navy | hyperbaric facility report, 1 October 2026 - Confirms staffed Navy recompression chamber in Trincomalee, not a locally verified chamber in Galle; individual treatment/transfer cannot be presumed.
Divers Alert Network | flying after diving - Minimum recommended surface intervals after no-decompression dives and increased decompression stress at altitude.
Sri Lanka Coast Guard | turtle conservation - Marine turtle conservation activity in Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa; presence is not a guaranteed visitor sighting or a verified hatchery-tour product.
National Science Foundation Sri Lanka | Hikkaduwa reef research - 2023 peer-reviewed research identifies bleaching, degradation and slow regeneration at Hikkaduwa Marine National Park.
Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka | plug standard - Type G is national standard since 2016 with legacy installations permitted during transition.
Electrical Safety First | Sri Lanka power - 230 V, 50 Hz and Type G/legacy Type D outlets.
Sri Lanka Tourism | practical travel tips - LKR, ATM access, languages and local cash use.
Dialog Sri Lanka | tourist SIM and eSIM - Example local prepaid tourist connectivity and passport activation, plans vary.
UK FCDO | Sri Lanka travel advice - September 2026 warning notes heavy seasonal rain, flooding and transport disruption.
Destination hero photo by anjana.sudam (historical) - Unawatuna beach and bay, Sri Lanka. Photo: anjana.sudam / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. Cropped and resized. Cropped image retains the same license.
Destination hero photo by Siarhei Palishchuk - An aerial view of a beach and trees. Unsplash License (https://unsplash.com/license). Photographer: https://unsplash.com/@smeshny. Cropped and resized for the cover.