While it is already a major tourist destination, other aspects of Sri Lanka are still catching up. The island’s public transport system is extensive but is still developing. However, the island is still recovering from a devastating civil war and infrastructure is improving rapidly. As the country grows and develops new roadways are being added to cope with increased traffic. What may have once been an inconvenient road trip to the popular tourist cities of the south has been made easier by the newly built Southern Lanka Express Highway.
The Southern Lanka Express Highway (E01), sometimes simply called the Southern Expressway, is a proposed 128 kilometre long highway that will eventually connect the commercial capital, Colombo, with Matara. Once finished, the highway will slash the time taken to travel between the two cities to less than two hours as compared to the current four hours that it takes. Although the project is set to be completed in 2013, a part of it linking Pinnaduwa to Kottawa was declared open on the twenty seventh of November, 2011. The expressway currently reduces the time taken to travel between Colombo to Galle by two hours, the regular Colombo-Matara highway taking about three hours.
The roadway, which is thought to cost about USD 700 million, has four lanes and will eventually be extended beyond Matara to reach Hambantota and even Batticaloa. Many of the towns linked by the expressway are popular tourist destinations and the Southern Expressway will not only reduce the time taken to travel to these major coastal towns but will also ease congestion on the currently used roads.
The southern part of Sri Lanka is well-known for its beaches and they have never been more accessible to tourists. Foreigners who want to enjoy the island’s best beaches should head over to Bentota. Tourism in Bentota is well developed and finding good accommodation will not be difficult. Avani Bentota Resort is one of the most popular resorts in Bentota and is a pleasant and convenient place to stay at. This Bentota hotel is not just ideal for all those who want to spend their vacation relaxing and lounging under the sun, but it also offers a plethora of facilities for water sports making it suitable for adventure lovers as well.
