Top Things to do in Southern Province
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The 9 Best Specialty Museums in Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Discover the best top things to do in Southern Province, Sri Lanka including Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum Complex, Sri Vijayarama Viharaya, Community Tsunami Museum, Ariyapala Mask Museum, Ariyapala & Sons, Puppetry Museum, Maritime Archeological Museum (Galle), Maritime Archeology Museum, Underwater Museum Galle.
Restaurants in Southern Province
1. Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum Complex
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 180 reviews
Reviewed By sunilf2020
Interesting place for a visit. The museum tells a lot about Sri Lankan Heritage. The house of the famous author is pretty Interesting.Really enjoyed the visit
2. Sri Vijayarama Viharaya
3. Community Tsunami Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 671 reviews
Community Tsunami Museum is aimed educating communities on Tsunami and preserve the memories of 2004 Tsunami. This museum is the continuation of the efforts of Third Wave Volunteers lead by Dr. Alison Thompson (author of The Third Wave - A volunteer Story and the director of Film Third Wave). This museum will take you a touching journey through science and history of 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Reviewed By Drbigloveuk
We walked here from hikkaduwa which is worth doing just to see the comings and goings. The museum has an informative section upon entering which talks you through the history and geology of both Sri Lanka and the cause of tsumani. The rest of the museum is dedicated to photographs of the tradegy. Be warned, some are graphic but that is the reality of the situation Two vey informative museum workers guided us around the display. They were both local villagers one of whom was just five at the time of the disaster. They are able to describe all the photos, identify many of the subjects and inform you of their personal experiences. A very informative, sad and thought provoking tour that must be done by all.
4. Ariyapala Mask Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 143 reviews
Reviewed By JetsetCupcake - Sri Lanka, null
This might just be one of my favorite "off the beaten path" gems in all of Sri Lanka! The museum itself is just so delightfully quirky! It looks as though it were made in the 1960s, and was never remodeled or dusted. Somehow, though, this adds charm to the whole place. Though the museum is teeny weeny, it does actually give a good amount of information as to what each mask means. I also enjoyed learning about the traditional mask ceremony itself. Now when I see these masks all over Sri Lanka, I feel quite good about the fact I know a little more about their meaning and cultural significance now! The real start of the show here, though, is definitely the mask museum upstairs. The masks are absolutely gorgeous and are some of the highest quality craftsmanship I've seen in the whole island. Each mask is handmade with an incredible attention to detail. With masks that you find in the average tourist shop, decoration is merely painted on in broad strokes, but not so with these masks! Instead, the details are hand carved into the wood, and then elegant and unique colors are used throughout. The result is absolutely striking - and unlike anything else you'll find in Sri Lanka! Several reviewers have opined that the shop is a scam, as the prices for these masks are high when compared to masks that you can get in Galle or Colombo. These reviewers, however, are unaware of the huge difference in quality between these masks and the cheaper 2,000-10,000 rs masks that can be found commercially. Having lived in Sri Lanka for 6 months now, I can confidently say that these masks are worth every penny. I returned just a few weeks after my initial visit to purchase two masks for my apartment and couldn't be happier with them!!
5. Ariyapala & Sons
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 42 reviews
Reviewed By CroxleyJD - Croxley Green, United Kingdom
A worthwhile opportunity. We arrived and had an English-spoken tour of the museum. Each mask on display had its own story and purpose. After our tour we got to visit the workshop where we could witness men carving and decorating their handmade masks. Finally, we visited their shop which was full of all types of souvenirs for a very reasonable price. Would recommend to travellers!
6. Puppetry Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3 reviews
The puppet museum located in Balapitiya is one of the main attractions in the area. Cultural aspects of Sri Lankan traditional string puppets has exhibited at the museum. User may enjoy a live puppet play as well as purchase art works by puppet artists.
7. Maritime Archeological Museum (Galle)
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By jaapv123 - Delft, The Netherlands
Have really enjoyed our visit to this museum. Nice overview of the museum by a video at the start and then 4 large rooms with eg one dedicated fully to a Dutch VOC that sunk in 1659. Can recommend
8. Maritime Archeology Museum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 254 reviews
Reviewed By W5520BVjulial
This is a fascinating and unique museum showing the history of shipping around Sri Lanka over the millenia. There are many artifacts, shipping items, coins, bottles, anchors, and other items recovered from local shipwrecks, and great explanations and a video (in English).
9. Underwater Museum Galle
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
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