Unawatuna & Galle - Rangoon Wreck and the Fort

and the fort**

A 100-year-old British steamer. A 400-year-old colonial fort. The same afternoon.

The SS Rangoon at Unawatuna is a 100-year-old British steamer at 18 to 30 metres --- now an artificial reef hosting barracuda, trevally, batfish, and rays. Intermediate level. The Napoleon Reef and Jungle Bay offer shallower alternatives for beginners. Galle Fort in the afternoon: the Dutch rampart walk at dusk, the 1755 Dutch Reformed Church, the colonial street grid still navigated daily. A private dinner on the western rampart is available as an add-on. One night.

Experiences at this stop

SS Rangoon wreck --- intermediate

A British steamer lost approximately 100 years ago, now fully colonised by soft and hard coral. Barracuda patrol the superstructure. Trevally, batfish, and eagle rays move through the hull sections. Visibility is good in the November to April season.

Napoleon Reef and Jungle Bay (beginner)

Shallower dive sites within the Unawatuna bay area --- suitable for beginners and for guests who want a gentler dive after the Rangoon. Good coral and reef fish.

Galle Fort rampart walk at dusk

The best-preserved colonial sea fort in Asia. The full perimeter walk of the ramparts takes 45 minutes. The western rampart --- facing the open ocean --- should be saved for dusk. The lighthouse clicks on as the last light leaves the 400-year-old stone. This is the correct way to spend the evening after a day of diving.

Dutch Reformed Church and fort interior

Built in 1755 with original black and white marble floor tiles and tombstones set into the floor. The Dutch street grid carries its original names. Walk the fort interior with a guide who knows each building's history.