With its long stretch of golden beach, meandering lagoon inland, fascinating folk museum and famous airfield, Koggala is a great little destination southeast of Galle. The golden sands of the three kilometre beach stretch from Habaraduwa – famed for its turtle-hatchery - to Kathaluwa and sees big hotels standing shoulder to shoulder along the sand. Waves roll onto the beach and rock pools outside of the Fortress Hotel offer not only calm bathing spots but also opportunities to see stilt fishermen hard at work. Just inland from Koggala is an expansive lake where the Sri Lankan Air Taxi lands. Emerging from beneath encroaching jungle that spills onto the meandering expanse of still water, the Koggala Lake is a haven for wildlife lovers as its many islands are populated by a wide variety of exotic birds. Fishermen traverse the still water of the lagoon leaving ripples in their wake as they hunt for fish, crabs and prawns that are famously served up in restaurants all along the south coast. Spice islands and mystical temples also scatter the lake and an early morning or evening punt atop the river in a traditional fishing catamaran is the best way to appreciate this quietly spoken scene. Madul Doova, one of the islands in the lake, was the subject of a book written by the late Martin Wickramasinghe, a lauded local author. His home in Koggala is now a folk museum that charts the fascinating story of his life and times. Koggala’s restaurants tend to centre on the beach hotels, and there are a number of ATMs scattered around town.