MADU RIVER AND MADU RIVER SAFARI

The king coconut boutique
What you see in the picture is a king coconut boutique. This has been built  in the middle of a river called Madu river in Balapitiya in down south in my country Sri Lanka. At first glance, one may wonder to whom this old man seated on the stall would sell king coconut. But he is confident that he could earn a living for his family before the sun sets down the western seas.Though you don't see any boats in the picture,many a boats are rowed up and down this river passing this king coconut boutique. The boat riders stop for a while to quench their thirst while on their river safari to see a lot of wonders up the river. just read the following description about Madu River and the river safari.
 The beautiful Madu River, a wetland estuary spreading over 900 hectares of which 770 hectares is covered with water and inhabited with 64 islands. The boat ride is a wonderful way to take a closer look at this complex wetland ecosystem; a world heritage site protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands being one of the last wetlands in Sri Lanka to contain a pristine mangrove forest.
Journey past massive mangrove forests, glide under the canopy of the forest tunnels as they curve playfully towards the watercourse. Take in the unique biodiversity of the Madu River and its surrounding islands that boasts of hundreds of birds, plants, fish and animals.
There’s plenty more to do; quench your thirst with a refreshing drink of King Coconut Water and then proceed towards the Buddhist Monastery, see how Kraal fishing is carried out, how Ceylon Cinnamon is peeled and enjoy some ‘fish therapy’ as they playfully nibble your feet at the ‘fish spa’. If it’s later in the evening watch the fishermen in their canoes lighting lanterns on traps that catch prawn and other shellfish. It’s certainly going to be a memorable day-out on the serene waters of the unforgettable Madu River!