Growing Up in Bentota: A Piece from My Heart

"Wherever I go in the world, I cannot think of any other place I feel so at home, relaxed and energised."

My story, like many before me, begins in Bentota. I was born on the 3rd of December 1994. My family roots in Bentota go back six generations as far as we are aware. Our ancestral home, built in 1889 by my great grand father, still stands today. That home — full of character, laughter, and memory — is now what many know as Fortress de Jayaweera.

My father inherited the house in 1985, the same year he married my mother, who grew up in nearby Induruwa. They raised me and my two older sisters in this little coastal town, in a way that now feels like a dream — slow days, open skies, friendly people and the endless hum of the sea.

Life in a Quiet Coastal Village

Bentota, back then, was the kind of place where everyone knew or had heard of each other. Life was simple and grounded, full of laughter, sea breeze, and temple bells. For the first two years of school, I attended Gamini National School, a local school that gave me a strong foundation in Sinhala and the chance to make lifelong local friends. Later, I moved to an international school in Panadura where I learned to speak English fluently — something that became useful every time I struck up conversations with tourists curious about our beautiful town.  It meant waking up at 5:30am and catching a packed school van at 6am or at the age of 12, catching a public bus for a 1.5-hour journey each way. But I never complained. I loved learning, being active in school life, and coming home late after extracurriculars.

Life wasn’t without its challenges. One memory that sticks out was the day I accidentally poured boiling water on myself at the age of four. In Sri Lanka we boil our tap water before consumption. I mistook boiling water in the kettle for chilled drinking water and attempted to drink directly from the kettle as I often did back then. Silly me! When I started sipping, I burnt my tongue and the shock let loose of the grip on the kettle and all the boiling water fell on my body. Bentota’s hospital couldn’t treat me—it was that small back then. My parents had to rush me to Colombo, over two hours away. I still remember the pain, the skin peeling, the panic—but I also remember the strength of my parents and the resilience we’ve always carried as a family. Bentota has grown since then — mostly in tourism — but it still carries the humble spirit of a village that looks after its own.

Childhood Memories & Backyard Cricket

We had a big garden with countless trees, and I remember the chaos and excitement when many of them were cut down to build our new family home behind the original villa. For a few weeks, the backyard felt like a fallen jungle. My friends and I turned it into an adventure playground — jumping from trunk to trunk, playing hide-and-seek, and imagining we were on wild expeditions.

Weekends were for backyard cricket, and Gamini School’s grounds became our stage. We even formed a team, competed locally, and cycled around the village with bats in hand — doubling up on bicycles to get everyone to the game. It’s still one of my most treasured chapters.

Of course, there were the funny and frightening stories too — like the time a snake slithered across my path when I was running around the garden for hide and seek. I was so scared, I didn’t even look back, I ran so hard towards the house and told my father but by the time we came back to look for it, it had disappeared. I also vividly remember the multiple occasions we had a snake in our kitchen lurking around and how we had to trap it by closing all the entry and exit points. Life in Bentota was never dull.

Family, Food & Philosophy

My mother, an English teacher, was the backbone of our household — working weekdays and running tuition classes on weekends. My father took early retirement to raise us and run the household—and he did it with pride. Watching him take charge of things at home, fixing everything from broken utensils to vehicles, and cooking meals with love, taught me what being a man truly means. Clean, responsible, gentle, and grounded.

I was the youngest of three—blessed with two older sisters who were both my biggest supporters and fiercest competitors growing up. We were all four years apart from each other, which meant I got the best (and sometimes the brattiest) version of being the youngest. They often say I was spoiled, and maybe I was, just a little! But what I learned from growing up around strong, kind women—especially with my mother as a role model—shaped how deeply I respect women today. My sisters taught me empathy, patience, and how to hold my own during a pillow fight.

Together, my parents made delicious food — but it was my mum’s cuttlefish (squid) curry that I remember most. Nothing beats it, even today. Food, for us, was love, comfort, and tradition all rolled into one.

Being raised with Buddhist values, our lives were intertwined with the local temples. On Poya days, we’d visit with offerings, light oil lamps, and receive blessings from the monks. It wasn’t just religion — it was a way of life that shaped our values and our sense of gratitude.

The Beach Was Our Playground

Bentota Beach was where most of my childhood played out. We lived about a 10 minutes walk from the beach. Having travelled to a fair few countries, I truly believe Bentota Beach is one of the best beaches in the world. We’d go as a family in the evenings, enjoy picnics with hoppers and tea, build sandcastles, and dive into the ocean as the sun dipped low. The warmth of the water, the softness of the sand, and the calm it brought — that’s Bentota at its best.

A Dream to Preserve & Share

As life took me around Sri Lanka and eventually overseas, Bentota remained my anchor. It’s not just where I grew up — it’s the place that shaped who I am. And while Bentota raised me, it was New Zealand that brought a new chapter into my life.

I got a scholarship and moved to New Zealand to study, chasing education and opportunity, but along the way I found something even more special—my wife. She’s a Kiwi, and our story began far from home, but it was always going to come back to Bentota. In 2024, we returned here to get married, surrounded by friends and family from around the world. It was the most beautiful day of our lives, held right here in the village that raised me. That experience reminded me just how magical this place truly is—for anyone, from anywhere.

My dream has become clear: to preserve the personality of Bentota and open its doors to others in a way that’s authentic and personal. If you ever visit Bentota, I hope you come for the stories, the people, and the quiet charm that make this place unforgettable and not just the beach. Bentota gave me everything — and it would be my greatest joy to help you discover it too.

With lots of love & gratitude,

Neranga Jayaweera