Travel Photographs | Galle, Sri Lanka

Posted on by Aaron Joel Santos

Here are some photographs from a recent trip to Galle, Sri Lanka. It was an amazing time. The country is ridiculously beautiful and the people are crazy friendly. Except for the ones that kept trying to saddle up next to my fiance on the fort walls. But really kind of even them, in all of their misguided faltering and fumbling.

It was a quick trip. A vacation after attending our friends’ wedding in India. We arrived in Colombo at midnight, and left first thing in the morning on the train for Galle. I was walking around the station when the train started to pull out about 45 minutes ahead of schedule, so my first foray into traveling in Sri Lanka involved dashing across two rail lines and pulling myself into a moving car. And it all went uphill from there. Cliff jumpers, rooftop restaurants, men buried in sand, fully-clothed children stepping into the ocean, birds on wires, really big trees, fresh seafood on the beach, curry shops, sing-a-longs, beach-side hotel rooms, tsunami warnings, motorbike rides, and more. All in a few quick days. So yeah. Here are some pictures. I can’t wait to go back.









Published by Aaron Joel Santos

I am a freelance editorial and commercial photographer living in New Orleans. This is my blog. I'm a big fan of the arts, music, and literature. And I tend to overthink things like internet bios.

226 thoughts on “Travel Photographs | Galle, Sri Lanka”

  7. Beautiful – the landscape and the people. Great Post 🙂

  22. I loved Sri Lanka, it is such a beautiful place. Your photographs are beautiful and have such rich color and beautiful light.

  24. Thanks for taking awesome pics of our homeland! The fisherman one’s my fav. So looking forward to our next visit!

  28. these are the most incredible photos how ever did you manage to find the right moment to take them keep blogging these images 🙂

  29. Gorgeous. I especially love the shot of the man on the pole. Just incredible. Beautiful work! I’m going to share this post with my friend from Sri Lanka – I’m sure she will love it!

  30. Wonderful photos. As evidenced by the low-quality guitar-lick videos I post on my blog, I don’t have the same talent. Congrats on your freshly pressed!

  38. I am a Sri Lankan blogger and seeing these images on my WordPress home page about my beautiful country made me so proud! Amazing work sir, I really hope you visit again, Sri Lanka has a lot more to offer!

  43. That first image looks like whomever is about to hit the water, is also going to smack into a rock. And I agree with what someone above said, the image with the boy on the stick is amazing!

  45. I like the fisherman best….how does he get up there? The stick doesn’t look like it would hold his weight very well……nice photos overall. Good work! 🙂

  46. Wow these images are incredible. I love the pattern of the fish lined up all facing the same direction. You clearly have a very sharp eye. Thanks for sharing these!

  47. Very interesting photos. I loved the photo of the man buried in the sand and of the other on the train. Very well done!

  53. I hope that one day, a friend will get married in another country so I have an excuse to go. And I always imagined pulling myself in a moving train at the very end of the last cart like in a movie! =P

  59. Great photos. They really give a feel of the area.

  63. The shots of the fish and the man fishing are sublime 🙂 The earthy, ochre soil and the wild landscapes make this album, its such a raw and elemental country.

  66. Really incredible photos! I enjoyed this post a lot. Some of the best images I have seen on wordpress lately. Keep it up 🙂

    -Kyle

  74. What wonderful photos!!! I was in Sri Lanka in February but we didn’t go to Galle. We were travelling through the historical centres (the other world heritage sites). But you’ve really made me want to go to back and go to Galle. How amazing!
    Congrats for being on Freshly Pressed!

  75. Great shots Aaron, I really like your angle on things. Sounds like a great short adventure… definitely got me keen on a visit in the near future!

  77. Hey everyone, thanks for the wonderful comments and support. It’s very much appreciated. It was far too short a time in far too vast a place. I can’t wait to return. Hopefully sooner than later. And for a much longer period of time, if possible.

  79. Each and every pic is stunning . i don’t know if Galle is such a beautiful place or is it your pics that are making it looks so beautiful

  80. Sri Lanka is a truly fascinating country…You have captured the essence of the country beautifully in your snaps…A well deserved Freshly Pressed Post..

  83. Nice pictures, especially the last one! Check out also my Site: phantomphotos.wordpress.com

  89. Amazing.
    wonderful pictures! You make me like Galle, Sri Lanka.

  90. I love the final image of the man on the train. So beautiful. Really great post!

  92. Nice shots of home you got there. it’s always great to see someone appreciate Sri Lanka. Its a beautiful country and could do so much better.

    Try and come back and stay longer. There is waaaay more to see than Galle.

  93. Awesome photo man , How many day you spend in lanka .. What are the best options to hangout …

  101. Thanks for availing me such valuable & knowledgable kind of information. I go through your blog and found it fulfilling our needs,wants and demand.

  105. wow, i really, really love these photos. you really captured the adventurous feel of the place. the first and fourth photographs are truly breathtaking. well done!!

  108. Amazing photographs! I especially like the last one. Thank you for sharing.

  112. Wonderful. Thank you. I’m going
    To Sri Lanks for New Years and
    Really looking forward to walking into your photos!
    Daniel

  113. That is an amazing photo of the guy fishing from on top of the tree pole. It made me wonder just how talented he must be to cast from that point.

  116. wow! brilliant photos! I’m guessing you took time taking these wonderful pics! I wish one day I could go to Sri Lanka!

  117. I was in Sri Lanka in December, and I had the most amazing time, looking at your photos brought back so many wonderful memories, thank you for sharing this 🙂

  120. It is a beautiful little island,Unfortunately it is battered by racism.
    The photography is excellent.
    Let these images force the Sri Lankan politicians to preserve their country’s enchanting beauty.

  123. Loved your pics and I can see why you can’t wait to get back.

  129. I simply love these images and can’t wait to see more of what you have in store. It’s rare that you get the privilege of seeing someone capture such great moments that truly define the location in all of its guts and glory. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing work !

    Cheers to great captures, great trips, and even more adventures!

    cc:Keith

  133. Nice pictures. Reminds me of my trip to Sri Lanka…it is a beautiful country and yes, people are friendly as well!

  136. Wow, my favourite is the one of the fish. Reminds me of the fisherman in Kerala, where my mum is from. Which part of India did you go to?

  141. Wow the pictures are breathtaking! Although I have traveled to Goa once as group field trip, I’m still urging to cross Sri Lanka off my dream to-do list

  148. Beautiful pics. Congrats on being FP – you have a wonderful perspective which you’re clearly passionate about. Thanks for sharing.

  151. I’m so glad your muscular and vibrant photographs got Freshly Pressed. Those are the type of images we need the world to see, to bring people back to Sri Lanka. It’s great you had time to taste one corner of the island, lets hope you come back to visit some more of it soon;)
    Seriously – congratulations, your post was deserving of being singled out.

  157. Beautiful shots….amazing….never thought there would be a places like this at Sri Lanka… nicely done friend!

  158. Beautiful photos! We just left Unawatuna the day before the tsunami warning. I’m jealous you got to see the stilt fishermen – when we were there the ocean was too rough and they weren’t out. 😦 Did you pay that guy to jump off the cliff? I was looking up something about the 2004 tsunami and came across this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ86_j41A0I&feature=related
    I have no idea how they don’t hit their head on those rocks! Congrats on being FPd

  161. love it when you coming to Nevis, in the federation of st kitts and nevis we could do with a bit of travellog boost blessed love

  162. The kind of photos you’re desperate to see printed LARGE. You’ve kept them nice and neat (small-ish) and it makes me want to keep looking! GREAT photos – especially the first one. Love it.

  164. Thanks Aaron for these fab photos. Brought back old memories of my native land. (I am a Sri Lankan living in UK for over 25 years..and not been back there!). Did you get to any of the northern parts, or just stayed in Gale? What about Kandy? – Mani

  166. Another Sri Lankan blogger thanks you for capturing the essence of my country so well. Next time, I suggest you visit my hometown Kandy 😀
    Congrats on the Fresh Pres 😀

  169. Great travel captures. Your work is very inspiring. How did you end up in Vietnam? I’m on a bit of a travel adventure at the moment, wishing and wanting to pursue photography as a career. Check it out if you have some time, and congrats fellow freshly pressed alum!

  175. I lived and worked in Sri Lanka a few years ago as a journalist, loved it. Galle is beautiful and your pictures are amazing!

  184. Sri Lanka has just been featured in a local travel channel in our country and it made me want to go to that place as well. Our own Intramuros could have looked exactly like Sri Lanka now had the Japanese not bombed us during WWII.

  189. Amazing shoots! I was scared that I lost your blog when my browser crashed, but thanks God for the history! Amazing work, will follow!

  200. Your pictures are beautiful! There’s almost a poetry to them … hope you enjoyed your trip to the subcontinent. 🙂

  201. The first picture is just amazing!! I was there in 2002…your pictures bring back memories…thanks for sharing! 🙂

  202. Great blog! A picture tells you more than a thousand words..! 🙂

  205. Wonderful photographs. My sister-in-law is a native of SL.

  212. Great visual story. I was in Sri Lanka last year and had a blast! Now that you’ve covered the sea, go inland. Visit Kandy during Perahera Festival. A place for colour, sight and sound!

  225. A fellow blogger here, found your site via Mahara, and I have a piece of advice: write more.
    Honestly, you seem like you’re tailoring the full article around the video. You obviously know what you’re speaking about, so why waste your intelligence only posting videos
    to your blog when you could be providing us with something informative
    to read?

  226. Wow, fantastic weblog layout! How long have you been blogging
    for? you made blogging glance easy. The whole glance of
    your web site is magnificent, let alone the content material!

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