History of Delft Island wild horses and the Dutch Fort
4 Answers from travellers
The wild horses on Delft Island are descendants of Arabian stallions brought by the Portuguese and later bred by the Dutch for their cavalry in the 1600s. When the colonial powers left, the horses went feral. The Dutch Fort ruins made of coral stone are still standing and you can freely walk through them.
Also check out the ancient Chola dynasty stupa ruins nearby. Delft Island has layers of history starting long before the colonial era.
Take a tuk tuk when you get off the ferry. The island is surprisingly large and walking in the northern heat to find the horse herds and the fort ruins will take all day.
While you are looking for the horses, you will also notice the massive Baobab tree on the island. It was planted by Arab traders centuries before the Europeans arrived.
Scam Watch: galle
Someone befriends you and offers a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to buy gems at wholesale prices and resell them abroad for huge profit. They may show you fake export certificates. The gems are worthless glass or low-quality stones.
Restaurants without visible prices. Bill arrives with inflated charges (500 LKR coconut becomes 1500 LKR). "Service charges" added without disclosure.
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