Surfing for days in South Sri Lanka

Soon it was time to pack our bags and hit the road again. We had enjoyed our time in Unawatuna so much that we’d convinced the group to come with us for a few more days there.

We went straight back to Amma’s Guesthouse where we even got our same room upstairs on the balcony. Hikkaduwa was great, but it felt so nice to be back in sleepy little Una. The quiet little streets and the perfect stretch of golden sand beach were so nice to enjoy after spending time in the much more bustling town.

While we were there we went for a nice hike to see Jungle Beach with our snorkels in hand. There’s a pretty little reef there with lots of tropical fish and squid to share the waters with. Not much else is there though, it’s fairly deserted with only a few locals and tourists making the trek down to the beach through the thick jungle. There’s one little juice bar converted from a fishing boat.. there’s nothing so welcome as a cold drink after a sweaty hike!

The rest of our time we spent at the Dewata Beach just a few kilometers away with a nice, long surf break great for beginners. The paddle out is easy and there’s absolutely no current to worry about. Board rentals were so cheap (only 2$ an hour) so you could play in the waves as long as your arms can stand it!

On our last day there, a crazy rain storm rolled in while we were out in the water. We got to the shelter of the surf school just as the thunder and lightning started. It was incredible to watch the storm out over the water, the waves just climbing ever bigger, fueled by the energy of the storm.

We had a couple of awesome group meals including an amazing burger from Koko’s Beach Restaurant and one of the most amazing curries of life at the Pink Elephant. They had lots of comfy cushions and space enough for all 11 of us to eat together.

We also discovered Le Café Francais, one of those rare gems you can almost never find in the tropics, with authentically French pastries and delicious coffee. We spent most of our mornings snacking on croissants and pain au chocolat in their little dining space. It’s got a pretty little patio facing onto the little street running through Unawatuna, great for people watching.

After a few days it was time to pry ourselves away again and head further down the coast to Weligama Beach where we’d heard there was another great surf break for all skill levels.

When we got there, we found the surf was pumping a little too hard for us to get in the water, but we could enjoy watching all the skilled surfers doing tricks and flips off the rolling waves.

Colorful fishing boats dot the long stretch of golden sand beach and there’s a pretty little private island at the far end. If you’re a better planner than we are, we were told that you can actually arrange to visit the gated island, you could even enjoy a meal over there.

It’s very easy though to lose yourself just wandering up and down the beach enjoying the view of the rolling waves and the fishermen sitting on their stilted perches.

It’s a majestic sight with the aquamarine waters and clear blue sky. Many of the restaurants along the beach offer lounger chairs under the shade of colorful umbrellas, it’s the perfect combination for rest and relaxation.

A few days of sun and fun in Weligama marked the end of our beach time for the next little while.

On our last morning we caught a bus a little ways inland to the cute little town of Tissamaharama, the gateway to the Yala National Park. It’s one of the only places in Sri Lanka where you can see leopards and elephants in the wild. Next time we’ll share the photo-journey of our time in Tissa and our amazing safari experience.

We’d like to take this opportunity again to thank our wonderful friends Sandy Ward, Mitch Collins, Megan Lochhead and Markéta Turičíková for sharing some of their photos with us 🙂