Sri Lanka Travel Answers

Dear Both, I will make a start answering. I am no expert on surfing, the Beruwala and Bentota area is more famous for its windsurfing than straight surfing but as you head south along the coast you can check out Hikkaduwa, in season there is good surfing here and plenty of cheap accommodation (check the VT site, LP etc) but it may be quiet at this time of year. The surfing diehards head for Aragum Bay, but that is on the East Coast and it may be as well to avoid this area just now. This site: globalsurfers.com/country_de... among others, will give you more info. Galle is maybe 80km south of Beruwala, it will only take you an hour or two to get there, you can hire a car and driver anywhere (it is not advisable to hire a car without a driver and certainly will not save you money) The driver will be happy to follow your itinerary, including leaving you in Galle As I said, there is an array of guesthouses and hotels in Hikkaduwa, you will be spoilt for choice, in fact there is lots of accommodation all along this coast, however it is difficult to give exact advice because some of the smaller places can changes owners, standards and prices quite quickly, so shop around, take local advice, ask to see the room before and agree a price in advance (including extras). The Piya Nivasa at Akurala comes highly recommended as a good beachside guesthouse: lanka.info/piyanivasa/About%..., I do not know about the surf, you can email them for details: piyanivasa_rohana@yahoo.com If you struggle to find what you want along the west coast you should find it on the south, there are several surfing spots between Galle and Matara, it is easy to get around, you will have lots of fun exploring. I am sure others will be along with more advice. Regards Mark

Hi there, last year during our holiday in Sri Lanka we used a great guy called Jagath. We were very happy with him and the price was also reasonable. He has a university degree and is driver+National tour Guide Lecture. Jagath has a new, clean a/c van and drives very safely. Try to email him on chamigath@yahoo.com or text him +94(0)777807939. Enjoy your holiday! Best regards, Ladka

We are an aussie couple in our 40's who were in Sri Lanka in March. I agree with the above reply - dont hire a car without a driver. The traffic (particularly the buses)all drive like maniacs and every person, dog, cat etc walk on the roads. You can hire a driver and car anywhere and should only pay about A$50 per day maximum. Bargain hard you will get it for less. There is also the train which is really quite scenic and worth it. You may wish to only stay at Hikkadawa for one night if any as it is noisy from the busy road going right through it. Better place by far is Unawatuna which is 5kms east of Galle. There is some surf there and not traffic. Galle is a bit of a dump but is an easy bus ride from Unawatuna (10 rupees). There is heaps on accomodation and restaurants on the beach and a nice reef for snorkling. The train from Galle to Coloumbo is 110 rupees for second class and a great trip.

thanx guys..help appreciated...

I answered your previous post before I saw there were other replies for this one. As said before, trains and buses are plentiful and very cheap so personally I see no need for a car as your route is so straightforward, but lots of people prefer to have the comfort of a car I guess. I don't agree that Galle is a dump; the new city is just like any city on the subcontinent but the Fort is a lovely and peaceful place, if a bit dilapidated. It's more of an old walled city than a fort; there are about two hundred houses within its walls, including some nice guesthouses. If you're looking for tourist things to do along the way, you can watch sea turtles come up to lay their eggs at the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP) in Kosgoda. Now is peak season so it's very likely you'll see one, but make sure you go to the TCP beach and not to an illegal turtle hatchery. For more info see the TCP website: tcpsrilanka.org/programes/on... and also my Sri Lanka page: "Sri Lanka: An Island Full of Treasures" - Sri Lanka by jungles which has a Things to Do tip about the TCP at Rekawa Beach and a Tourist Trap tip about illegal hatcheries.