Sri Lanka Travel Tips

If you are following my Instagram, you will know that I’m currently living and working from beautiful Sri Lanka. I’ve been living in my self converted campervan for the last 8 months, exploring the UK and Europe, but with the winter making #vanlife slightly harder, I decided to grab a flight out here for some winter sun, surf, and work.

My digital nomad roots started in Bali - this is where I first discovered the world of remote working - so I am accustomed with working from my laptop from paradise. After some research online, Sri Lanka seemed to be a place that was up and coming for not only holidays, but also for digital nomads, and it is not disappointing! Here are my top travel tips for anyone wanting to visit this little slice of paradise.

I first visited Sri Lanka in 2015, so a long time ago, and I remember visiting the southern beaches, Yala National Park [where I saw beautiful elephants in the wild], and also went inland to drive through the stunning tea plantations. This time around I am spending the majority of my time on the southern beaches as my goals are less travel, more surf and work. All the main beaches in the south are pretty close to one another, and can easily be reached by Tuk Tuk. I will start with my favourite spot, a gorgeous little cove called Hiriketiya.

Hiriketiya

Set off the main road, Hiriketiya has a very quiet and chilled vibe, and is easy to walk around [you can walk to everything within 20 minutes]. It has everything you’d want - a nice surf break and gorgeous beach dotted with local beach bars, board hire & surf lesson stands, and restaurants, as well as some slightly more fancy restaurants and villas off the road. If you are looking for a place to chill, eat, sleep and beach, this is the stop!

Verse Collective - this has everything - hotel / restaurant / shop / skate bowl / tattoo shop / co working space. If you stay here [you have the choice between the single hostel rooms or double rooms] you can use the co-working space for free, otherwise it is 1000 Sri Lankan Rupee a day. The wifi is super speedy, and they even have Skype pods so that you take calls in private. This is Hiriketiya’s main digital nomad hang out, and I’d highly recommend if you are working.
Dots Bay House - this is Hiriketiya’s vibiest hang out. Located just set back from the beach it has everything, from yoga in the mornings [from 8pm], Mui Thai sessions, delicious pizzas, and live bands on in the evenings at weekends. You can also stay here.
Bahia - a lovely spot beneath the palm trees right just off the beach and perfect for a decent morning coffee and avo on toast.
Smoke & Bitters - a great dinner spot! You’ll need to book this place for dinner as it’s one of the most popular restaurants - unreal pulled pork!
Mond is another good spot for dinner and cocktails - again, another western owned restaurant and perfect if you are craving fusion style tapas instead of the local food. They are open Thurs - Sun for dinner, so again, book via their instagram.
Tonic Spa - this is a slightly more expensive and luxurious spa so expect to pay a bit more for a massage, but it’s worth it - you get a nice shower after your treatment, plus a cup of tea!
Salty Pelican - this is a surf/yoga/hotel, and although on the more expensive side of accommodation in Hiriketiya, it is a stunning property with a gorgeous pool. If you don’t want to stay here, you can go in for lunch and use their pool.
Garlic Cafe - the spot to get your Sri Lankan curry fix! They have a buffet, which costs about £2 and you can go up as many times as you want! They also do the stuffed vegetable roti - which is a MUST try! It’s a great snack, and can be found in lots of glass cabinets dotted all over Sri Lankan roads. Just be wary of the spice - a little spice is a lot of spice to Sri Lankans! According to the locals, the stuffed veg roti are best enjoyed with a cup of black tea.
I found all my accommodation on Booking.com - and nothing has been a disappointment yet. There is something for all budgets, so I’d recommend looking on there and checking the reviews. I stayed at Albini’s Guesthouse [budget option - you get a double room with bathroom and a fan], House on the Bend [slightly more expensive option with air con, breakfast, and great wifi], and Verse Collective. An accommodation that stands out for me though is Surf HomeStay, which is located right opposite the reef break. Next door is Peter’s Place, which is a restaurant nestled under palm trees and a stunning place to read, have food, or work whilst watching the surf and a panoramic view of the whole beach. Highly recommend, but if you want wifi perhaps not as it’s super slow.
Lion Surf Hire - ask for Sammy! His big beaming smile has been the highlight of my days in Hiriketiya! Sammy runs a surf board rental and lessons on the beach, and has a great selection of foamies and hard boards, which will cost you £2 for an hour to rent.
Atelier Hair Salon - a gorgeous boho hair salon just on the main road behind Verse Collection.

Marissa

Marissa is a hotspot for travellers and it’s easy to see why with it’s beach, local restaurants, and surf break. I’d describe it as a similar layout to Hiriketiya, but a lot busier. The nightlife is more hectic, and the little lanes behind the beach are filled with more shops. I stayed here for a few nights, but unfortunately the wifi everywhere just didn’t seem to be very reliable. If you aren’t working though, I’d say it was definitely worth a few nights here.

Kuja - a cute cafe that serves decent coffee, and is set in the shade beneath lots of trees [located a 5 minute walk from the beach]
Aloha - this cafe reminds me a lot of Bali, and is a great brunch spot!
Shady Lane - a good cafe, and potential spot to work from [I didn’t work here in the end but had heard good things]
Mamma’s House - this is where I stayed, and it was a good budget option right on the beach. They organised us an incredible fishing trip one day, so I’d recommend them just for that! The trip started at 5:30am in the morning and took us out on a private boat to do some line fishing. All the fish we caught they then cooked for us in their restaurant for lunch! Plus, we got treated to a blue whale spot!
No restaurant necessarily stood out to me in Marissa, but we ate a few times on the beach at the many restaurants there - mostly fresh fish or prawn curry and it was delicious every time.
Head to Parrot rock for some epic snorkelling! It’s not uncommon to see turtles in the water :)
The Doctors House is the vibiest spot near here, and is perfect for those looking for a party! It is a 200-year-old former Dutch and Ayurvedic hospital, now turned restaurant / bar / hotel. They host a little market on Saturdays, followed by a party with a live singer and DJ. Also do banging pizzas and cocktails!

Sri Lankan cuisine at its best - the stuffed veg roti!

SK TOWN

SK Town is about a 20 minutes tuk tuk ride away from Marissa, and often gets overlooked as is a much more local and quiet place to stay, but if you want a break from the tourists in Marissa then this is a nice spot to head to for a few nights. There is also a lovely beach surf break at Lakshawaththa Beach.

I stayed at a cute guest-house called More Joy which cost me about a tenner a night for a big en-suite room and fan and is a 2 min walk to the beach.
Black Sand Surf Point and Restaurant is one of three bars/restaurants on the beach, and a great place to chill for the day. They also do a banging prawn coconut curry!

Unawatuna

Unawatuna is fairly near Galle, and is a nice spot for a few days if you are into shopping and snorkelling! There is no surf here [but you can tuk tuk to Ahangama in 25 minutes]. It’s a much bigger cove than Hiriketiya, and therefore lots more tourists, but the little lanes set back from the beach are perfect for a night time browse in the shops or a dinner out. The beach also has some great restaurants!

The Hideout is a restaurant serving amazing Mexican food - I recommend the Surf & Turf burrito!
Koha Surf Lounge - good brunch spot and great wifi for working. There is a little work table at the back for working at, and they do the best chicken burger I think I’ve ever had.
There are so many beautiful jewellery shops dotted around the little lanes of Unawatuna - head into any of these and pick yourself up some rings for less than a tenner!
Pink elephant is famous for it’s Sri Lanka food - the prawn curry was delicious.
Dream Cabana - this is a 20 minute walk from the main stretch of Unwatuna and a gorgeous spot for chilling in the day on the sun loungers. They also have a swing which is popular for the classic Insta shot, and they do an amazing fresh grilled prawns.
Jungle beach is a more hidden beach that you can get to from the main beach by walking, tuk tuk, or even a glass bottomed boat. Nice spot for some snorkelling.

GALLE

Galle is a historic city in Sri Lanka, and is actually a Unesco World Heritage Site. It has lovely cobbled streets to walk around and browse the shops, or grab a bite to eat.

Visit the famous fort at sunset - if you go to the top of the fort, you will find ‘The Crazy Jumper’ - a local man who earns a living by diving off into the very shallow rocky sea beneath!
Stick No Bills - is a stunning art gallery where you can pick up prints that you will spot all over the bars and restaurants of Sri Lanka
There are loads of restaurants dotted about the cute cobbled streets - nothing stood out in particular, so just have a look on Trip Advisor.

Ahangama

I’ve only visited Ahangama few times yet, [it’s about a 25 minute tuk tuk ride from from Unawatuna so I was doing this every morning as there are no waves in Unawatuna]. From what I gather, Ahangama is very spread out along a main road, so for that reason it is less enclosed as Hiriketiya or Marissa, but it’s a great surfing spot with lots of cool little cafes and restaurants dotted along the long stretch of beach / road. You just have to walk a fair distance to each one!

Sticks, Marshmallows, Lazy lefts and Lazy rights are all great surfing spots.
The Kip - I’ve not been but the accommodation looks beautiful.
The Lighthouse, is know for its sunset drinks
Cafe Ceylon - co working / hostel / great coffee and Sri Lankan breakie!
Hari Hari House - this is a co-working space with ocean views and looks amazing! I’ve heard good things, but yet to try it for myself.

Weligama

To be honest, Weligama wasn’t my favourite place in Sri Lanka - it has more of a backpacker vibe, which means more parties and not to sound like an old granny [haha] but it wasn’t the vibe I was after with working full time. Weligama is similar to Ahanghama too in that everything is on one main road, which runs along a huge beach. I preferred the contained bay vibe of Hirikeitya, Marissa and Unawatuna.

La isle Bonita - a good co working spots, and you can stay here too. They have just launched a roof top bar too for parties as well.

Moochies - amazing food - falafel bowl is so tasty!
Ceylon sliders - good breakie and coffee, and you can stay here too.
Hangtime Hostel - nice smoothie with great views on the rooftop
Weligama rotti shop - freshly made roots, need I say more?
Good spa - nice spot bout a 10 min tuk tun ride inland, by a gorgeous lake!

I hope all these tips have been helpful, and hope, if you do make it to Sri Lanka one day, you love it as much as I do! The people, the food, the scenery - it is all amazing. If you have any other questions drop me a message on my Instagram - I’m happy to help!