Hikkaduwa is a sleepy town 3 hours by train from the capital city of Colombo. This little beach resort also boasts some of the best surf on the island - and somewhat of a turtle haven whenevver I put my head under the water I seemed to spot a sea turtle.
I visited in March/April 2001, just missing peak *tourist* time & spent a great few weeks surfing & hanging out on the beach. I stayed at a small, family run guesthouse & so avoided the high priced, gated hotels which are found along the beach but tend to be favoured by the *package holiday* goers. I think Sri Lanka can be seen as a pretty expensive travel destination but its not all fancy hotels & German tourists - I backpacked my way down from Nepal through India before arriving in Sri Lanka & was really glad I made the decision to do so. I liked the people & the pace of life a lot better in Sri Lanka than I did in India - it's way more chilled out & less hectic, also lusher & cleaner (probably due to the huge numbers of German tourists who flock here each year) I never got hassled once the whole time I was there & English was widely spoken & understood.
Prices were dramatically reduced at the end of March to late April, although somedays we had to contend with sudden monsoon type downpours, they usually only lasted 1/2 hour or so & the sun came back out. There were plenty of *local* places to eat out in at night and the locals themselves were a friendly & laid back lot.
There was a surf shop on the beach, right by the main break run by a helpful Japanese guy which provided board rentals & sold suits, flippers, leashes & rash vests. I stayed at Anura Villa Guesthouse & paid about £5 a night for a nice clean room with ensuite bathroom (cold shower). Right next door was Ranjits - the only place I ever got Marmite on toast in Asia!! There was a small supermarket, internet cafe, bank & a scattering of jewellery & craft shops - my best buy here was one of the handcarved / painted masks. Everyone always comments on it when they see it & I like the little reminder of HIkkaduwa on my wall at home.
The only downer of Hikkaduwa is the fast main road that runs through the *town* behind the beach, you got to watch out for the maniac bus/car drivers who come screaming through - but as the road is straight & long you hear/see them coming from a mile off & can getout the way in good time. The beach front itself is beautiful and spotlessly clean - pure white sand & swaying plams - some of most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen, Sri Lanka blows the Carribbean out the water.
There isn't much else to do here except surf, swim, dive & sunbathe although there is a small buddhist temple nestled in the fairly accesible jungle close by. I would suggest this place is great for those who don't go abroad looking for hectic bars, nightlife & shopping but are into the simple life - surfng, nature & taking it easy .
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