Dear readers,
welcome to this Sri Lankan blog written and designed by two passionate free spirits, Martina and Diego, to inspire and help people to discover the beauties of Sri Lanka. The topics that will be discussed in our articles are the results of our personal experiences after several years of traveling and surfing to Ceylon.
The first time we landed in Colombo was back in May 2014; at that time we were looking for a new surf destination far from the crowd; compared to Indonesia where Diego surfed for the first time in 2007, Sri Lanka revealed us a unique balance among surfing empty waves, lifestyle, and culture. That season time we knew that the best wave conditions for surfing in Sri Lanka were along the east coast.
17 days - 1700 km by tuk tuk in Sri Lanka!! Surf, safari, friends, beers, and so much fun. This has been one of the most crazy trips on the road I ever experienced in my life!
I still remember as it was yesterday, the 2nd of May I landed in Colombo at 5:00 am; Janaka, the driver, was waiting for me at the exit of the airport where he picked me up with one friend.
After the first step outside the airport, I realized that I was in paradise, the temperature was around 27°C and I could feel the smell of incense in the air.
Two hours driving on the highway with one stop for a cup of local tea and my first taste of one of the most common street foods you can get on your Sri Lanka trip: the egg roti, a kind of local bread with eggs, quite similar to an Italian piadina and very tasty if ate when is still hot. We arrived straight to Ahangama, a little town on the South coast of Sri Lanka, just ten minutes from Weligama, where Janaka introduced me to the owner of the local house with an ocean view. The room was tiny, with few windows where the sounds of the ocean pass through, a little patio faced a wide garden with palm trees. The house was just for me, no other guests were there because the rainy season was starting and the tourist was moving to the East Coast where the summer was starting. Sonil, the man who managed the property welcomed me with a fresh yellow king coconut which was harvested just in front of me and opened up with a big machete. I was astonished by the kindness of this person who made me feel at home.
Excited by the surf break in front of my room, I decided after asking the opinion to some locals, to go surfing in Mrissa; a beautiful bay with a perfect right hand that breaks on a reef point. The water was so warm and the sun so strong. After having some fun rides, I got a beer on the beach where there were a few bars and restaurants, and I talked with some local guys. Everybody was of the same opinion, the wave season was almost
at the end and the surf conditions were kind of good only early in the morning; then the wind started blowing and made it difficult to surf the Mirissa Bay. Me and Janaka went to Marish restaurant, a local place where only men were drinking and eating and we discussed that was better to change my plan for the trip. Due to the inconvenient surf and weather forecast, I decided to spend only two nights on the South Coast and that was better for me to move to a different place, such as Ella.
I planned with Janaka the trip I wanted to follow, by choosing to visit along the road some points of interest with temples, waterfalls, and so on. With a lighting sight, he told me: "No problem my friend, tomorrow we are leaving at 5 am by tuk tuk".
I asked, "Sorry? Tuk tuk? Janaka are you kidding me? it's too far!!"
This was the beginning of our crazy and unforgettable experience!
Direction to the hill countryside, five hours driving by tuk tuk. After a couple of hours on the road, we arrived at Wellawaya where we met a Janaka's friend. This guy lives in a small house built in the middle of the jungle. The people of the small village were very surprised to see a white man in that isolated area. We smoked and shared one cigarette all three, and I also tried the local leaf mix with nuts, lime, and tobacco called "betel nut". Usually, locals chew it to avoid the feeling of hunger and tiredness when they are
working for a long time. Saying goodbye to the village made me feel so connected with all the peaceful people living in this place; we were back on the road to Ella, where we reached the Ravana Ella waterfall.
The first sight was very impressive, all around me was surrounded by the forest, the air was fresh and the silence was immense. I exchanged one euro with a local guy who collected coins from tourists from different countries with a couple of local stones. It was an interesting exchange of our different cultures.
The next stop was Monaragala where we visited the beautiful statue of Buddha. This region of Sri Lanka is very famous for its precious gems. Tourists are allowed to buy them and I suggest to whom it is interested to visit the specialized shop located in the center which provides the original certification of the rare gems. I was so happy to meet two of Janka's brothers-in-law; the first is the owner of a little guest house where I spent one night, while the other guy was working in a pumpkin plantation. We had a fantastic
dinner at his family house, where his wife prepared a typical meal with rice, chicken, curry, boiled potatoes, green beans cooked in a special source, and fish curry. It was very interesting to look at how they prepared the dinner; in the kitchen, there was a fireplace on the floor with a candle as a light for the room. This family has two daughters 4 and 9 years old. I gifted them with some chocolates and they were very excited for a simple present like that. I felt myself as never before, just with their smiles and happiness in that poor but respectable condition I understand what means the value of the family.
Janaka called his brother who lives in Monaragala. He arrived at the market in a nice black motorbike. It was the second time on my trip that I met this guy. His name is Damayanthi, he was very kind and quiet.
Due to the hot and dry weather,, we were looking for a relaxing and cooler place. Janaka organized a very nice excursion to swim in the jungle river of Monaragala. He told me that it was a place only for local people and tourists were not used to visiting that part of the village. I was in safe hands with Janaka and his brother, so I just enjoyed the moment without caring too much about a non-touristic place. From the market, we drove for 15 minutes in the jungle side. We parked the tuk-tuk and the motorbike in front of a house where two old guys wearing sarong, a typical vest for men, were sitting outside. We walked down the hill that was completely immersed in the jungle, with high trees and without any kind of path to follow. We finally arrived at the river that passed through the village where local people were swimming, kids playing, and women were washing clothes. There were some gentle waterfalls and several natural pools the water of the river was very cold compared with the air temperature and the rocks were very slippery. We helped each other to walk and climb the rocks of the river. We found two nice and comfortable pools where we dived our several and refreshed for several hours. After experiencing the hot climate of Monaragala, diving in that river was a touch of God. It was paradise! This river with its local people is still one of my favorite experiences that I had in Sri Lanka!
I set the alarm for 6:30 am, to reach the East Coast for a surf session. We arrived at Pottuvil with the aim of finding a nice room where to rest for the days ahead. We ended up in Arugam Bay, one of the most famous places for surfing in Sri Lanka, where we were accommodated near the beach in a local hotel with nice cabanas. The room was simple, with just a bed with a fan and a private bathroom, the breakfast included made me decide that it was the place where I wanted to be.
In the next article, I am going to present you with the main Sri Lanka surf spot located on the East Coast: Arugam Bay!
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