Hi everyone!
This time I want to take you guys on a trip along the South coast of Sri Lanka. I traveled through Sri Lanka for one month and saw so many beautiful places, met great people and had a really good time. I already told you about climbing Adam’s Peak and my visit to Anuradhapura. And while in the Northern part I saw beautiful nature and cultural aspects, the South on the other hand was really a place to relax and enjoy. I swam with giant sea turtles, had my first surfing lesson and felt more alone than ever, because it was the first time traveling all alone. Let me take you with me along the beaches in the South!
I started my trip along the coast in a village called Hikkaduwa. I took the train from Colombo to Hikkaduwa which took me around two and a half hours. The rail is literary next to the ocean so if you have a place near the window, expect to see some great views. I really enjoyed the train ride, even though it was very crowded. In Sri Lanka you have a first, second and third class. Because I didn’t really know what to expect I bought a ticket for the third class. A ticket in the first class is 300 rupees which is around 1.60 Euros. Second class is 160 rupees and third class only 85, which is around 45 cents. Don’t expect a lot of space or comfort for that price. I stood up the whole way and was completely squeezed in between local people, luggage and people selling food or drinks. Good thing was I met a local guy which I went for dinner with later on.
Because I didn’t think Hikkaduwa was really the place I wanted to spent another night, and because the guy I met basically proposed to me, I took the train to Weligama the next day. This is a nice surfers town located more to the South. My first night there I stayed in a home stay with local people who didn’t speak any English, but were so hostile and made me feel really welcome. My first day there I walked around and enjoyed the beach, which I had all to myself. Later on I met a local guy who showed me the whole town on his bike and took me to all kinds of interesting places in town. In the evening I went for dinner and made sure I got back to the home stay before dawn, because that’s when the giant (!!) bats come out.
Because I liked the town I decided to book two more nights in Weligama. From Weligama I took the bus to Galle. This is an old Dutch Fort, and as a dutchie of course I couldn’t skip this great place. In the 17th century the Dutch VOC built their fort in Galle. It’s a beautiful large fortress that was later taken over by the British. The fort is surrounded by the ocean and has been turned into a nice town with shops, restaurants and beautiful sights. UNESCO declared Galle Fort as World Heritage Site, which means that the old building style has to be preserved. You can find old Dutch street names and buildings, like the church you can see on the picture below. Have a walk on the walls of the fort by sunrise or sunset for a great view and to get to the lighthouse.
The next day I took my first surfing lesson. Weligama is a really good place for beginners to learn how to surf, because the waves aren’t too high over there and you can find many surf schools.
After a three night stay in Weligama, I took the bus to Matara. I didn’t actually visited the town itself but I stayed just outside the town near a small beach called Polhena beach. I stayed in a guesthouse called Lotus Guesthouse, and I have to say this was really one of the nicest stays I had. The owners where so hostile and made the best breakfasts . The guesthouse is a 5 minute walk from the beach, so I spent a few days going to the beach to read and snorkel. I swam with giant sea turtles and I felt like I was swimming in an aquarium because of all the colorful fishes!
The last beach town I visited was Tangalle. This town was a bit more quiet in terms of tourism when I was there and I only stayed here for one night. I walked along the long beach all day and visited some shops in the city centre. The beach is the highlight of the town in my opinion. You can walk for hours and it’s also a good place for surfing, even though the waves are a bit more rough here.
After I went up North I booked a few more nights in the South before I went on a plane to another country. I stayed in a place called Unawatuna and slept in the Dutch hostel. I really enjoyed this town, but it was the most touristic one I visited in the South. If you want to meet a lot of people and don’t mind the tourism then it’s really a good place. I had a wonderful time with some fellow Dutchies and enjoyed the great food and parties on my last few days in Sri Lanka.
Of course there are many other great towns on the South coast which you can visit. Did you visit any of these town or you do know any other great places I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments.
I hope you enjoyed reading!
Lots of love,
Marleen
!steemitworldmap 5.936248 lat 80.525998 long Traveling along the beautiful beaches of Southern Sri Lanka d3scr