Sri Lanka is a gorgeous place. Aptly nicknamed “The Pearl of Asia,” the island country has white sand beaches, vibrant coral reefs, palm trees galore and waves…lots and lots of waves. There are various surf maps for the country online, but they only list a fraction of the actual surfable waves on the island. Everywhere you look, there are waves. Lefts, rights, a frames. It truly is a paradise for surfers and non-surfers alike. Tourism is starting to boom there after a 25 year civil war ended a decade ago. As I spoke to traveling surfers and tourists, I noticed one thing. Barely any are from the Western hemisphere. When I say barely, I mean that I met one American in the week I was there. Tourists are almost all Aussies, Kiwis, South Africans, Israelis and Europeans.
Sure, it is a far flight from the USA and it isn’t the cheapest flight either, but in my preparation for the trip, I stumbled upon a few gems that made me realize that this island country is perfectly suited for Westerners.
-Americans travel much differently than our Eastern Hemisphere counterparts. We get less paid time off and we tend to spend more money and budget less. Aussies, Kiwis and Europeans tend to prefer hostels and stay for longer periods of time, whereas we tend to prefer more middle to high end/luxurious accommodations. That being said, Sri Lanka has so many private villas and nice places to stay that, while not very expensive, are most likely out of a backpacker’s budget. Lots of these nice accommodations are located right on some of the best waves in the country. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in house that was built in the 1800s. It was called the EcoLodge and it cost $30/night. The breakfast was included and there were monkeys climbing on the roof and all around the property. It was a small room with two beds and a clean bathroom with AC. To highlight just how cheap it is to stay in Sri Lanka, we only spent $120 in the 8 nights that we stayed there. There are cheaper options too, but we wanted to go with convenience and comfort along with price. We will mention, that we had two separate sponsorships that comped our stay, which is why we only paid for 4 out of the 8 nights.
-Americans tend to demand more convenience than those from other countries. We are more likely to pay extra for convenience than our Aussie, South African and European counterparts. Having booked my trip 3 weeks before I left, and being overwhelmed by trying to figure out which breaks I would surf and where I would stay, I came across an incredibly convenient solution. I got in touch with some locals that run Surf Stay Sri Lanka that helped me unlock local knowledge. They set me up in a perfect place for my family right in front of a hollow right, and about 10 minutes away from a long left. They let me know on what tides I should surf, where the secret spots where, where to rent boards and gave me the overall lay of the land. Instead of spending the first few days while I was there, I showed up and had the locals fill me in, which helped me maximize my short time there. Nothing is worse than being jetlagged out of your mind and running around in circles while trying to figure what you are doing and how things work.
-There are a variety of setups. Point breaks, beach breaks, reef breaks, lefts, rights, a frames. There is something for everybody. If you look at a map, you’ll notice that there is absolutely NOTHING between Antarctica and Sri Lanka. Indonesia is East and there is a long way between Sri Lanka and Africa for swells to travel uninterrupted. The surf is consistent. It is not quite as big as I was expecting and there were way more people that I was expecting, but there are some quality waves to be had. I recommend Kabalana to goofy footers, as this was the longest, most ripple wave that I found. Rams was a fun and hollow right, but lots of the sections closed out and we surfed it on low tide. Mike banged his knee up on the reef and had to go to the ER because his kneecap was exposed. Rams can be deceptive and there are coral heads everywhere on the inside. This wave is probably your best bet to get barrels on the West Coast.
-It’s a good place for families. It’s a great place to go on a solo surf trip or to bring the kids along. We have lots of good waves on the Pacific Coast of North, Central and South America, but let’s be honest, most of the beaches are not very pretty. The Caribbean/Atlantic Coasts of these countries are gorgeous, but the surf is not very consistent. You get the best of both worlds here, and most likely your spouse’s approval, when you show them the beaches there.
-It is cheap. Your money goes a really long way here. Most places include breakfast too. Transportation is cheap, food is cheap, accommodations are cheap. Once you are there, you can still stay in really nice places at a fraction of the cost that you are probably expecting.
-It feels like vacation. You probably don’t know too many Sri Lankans if you are a Westerner. Going to Sri Lanka is like going to a different world. The culture and food is so different than what many of us are accustomed to. It is really interesting to check out Hindu temples, go on safaris, see elephants, ride in tuk tuks, swim with sea turtles and visit tea plantations while you’re out of the water.
If you are up for traveling to some unique places and good surf, Sri Lanka is a place I would recommend. Your money goes a long way, it is clean and safe, there are plenty of things to do for surfers and non surfers alike, and you’re guaranteed to find waves somewhere!
