Southern coast of Sri Lanka is the most visited place in the country. In fact, most tourists go here straight from Colombo, sincerely believing that this is real Sri Lanka. In fact, of course not, just read our articles about other regions. But the southern coast is the most advanced in terms of infrastructure, there are great beaches, many hotels, regular buses, even a railroad along the coast.
The most popular beaches are Hikkaduwa (98 km from Colombo) and Unawatuna (120 km from Colombo). Most beach-goers rest here. Diving, surfing, coral reefs, vast sandy beaches - everything for you. If you prefer the comfort, stop in Galle or Matara and drive to the beaches from there. We decided to look for other places with less information in the Internet.
First we stopped at the Mirissa beach, about which we had heard before the trip. This is probably the best place in the south for a beach holiday. There are few tourists, a great alternative to the more popular Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa. There are a lot of small hotels and guesthouses along the ocean, but we do not recommend coming here without a reservation during the high season. There are not many good places and you risk to find only cheap guesthouses. Keep in mind that this is still a small village without supermarkets. Even hot water can be found only in good hotels. It is nothing to do here for more than a week, even if you're a typical beach-goer. But we recommend visiting this place because of the ocean.
Mirissa beach ©Yuriy Buriak
Mirissa beach ©Yuriy Buriak
Fisherman on a pole in Weligama Bay ©Yuriy Buriak
Fishermen pull the net. Sometimes tourists help =) ©Yuriy Buriak
We stayed in Oasey Beach Hotel. It is on the south west coast, south of Bentota, but we liked the ocean there, too. The waves here are large, but smaller than on Mirissa. The location, however, is also in a village. Most good beaches are outside the resorts. We stayed in an apartment on the top floor. There was no choice as the hotel hadn't been booked in advance. Having spent more than an hour searching for accommodation, we decided to stay there. We strongly advise you to book a hotel in advance, as all normal hotels can be crowded.
Apartments in Oasey Beach Hotel ©Yuriy Buriak
We shared this hall with another family from Saudi Arabia. ©Yuriy Buriak
And this huge balcony, where we had dinner, too ©Yuriy Buriak
Beach in Bentota ©Yuriy Buriak
Waves on the beach in Bentota ©Yuriy Buriak
Getting there: From the Colombo airport by free shuttle go to the Aweriwatta stop. Then by bus #187 to the bus station in Colombo. Next by bus #2 to Matara, it passes through the Mirissa beach (but you can take any bus in south direction, just ask if it's going to Mirissa). Travel time is about 4 hours, so choose the air-conditioned bus. There is also a train from Colombo along the south coast.
