sri-lanka-13-full-pdf-ebook.pdf

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peacocks, egrets and monkeys. Birdlife in-

cludes spoonbills, stilts, several kinds of king-

fisher, sea eagles, pelicans and herons. Seeing

them as you cruise along on a two-hour man-

grove ecotour (4-person boat rs 2500; hde-

parts 6am & 4pm), with only the sounds of the

fisherman’s pole in the water and animals in

the trees, is both exciting and serene.

The tours were designed to help conserve

the mangrove forests and support local fish-

ers: they fund a community-managed credit

banks which provides low-interest loans to

locals. You can arrange a tour through most

hotels in Arugam Bay, but if you can man-

age the language barrier (most boat conduc-

tors do not speak English), it’s best for the

fishers if you organise with them directly.

Their Hidiyapuram Fishermen’s Cooper-

ative Society (%072 660 8560, 077 861 9959;

two-hour boat trip rs 3000; h6am-6pm) has an

office on the south side of the lagoon; call

and reserve as best you can, and someone

will meet you there. A three-wheeler from

Arugam Bay costs Rs 800 return.

Mudu Maha Vihara rUiN

Hidden away in Pottuvil’s backstreets are

the ancient ruins of Mudu Maha Vihara.

This lovely little site, partly submerged in

the encroaching sand dunes, features a fine

3m-high standing Buddha statue flanked by

two bodhisattva figures. The beach just be-

hind is wide, beautiful and undeveloped, but

not safe for swimming.

Pottuvil Point sUrFiNg

About 2km past the Cooperative Society’s

office, at the end of a scenic peninsula-like

stretch of sand, is beautiful Pottuvil Point,

which is a slow right-hander ideal for

learners. There’s a very rustic restaurant

(mains Rs 200 to 350) here and the very

luxurious Kottukal Beach House. Pottuvil

Point is Rs 800 return by three-wheeler

from Arugam Bay.

8 Getting There & Away

Three-wheelers to Arugam Bay cost rs 200.

Whiskey Point

Whiskey Point is a three-minute beach walk

from Pottuvil Point but further by road. The

point’s good for beginners, and the waves

are consistent from late April on. SaBaBa

Surf Café (%077 711 8132; mains rs 350-900;

h7am-10pm) is a gorgeous space to hang

out, with cushioned seating around its huge

wooden deck, great grub, beds on the beach

and regular parties in surf season (usually

Wednesdays and Fridays) with DJs playing

full-on house and electronica till dawn (and

beyond). If you like the scene so much you

want to stay, you can do so at one of the

attractive thatched bungalows in the neigh-

bouring Whiskey Bay Surf Resort (% 071

288 9289; http://surfwhiskey.com; bungalows s/d

Us$35/50), which are well set up for surfers,

with boards available for hire.

Three-wheelers charge around Rs 1500

return, including three hours’ waiting, from

Arugam Bay (a 20-minute trip).

Lighthouse Point

Lighthouse Point, another beginner/medi-

um right-hander, is 23km north of Arugam

Bay. It’s a lovely, isolated spot and its fine

sandy beach is little visited. The surf season

is late April to September.

Green House, another point further

north, is a 15-minute walk along the beach.

Three-wheelers charge Rs 2000 return from

Arugam Bay.

There are a couple of good places to stay.

Hilltop Beach Cabanas CABANA $

(%077 374 1466; http://hilltopcabanas.com; caba-

nas rs 1500-4000) Gorgeous place that gets

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Pottuvil

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(2km)

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Magul Maha Vihara (12km);

Siyambulanduwa (32km)

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Whiskey Point (8km);

Lighthouse Point (20km)