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Hikkaduwa & Around
be basic, but if you can’t stretch to hotels with
private pools, this place might just fit the bill.
The rooms are located in the upstairs of a
family house. There are green, shady gardens
and – with a feature that matches all the big-
boy hotels – a gorgeous beach on the doorstep.Temple Tree Resort
& Spa B oUTIQUE HoTEL $$$
(%227 0700; http://www.templetreeresortandspa.com;
660 galle Rd; s/d incl breakfast from US$146/165;
aWs) Picture a minimalist Manhattan
apartment translocated to a tropical beach
and you get the Temple Tree Resort. The
grey-stone rooms with electric-white walls
have whirlpool baths, rain showers and every
possible comfort.8 Information
Commercial Bank (339 galle Rd) Just north of
the river; has an international ATm.
Tourist Office (%091-393 2157; h8.30am-
4.30pm mon-Fri) outside the Bentota Beach
Hotel.8 Getting There & Around
Beruwela and Bentota are both on the main
Colombo–Matara railway line, but Aluthgama,
the town sandwiched between them, is the
station to go to as many trains don’t make stops
at these smaller stations. Aluthgama has five
or six express trains daily to Colombo (2nd/3rd
class Rs 110/51, 1½ to two hours), and a similar
number to Hikkaduwa (2nd/3rd class Rs 70/35,
one hour).
When you get off the train at the unusual
middle-platform station, you’ll hear the usual
tales from the touts and fixers that the hotel of
your choice is closed, vanished or has ‘magically
turned into the Statue of Liberty’. Just ignore
them.
Aluthgama is also the best place to pick up
a bus, although there is no trouble getting off
any bus anywhere along the galle Rd. There is
frequent service to Colombo (regular/air-con Rs
85/160, two to three hours depending on traffic).
Buses to Hikkaduwa (regular/air-con Rs 57/120,
one hour) are just as regular.H ikkaduwa & Around
% 091
Hikkaduwa has been a firm fixture on the Sri
Lankan tourist map since the 1970s. This long
exposure to international tourism has left
it a little worse for wear. Uncontrolled and
unplanned development has meant that the
swaying palms of yesteryear have given way
to an almost unbroken strip of cheap guest-houses and restaurants that vie among them-
selves to be the closest to the lapping waves.
This in turn has led to terrible beach erosion,
and, in parts, the once-famous sand has now
been almost completely replaced with sand
bags fighting a vain battle to retain what lit-
tle beach remains (although in recent years
sand does seem to be beginning to return to
large parts of the beach – a trend we can only
hope continues). To make matters worse, the
appalling Colombo–Galle road, with its as-
phyxiating smog and crazy bus drivers, runs
right through the middle of it all, which can
make stepping outside of your guesthouse as
deadly as a game of Russian roulette!
Bad as it sounds, though, there are glim-
mers of hope. There’s an increasing range
of activities on offer and more and more
higher-class places to stay and eat. Finally,
and maybe most importantly, at the time of
research there was much talk about a pos-
sible new bypass road around the edge of
Hikkaduwa, which would do much to bring
a semblance of peace and tranquillity back to
this paradise lost.1 ights & ActivitiesS
For many people, a visit to Hikkaduwa begins
and ends on the beach and you can’t really
fault them for that! The widest bit of sand ex-
tends north and south from Narigama. Here
you’ll find a few simple lounge chairs that you
can rent or even use for free if they’re part of
a cafe. But don’t expect a chaotic scene: there
are a few vendors, but it’s pretty relaxed.
The sands at Wewala are narrower and
steeper, but this is where the best surf is.Hikkaduwa National Park NATIoNAL PARK
(adult/child Rs 30/15; h7am-6pm) Hikkaduwa’s
marine park stretches along the northern
end of the beach and is a fun and easy way to
get a glimpse of some of Sri Lanka’s undersea
life. Snorkelling gear can be rented from plac-
es around the park ticket office for around
Rs 300 to 500 a day. Glass-bottomed boat
rides (not an ideal way to see the reef ) are
available for Rs 1750 (plus 10% tax) per half-
hour. The boats can be hired from beside the
national park ticket office.Scuba Diving
The diving season runs from November to
April. Professional Association of Diving In-
structors (PADI) courses (open water €265),
plus a selection of wreck dives, night dives
and trips for first timers are available from
Poseidon Diving Station (map p99; % 227
7294; http://www.divingsrilanka.com; galle Rd).