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4 Sleeping
Virtually all of Hikkaduwa’s accommodation
is strung out along Galle Rd.
Most plots of land along the strip are quite
narrow, which means that guesthouses will
only have a few pricey rooms with views of
the water. In contrast, rooms closest to the
road get a lot of noise, so be sure to get a
room well away from the traffic. Many places
are jammed right up against each other.
An increasing number of plush, luxury
hideaways are springing up in the environs
of Hikkaduwa.Dewasiri Beach
Restaurant & Hotel H oTEL $
(map p99; 472 galle Rd; tw with fan Rs 1800-2500,
with air-con Rs 2800; W) Ideal for surfers on a
budget, this place overlooks Main Reef and
has a variety of clean, shiny white rooms, but
it’s the lovely family and their skills in the
kitchen that really make it standout from the
budget pack.Blue Ocean Villa H oTEL $
(map p99; %227 7566; blueoceanvilla420@gmail.
com; 420 galle Rd; r Rs 3000-5000; aW) Smart
people rock up to this friendly place in the
heart of the action and score themselves a
classy room that comes with wicker chairs,hot water and a rock-and-water-world fanta-
sy in the reception area. Only the more ex-
pensive rooms have air-conditioning.Top Secret g UESTHoUSE $
(The Harmony; map p99; %227 7551; http://www.srilanka-
holiday.info; galle Rd; r Rs 2000-3000; W) Right
at the eastern end of the tourist strip and on
an appealing patch of beach is this stylish
guesthouse. The rooms themselves are fairly
plain, and like most places it only has cold-
water showers. But move away from the
rooms and you’ll discover an Arabian-style
lounge area and a decent bar-restaurant.Hotel Moon Beam H oTEL $$
(map p99; %505 6800; hotelmoonbeam@hotmail.
com; 548/1 galle Rd; s/d with fan Rs 4000/5000,
s/d with air-con Rs 5000/6000; aW) A smart
midrange option with numerous spick-and-
span rooms that are enlivened by pictures
and wooden decorations. Piping-hot water
gushes forth from the showers and some
rooms have balconies with surf views. Rates
include breakfast.Hotel Drifters H oTEL $$
(map p99; %912 275 692, 077 706 7091; http://www.
driftershotel.com; 602 galle Rd; r US$40-60; Ws)
Sitting at the heart of this beachside proper-
ty is a well-kept pool. That alone makes this
hotel worth the money, but add in large and
nicely presented rooms and a decent patch of
beach out front, and you have an all-around
winner. The same management also has an
inferior (but not bad) hotel on the landward
side of the road – don’t get them mixed up.Hotel Ritas g UESTHoUSE $$
(map p99; %227 7496; galle Rd; r Rs 3000-6500;
aW) Keeping passing travellers’ content for
years, Rita’s has tidy back rooms for those on
a budget while midrange cruisers will find
the fancier ocean-facing rooms, which are
larger and have more attention to detail, to
their liking.Time ʼn’ Tide Beach Resort H oTEL $$
(map p99; %227 7781; http://www.time-n-tide.com; 412 E
galle Rd; r with/without air-con US$70/50; aW) A
smart but sterile place with welcoming staff.
The more expensive rooms are enormous,
which could make them worth considering
for families. A big plus is the shady terrace
and grassy lawn. The in-house restaurant
serves wood-fired pizzas (Rs 900 to 1400).Neela’s g UESTHoUSE $$
(map p99; %438 3166; http://www.neelasbeach.com; 634
galle Rd; r Rs 3500-8500; aW) This excellentTSUNAMI PHOTO MUSEUM
This ramshackle private museum
(galle Rd, Telwatta; h8am-6.30pm),
halfway between Hikkaduwa and
Ambalangoda, tells the story through
photographs and newspaper features
of that dreadful day in 2004 when the
Indian Ocean tsunami struck Hikkaduwa
and Sri Lanka. Everything is very badly
lit and displayed, but that is of no matter
because the images displayed here will
render you silent.
Close to the Tsunami Photo Muse-
um is a small memorial to the roughly
40,000 people who lost their lives
just in Sri Lanka and the hundreds of
thousands of others whose lives were
changed forever. It was also around here
that the tsunami washed away a packed
commuter train with the loss of over
1200 lives – the world’s worst ever train
disaster and just a small story from that
day. Entrance is by donation. Opening
hours can be a little flexible.