Serendipity Travel - Adventure - Sri Lanka

Before our departure to Sri Lanka, the Consul General of Sri Lanka, Lal Jayamaha said to me, "Sri Lanka is truly magical, prepare to be wowed." Yet someone else said, "Sri Lanka is a nice place to prepare you for travelling India."

We have not met many people who have travelled to Sri Lanka, so we did not have too many preconceived ideas about our destination. All I knew when I left South Africa was that I wanted this trip to count more than any other. I wanted Sri Lanka to be life changing and unforgettable and that is the mind-set that I tried to apply to everything we attempted to do there.

Having spent two days in Kalutara, we were ready to venture out of the resort life and begin our adventure holiday. We had been searching for car rental places and came across the restaurant owner Tikka, who offered us a Prius for Rs6500 per day, which is about R500. It was way too expensive so we ventured out with our Tuk-Tuk driver Raja to find another car rental, this is when we found the policeman Thatirana who was willing to part with his stupid little Korea car for Rs3000 per day (R230).

With much negotiation and unwilling to leave our passports behind, Raja the tuk-tuk driver offered to put the car in his name. We did not think anything about it and were just happy to have our own set of wheels and we set off exploring the island.

When planning your trip to Sri Lanka you must understand that you will be discouraged to self drive around the island. The road conditions are not ideal and the tuk-tuks and busses can be seriously life threatening so you are advised to get a driver. In the long run it works out a lot cheaper and it is the right way to do it. We wanted freedom and we thought the rented car would give us just that, and it did.

Grinning from ear to ear we embarked on the 80km drive to Hikkaduwa to settle in our beachside cottage. We took the new highway and we arrived in under an hour. We fell in love with this cute little coastal village and found our host on his motorbike waiting for us at the entrance into town.

It did not take us long to find our dream beachside cottage in Hikkaduwa. With the help of sites like AirBnB and Booking.Com you can find a huge selection. We found Anushka Jayasuriya who was the landlord of the family cottage.

Anushka guided us to his cottage and we negotiated a deal. Initially we wanted to spend just five days at his place but we ended up staying for twenty-two days with not one regret. The rate was so affordable and the friendly reception and open hearted manner of the community was a pleasure.

It took us no time to settle down and meet our neighbours. Most are friendly and kind. There was only one guesthouse owner that lives on the beach that attempted to give us bad attitude. But we waved and smiled and greeted him regardless and he soon warmed up to our friendly disposition.

We later learnt of his dark secret and understood why he is so guarded and abrupt.

Living with the local community is what made our holiday so precious. We soon got to meet everyone in our vicinity. We received gifts in the form of food most days, we got to know the local cops who stopped us for cigarettes and a chat whenever we drove by. We were slowly becoming part of this village and we felt as though we belonged.

Hikkaduwa is well known for its coral sanctuary, the proximity of wonderful scuba diving sites to explore and having a top surfing beach. With its unique beach culture and vibe, Hikkaduwa has long been one of the more popular beach party destinations in Sri Lanka. The main road is lined with shops, coffee and tea shops, some would double up and sell coffee, tea and tours. At night the streets would come to life and the tourists would be wandering about, choosing where to have dinner and shopping in the clothing stores, and jewellery shops. Precious and semi precious gems are abundant in Sri Lanka and there are many stores with the most stunning items of jewellery you can imagine. Of course you have to keep your wits about you and be sure to check and recheck anything you think of buying to make sure it is a genuine piece and bargain to your hearts content, because there are some amazing discounts to be fought for if you have that skill. We got really good at the whole process, we even started to recognise the patterns and tricks of the trade. It was so much fun.

In the centre of Hikkaduwa, a protected lagoon creates a beautiful and safe snorkelling area. There are a number of Turtle hatcheries and conservancies and there is a love for this sea creature that provides for exciting entertainment. Further south, where the currents are stronger, surfing is the dominant water activity. There is a fantastic point break and the impressive coral reef runs just offshore and is populated by exotic fish and sea turtles that occasionally come ashore to lay their eggs. The water is clean and clear and often the coolness is the only respite you will find from the heat and humidity.

Our favourite beach was in front of the Commercial Bank. We were always the only people there, sometimes we were joined by a turtle or two who were just as curious about us as we were of them. The water was a light turquoise and there were hardly any waves, just a gentle swishing of the water. It was so blissful.

There were many local restaurants, cafes and snack bars within a short walk or tuk tuk journey from our beachside cottage. And with Galle town and the biggest Fort city in Sri lanka just 16km away there was so much for us to explore. The tuk tuks are everywhere and are very affordable if you remember to bargain them down as they immediately try to up their price when they see a tourist, but everybody uses them for general transport. They are so much fun and the open air cools you off too.

Next week we take you on a little journey into the jungles and rice paddies where life is as it was hundreds of years ago.