Arugam Bay Information

A touch of class

spotted on Earthcape. Text shown:  near Wattegama, Sri Lanka by User_382562

Up Early at Arugam Bay

spotted on Flickr

Magic stopovers on the way to Arugam Bay
Sri Lanka’s highest awarded resort brand KumbukRiver has just introduced a special rate package that allows more locals to spend a private holiday at its celebrated eco resort on the edge of Yala.  The resort which sells at US$ 250 per  couple for a night, now offers special rates from Rs.3500/- per person full board especially designed for locals who appreciate a holiday at one with nature’s splendor.

KumbukRiver Eco Extraordinaire (www.kumbukriver.com), awarded as the world’s leading eco-lodge by the coveted World Travel Awards, is a private getaway nestled on a 16-acre nature enclave in gem-rich Okkampitiya in Buttala.  The spritely Kumbukkan Oya meanders through the resort offering unparalleled privacy as the resort entertains just a single party at a time despite its vastness.  KumbukRiver borders the Yala wildlife sanctuary and features the world-famous Elephant Villa, a 40ft high, 2-story villa which adds a touch of class to eco holidaying.  The eco resort also features two other chalets and all in all presents several well-appointed bathrooms and lounges among other features which create a unique holiday for the whole family.

“The Elephant-shaped villa is our centre-piece. Continue reading ‘Magical KumbukRiver unveils a special package for Sri Lankans’

Producer Marijke van der Meer was holidaying in Sri Lanka when disaster struck in December 2004. Her personal report from one of the country’s devastated towns told of the harrowing situation there and the desperate need for aid.

Award winning (Re-) Broadcast on 1st March, 2010
In the southeastern Sri Lankan coastal town of Pottovil – a town with an ethnic mix of Singhalese and Tamils, Muslims and Buddhists – a golden statue of Buddha stares serenely over Arugam Bay. The bay was a Mecca for surfers, who stayed in guesthouses with names such as Chill Space Surf, Hideaway, Aloha and even the Tsunami Beach Hotel. The statue of Buddha is one of the few fully intact constructions in this demolished town where a thick layer of muddy dirt covers the ground.

Destruction and death

Arugam Bay after Tsunami 2004

Soldiers look on as bulldozers shove aside trees and bricks from destroyed dwellings. The bodies of some 1,000 people – killed within a few seconds of the tsunami – have been recovered. But there are many others missing and many families who have no roofs over their heads and are in so-called ‘collection centres’.

The medical situation is critical in this isolated district, where several people are saying that they feel neglected by the authorities because Continue reading ‘Classic Dox – Adrift in Sri Lanka On air: 5 February 2010 13:20 – 1 March 2010 13:20′

The nineth in a series entitled ‘Scribblings from the Surf’ for Devon Life. To read the article see the text below or click to enlarge the pictures of the original article below that. To see the whole series, click here.

SURFERS SAVING THE WORLD

Barrister and writer Tim Kevan meets two surfers helping to save the world.

Many people might have the impression of the standard surfer as a flaky, spaced out Californian dude who doesn’t actually get much done other than stare out to sea and catch the odd wave. But that image couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to those who surf the English waters since you’ve got to have just a modicum of fortitude just to paddle out in freezing mid-Winter swell. Such strength of character also comes through in the activities that many surfers get up to out of the water as well. Two such surfers who are inspiring others are aid worker Tim Tanton and environmentalist Mikey Corker.

Paddle4Relief UK

Tim Tanton: The Aid Worker
When the terrible tsunami hit on Boxing Day 2004 the world mourned. But for Braunton’s Tim Tanton who had been surfing in Sri Lanka since the mid-1990s the tragedy was closer to home as he had friends out there who lost family members, homes and businesses. He visited three times in the following year in an effort to help the local community next to one of the area’s famous surf spots of Arugam Bay. During the same year Tim and local paramedic and surfer Paul Martin conceived the idea of Paddle4Relief (www.paddle4relief.co.uk), a fundraising body which would provide a bridge between English surfers wanting to help in some way and the disaster’s victims. Continue reading ‘‘Scribblings from the Surf’ – : Surfers Saving the World’

Sun Rise at Arugam Bay

This picture was taken last year and it was in my gallery for sometime. Yet, I am posting it here. As my friend, Fred always says, there is no better place to enjoy the splendor of Indian Ocean than Arugam Bay, one of the best surfing spots in the world!

We camped on the beach and were up from 4.30am to see the amazing sight of sunrise. As soon as I woke up, I took above picture from the tent. By that time, my friends were already busy taking pictures!

http://kirigalpoththa.blogspot.com/2010/02/wake-up-to-arugam-bay-sun.html

“A walk through a magical island”

KIRIGALPOTHTHA
Has been to Panama, just 10 miles south of Arugam Bay

The above photo and a few more here were taken towards the lagoon side of Panama Beach. This place is unique as you will seethe sea from the East, lagoon from the North, sand dunes from the South and the village from the West.

http://kirigalpoththa.blogspot.com/2010/02/lagoon.html

Kite Surf Sri Lanka writes, in his blog and on his web site:

Master Dilsiri in action

Been on this island for 28 years and have travelled a lot but Arugam Bay still remains the best and most exciting place on this island paradise.
Jungle beaches with amazing breaks, winds in the afternoon for some kitesurfing amongst the surfers, the crocodiles and ruines, nights under the stars and food….oh, how I long to head to Arugam Bay again.

Arugam Bay,
That’s where I want to be
Arugam Bay.
That’s where I want to stay

Kite Surfing. A great sport and play with elements and nature

http://kitesurfsrilanka.blogspot.com/2010/02/oh-how-i-long-to-head-to-arugam-bay.html

The Panama beach itself was a paradise on earth.

The sand dunes stretching along the beach made us stop our jeep and walk a short distance to the turquoise sea beach which stretched endlessly without a single sign of habitation.
A typical Robinson Crusoe atmosphere.
The pink rocks of Panama stood out at the far end of the beach.
The evening sunlight made them glow pinker.

Panama Point. Looking North to Arugam Bay

Here too were monkeys running up and down.
The beach was covered with exquisite marine plant life. It suddenly dawned on us that this may be one of the only beaches left untouched by civilization and pollution.
We were mindful not to tread on the plants or drive over them in our jeep.

Untouched Panama. A true Paradise

This beach with its abundant plant life must be saved for people to see and admire.
It should not meet the fate of the Nilaveli or Passikudah.

Badly polluted Passekudah Beach area

We remembered the native American saying:
“We did not inherit the earth from our parents, we are borrowing it from our children!”

(The above is a highlighted , illustrated  extract from the previous post / traveler’s report)

Though one of Sri Lanka’s smallest National Parks, Lahugala is still a very important stretch of protected land, as it’s home to Sri Lankan Elephants, who reside mostly around the reservoirs of Lahugala, Kitulana and Sengamuwa – they’ve been feeding in this region for hundreds of years, they like a special grass that grows here.
All sorts of colourful critters live here, not just the rather graceful and sedate looking elephants: there are Purple Herons, Painted Stork, Golden Jackal, Fishing Cats, Spot-billed Pelicans, Asian Openbills, Red-faced Malkoha, Tufted Grey Langur and Torque Macaques.
The monsoon makes it a bit too damp to visit in November and December – the best times to visit for wildlife is when the park is drier and all the animals venture out and stay along the reservoirs between January and March and May and October.

http://www.travel–4less.com/lahugala-national-park/

Muhudu Maha Viharaya – PottuVille/ Arugambay

From Arugam bay to the pristine beaches of Panama
Sleepy lagoons, sand dunes

It took almost eleven hours from Colombo to Pottuvil on the narrow and winding A4 road along the south east coastline of Sri Lanka.

Muhudu Maha Viharaya - Arugambay/PottuVille

There were four of us; my husband and two of our friends. So far it had been a eventful day. We had watched the antics of a herd of elephants at the Lahugala sanctuary and had stopped to wonder at the historic ruins of the Magul Maha Vihara complex.

As we were approaching Pottuvil, the narrow road cut through acres of luxuriously green paddy fields. A milk white dagoba stood out over the fields framed by coconut and palmyrah trees. At the point at which we turned south towards Arugam bay was a small Catholic church dedicated to St. Anthony.

Our destination was Arugam Bay, a further 2.5kms south of Pottuvil.

Around Arugam Bay & PottoVille

We crossed the bridge over the wide lagoon of Arugam Kalapu. The roadside was dotted with hotels, guest houses, restaurants and may have resembled the southern beach line in its early days before tourism became an industry at the cost of the environment and the village culture.

Arugam bay is known as one of the best surf points in the world, popular for its challenging breaker laden waves. It may be one of the only unspoilt beaches in Sri Lanka.

Arugam bay consists of three small villages where fishing and farming are the main occupations. Ullae is a fishing village situated at the corner of the bay Continue reading ‘Arugambay: Like a Southern beach in its Early day’

ArugAmBay credits to:  Six Surf, UK
http://rollingsixes.co.uk/sixsurf/?p=1412

Lahugala National Park

On January 30 the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) held a ceremony near Arugambay in south-east Sri Lanka to mark the reopening of the Kumana and Lahugala National Parks. Closed since 2005 due to the war, the reopening of the wildlife sanctuaries symbolises a return to normalcy for the country’s parks system. With nearby Yala National Park already open and the rest of the country’s 20 national parks scheduled to open by April, it won’t be long before locals and foreigners can again visit some of the country’s most beautiful areas and see its most astonishing animals in their natural habitats.

Because of their location in the formerly LTTE-controlled east, Kumana and Lahugala have been inaccessible since 1985 except for a brief period in 2002-2003 during the ceasefire — too short a time for any construction to take place. Before retreating from the park in 2008, Tamil Tiger cadres destroyed what was left of Kumana’s infrastructure, including its bungalows and office buildings.

Then, last July, the DWC that comes under the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, finally received approval to begin renovating the park. This required rebuilding the park’s neglected infrastructure, especially the access roads. The Lahugala sanctuary was devastated by the 2004 tsunami but has almost fully recovered and is now, according to a press release from the DWC, “open to an influx of both local and foreign visitors.”

Although the DWC had hoped to open Kumana (formerly known as Yala East National Park) in November last year, a severe drought that began in September delayed construction. Working with government and non-government organisations, the Ministry concentrated on providing water to animals in the park to keep them alive. The heavy November rains that followed the drought brought problems of their own: all the rainwater washed away much of the recent road construction, forcing the Ministry to spend another four weeks repairing the damage. Although more roads are scheduled to open in February and March, the main road through the park is now open for traffic.

Director General of Wild Life Conservation Ananda Wijesooriya said that the next few months is the best time to visit the parks.
“The birds will start nesting in Kumana in March and April — these parks are very famous for local and migratory birds,” Wijesooriya said. “At any time of the day and any time of the year you can see elephants in Lahugala.”

Wijesooriya admitted that he didn’t know how many people would visit the newly-opened sanctuaries. Because of their remote location, Kumana and Lahugala were never as popular as Continue reading ‘Lanka’s National Wildlife Sanctuaries Opening Again’

The Saudi Gazette reports on Arugam Bay

Saudi Gazette

Sri Lanka is studded with sunny beaches. If you want to enjoy a beautiful sunset, sipping a drink made of tropical fruits on the sandy beaches, listening to the music of rising and falling waves lapping on to beaches, Sri Lanka offers all that and much more.
One is sure to get enthralled by the serenity and the tranquility of beaches of Sri Lanka. Arugam beach of Sri Lanka also features as one of the most fascinating beaches of the country.
Arugam Bay is located about 314 km from Colombo, a beautiful bay with good surfing opportunities. The East coast offers infinite possibilities for all kinds of water sports and underwater photography.
Underneath the Bay lie the many ship-wrecks of the coast which pose a tempting challenge to the diver. If you are interested in water sport activity and surfing then Arugam Bay is definitely the place for all wind surfers. Arugam Bay is on the list of the top ten surf points in the world. Situated on the South East side of Sri Lanka, Arugam Bay receives the same Antarctic winter swell’s that hit Indonesia in the middle of the year. The best time of the year to visit this exquisite beach is between May and November when the predominant wind is offshore for at least the first half of the day. At this time favorable conditions are found for surfing.
Arugam Bay also has a Continue reading ‘Arugam beach A surfer’s delight (Saudi article)’