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Badulla-Arugam Bay

Published on 28/07/2011 in Blogs, Traveler's Reports, accomodation, front page and guesthouse. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

…..Finally we reached Arugam Bay, a beachfront collections of shacks and hotels, stretching around the bay……

….Apparently, after dusk the road to Arugam bay becomes chock-a-block with insomniac elephants who decide to wander the roads. Hence, travelling there is dangerous…..

"Watermusic" @ Arugam Bay

Part 1: They Mostly Come Out At Night, Mostly

We strode out of Badulla station, and I was still for pushing on right through to Arugam Bay.

There was a solitary minibus tout and he offered to drive us for $50. Each.

Llyw quickly shot this down, at which point the fella, who exuded dodginess from every pore, explained why a night time voyage was so expensive-

Nocturnal elephants.

Apparently, after dusk the road to Arugam bay becomes chock-a-block with insomniac elephants who decide to wander the roads. Hence, travelling there is dangerous. Continue reading ‘Badulla-Arugam Bay’

Surf, Temples, Surf, Elephants, Surf, People, Surf Nice little Clip !

Published on 09/07/2011 in front page. 0 Comments

Living Dreams

Published on 08/07/2011 in Blogs, Traveler's Reports, accomodation, front page, guesthouse, hotels, people, restaurants and wild life. 0 Comments

….. Curiously Lahugala has no boundary fences or entrance fees allowing visitors to simply stroll into the park at will whilst elephants stroll right through the little hamlets and villages at its boarder and are often seen roaming around Arugam Bay at dusk…..

A Stay in the Bay

The ride to Arugam Bay is not without incident; a few minutes in to the journey we narrowly avoid colliding with a rather large lorry, sending our hearts racing and our stomachs reeling! As we descend down the winding road to the plains below the landscape changes from lush jungle to dry bush and the roads become heavily potholed; an hour in and there’s a large bang- a flat tyre- so we pull over and Polly replaces the wheel while driver and Sam lift the tuk-tuk. We’re soon driving through the ‘Elephant Corridor’, a long straight road that cuts through the wilderness of Lahugala National Park, and sure enough, to our amazement, we spot a herd of wild elephants Continue reading ‘Living Dreams’

ASP @ Arugam Bay August 30 – September 4

Published on 08/07/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, Surf Federation News, Surf competition, front page, press coverage, surf and the bay. 1 Comment


“Arugam Bay is such a great wave for both competitors and spectators,”

Aragum Bay © ASP

Sri Lankan Airlines Pro

ASP 6-Star women’s event
ASP World Longboard men’s event
Arugum Bay Sri Lanka
30 August – 4 September 2011

World First At This Year’s Sri Lankan Airlines Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 7 July, 2011 : – - Coolangatta – Sri Lankan Airlines and the ASP are pleased to announce the addition of the 2011 Sri Lankan Airlines Pro to the ASP Tour calendar. This year the Sri Lankan Airlines Pro will see an exciting world first by combining an ASP 6-Star women’s event and an ASP World Longboard Title (WLT) men’s event.

The Sri Lankan Airlines Pro will return to Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka after last year’s event saw consistent, pumping waves running down the famous right-hand point for the duration of the waiting period. ASP Australasia General Manager Dane Jordan is excited to see Sri Lanka on the ASP Tour in 2011.

“Arugam Bay is such a great wave for both competitors and spectators,”
Jordan said. “Last year the men (6 star event) scored almost perfect waves every day and now it’s the women and the longboarders’ turn. Sri Lanka is such an exotic destination for surfers and to have a World Title event at Arugam Bay is great for the sport worldwide and within Sri Lanka. Continue reading ‘ASP @ Arugam Bay August 30 – September 4′

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To the cries of sadhu, sadhu a pinnacle is placed

Published on 03/07/2011 in Culture, Historical sites, Religious, front page, press coverage and wild life. 0 Comments

…… The villagers in remote Hulannuge close to Lahugala (famous for elephants roaming around at any time of the day) on the Moneragala-Pottuvil (-Arugam Bay) Road, were gathered for a rare pinkama. They were to participate in a pinnacle-laying ceremony of the newly-constructed chaitya……

The kotha being taken to the top of the chaitya

The remote village of Hulannuge turns into a hive of activity as villagers prepare for a rare pinkama, says D.C. Ranatunga who was present

As dusk fell they made their way to the village temple in their numbers. A festive mood prevailed. Little ones were attracted to the balloon sellers. The women were taking a close look at the posters on Buddhist themes. The men pulled out their wallets and parted with a few rupees for the cash collection. The names were announced over the sound system and merit offered. A ‘viridu’ singer with a ‘rabana’ in his hand recited verses fit for the occasion.

The villagers in remote Hulannuge close to Lahugala (famous for elephants roaming around at any time of the day) on the Moneragala-Pottuvil Road, were gathered for a rare pinkama. They were to participate in a pinnacle-laying ceremony of the newly-constructed chaitya.

The pinnacle atop the gleaming white chaitya

In the rocky terrain, the hilltop was an ideal site for the chaitya which could be spotted from a distance. It was years of hard labour. Transporting bricks, cement, sand and other building materials was no easy task. It was the shramadana effort of the illagers, the generosity of a few businessmen and well-wishers and above all the determination of Kurundugolle Saarananda Thera that saw the project through. Continue reading ‘To the cries of sadhu, sadhu a pinnacle is placed’

Arugam Bay, that’s where to catch the wave

Published on 30/06/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, Traveler's Reports and front page. 0 Comments

The place just blows me away every time I visit.

If there was heaven on earth, Arugam Bay would be it.
It has everything that I love about Sri Lanka; wonderful weather, surfing, jungle beaches, history, nature and a lively culture complete with people from all over the globe!

Full text of this small image printed below.

The surf season begins in May and runs to October. The journey to Abay itself has seen tremendous changes with a ‘carpet’ road built right from Colombo to Arugam Bay. You will see the best of Sri Lanka while you travel,  rivers, lots of greenery, Elephants in Udawalawe National Park (No you don’t even need to go inside the park to see them!) and Lahugala, the Hill Country in the distance and historical monuments scatttered along the road.

Once you get to Abay you can chill at a number of restaurents and little shops dotted along the road. Being the avid explorer, I would venture to Pottuville Town and try the local Prawn and Crab Curry! You can get back into having some ‘normal’ food, pizza’s at Sun N Surf, Thai Food at Siam View followed by home made desserts at the Gecko.

My favourite breakfast is always at Hakeems, Banana Pancakes and Rottis at his little shop by the side of the street. Enough energy to get me on the board and last through the day! Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay, that’s where to catch the wave’

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Finally!

Published on 02/06/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, Money Matters, Surf Federation News, front page, people, surf and the bay. 2 Comments

Donated surfboards finally reach surfers in Sri Lanka

The Arugam BaySurfers

Paddle4Relief (P4R) Founder, Tim Tanton, with the help of representatives from both Arugam Bay Surf Club and West Coast Surf Club, have finally managed to get the donated shipment of surfboards cleared from Sri Lankan Customs!
The 36 boards were sent out by the Braunton charity in February, but were delayed at customs. Tim, was in Sri Lanka for a prolonged period of three months trying to free the shipment from the country’s border, which he said only seemed possible through financial contributions.
“It was a very stressful time because being a charity we run on minimal costs and in the end it led to me paying £750 out of my own pocket.”
Quite an expensive donation but well worth it when one sees the joy of the youngsters as their eyes light up and they have the chance to learn to surf.The boards are crucial to Sri Lankan surfing communities to give talented surfers the opportunity to improve and for the the little ones to learn. The majority of the surfboards have now been distributed around the island. More will be handed out on Tim’s next visit to a few more obscure places that he was unable to get to this time.
The trip has been exhausting and traumatic. Emotions have run high, and tears have been shed. Frustration has been evident, both from Tim, himself, and the surfers of Sri Lanka. They have been upset that their fellow countrymen have caused so much disruption both through bureaucratic nonsense, corruption and jealousy.
What one could describe as a nightmare, it has been a success. One can see from the photos, whether it is Geeva, a young female Sri Lankan teenager learning to surf, or Asanka, Sri Lanka’s Number one surfer, or Chumphikha who doesn’t surf but enjoys the vibe, that all the blood, sweat and tears are worth it.

Geeva . . . . . loves learning to surf

Tim said that developing the deprived country’s natural asset of great surfing conditions is an obvious way of building a sustainable economy for those providing surfing lessons and equipment hire.
The surfers in Arugam Bay are now able to use the soft top surfboards to run surf lessons for both tourists and for the younger children in the community. This enables them to earn a salary and to give back something to their community. They are now fortunate to have an office to use as a base, and where they can take bookings for lessons, store surfboards and inform tourists of where and when to surf.

Chumphikha . . . . . . loves the vibe

We, Paddle4Relief, have been instrumental in empowering the young surfers of Arugam Bay to realise the potential of their sport and in taking responsibility for their environment, their playground. They have previously realised the need to carry out Beach Cleans, and they are presently involved in establishing a working committee with other organisations and officers within the community to develop a sustainable programme where they can protect their environment.

Asanka . . . . . Sri Lanka's Number 1 surfer

The support from the North Devon Community, the Sri Lanka Surfing Community, Christian Surfers UK, Surf Relief UK, Tiki Surf International, Fluid Juice, Constantine Surf, Croyde Surf Life Saving Club and the team of friends that support Tim at Paddle4Relief have made this possible. Special thanks must go to Phil Williams of Christian Surfers UK for his continued committment to the surfers in Sri Lanka and his ability to provide both spiritual and financial support.
It is still hard to put the experience into words. Tim explained that he been at a very low ebb on number of occasions throughout the episode and yet he says
“there is the enormous satisfaction that we stuck by our committment and came out the other side”
Realisation is that it did cost a lot more money than expected. Money that the charity, P4R, didn’t have. So somehow P4R need to raise more at this years event in August to rebalance the accounts. It has taken a lot of energy but it has brought something to others that money cannot buy . . . . . . . . . it has given them opportunity, hope, enjoyment and realisation that they are not alone. That complete strangers from around the world, care, care enough to help, to sacrifice, and hopefully this humanity will continue with them, through their lives.

The Arugam Bay Surf Club & their own office

Now the focus is on getting a Surf Instructor out to Sri Lanka to enable the young surfers to gain a recognised Surf Instructors Qualification.
The quest is never ending it seems. So the plan is to recharge the batteries and gather everyone together to continue the quest.
So, if anyone, or any business, would like to help in any way what so ever then please contact tim@paddle4relief.co.uk
Or, if there is a qualified Surf Instructor that can head out to Sri Lanka and train the young surfers to achieve a recognised Surf Instructors Qualification then please contact Tim. There is funding for a flight ticket, transfers, accommodation and possibly meals for such a person.
We desperately need funding for this years event on Sunday August 21st. We need sponsors for the event t-shirts and hoodies. We are also looking for prizes for the Paddle Race and Fancy Dress Surf Competition, let alone the raffle and tombola.
Many thanks again to all those that have supported and continue to support P4R.

Entry Filed under: 2011 P4R, Arugam Bay Surf Club, Sri Lanka 2011

source:

http://www.paddle4relief.co.uk/blog/index.php/2011/05/finally/

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“Arugambay” challenges Quicksilver & Billabong

Published on 30/05/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, Ideas, Money Matters, front page, people, press coverage, services and shops. 1 Comment

Fashion News

A start up Sri Lankan ‘beach brand’ aspires to challenge Billabong and Quicksilver

Arugambay Beach T-Shirt

Sri Lanka’s emerging apparel brands inspired by a stray dog and an East coast beach

Arugambay T-Shirts and Shorts

Developing local brands is challenging because the market is flooded with cheap knockoffs of international brands

Bubble gum coloured flip-flops are the rave among teenagers in Colombo since the Arugambay brand launched its multi hued slippers in 2009. In a simple but crucial way Arugambay improved and made flip- flops in to something surprisingly flattering and fashionable.

Arugambay Flop-Flips

Ajay Virr Sing an Indian living in Sri Lanka and once a fulltime ad-man, launched the Arugambay beachwear brand in 2009, ““We started with flip-flops Continue reading ‘“Arugambay” challenges Quicksilver & Billabong’

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Tourism at Arugam Bay should be sustainable

Published on 22/05/2011 in accomodation, front page, guesthouse, hotels and press coverage. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

By Gamini WARUSHAMANA

The surfing season in Arugam Bay starts in May and the thousands of people who are dependant on the tourism industry in this Eastern coastal village in Sri Lanka eagerly await the arrival of the highest number of tourists this year. The tourism industry in the country is booming after the end of terrorism in 2009 and Arugam Bay is now ready to regain its full potential.

Arugam Bay is one of the world’s top 10 surf locations, known for its fantastic waves, which attract surfers from all over the world. The best time for surfing here is between May and November when strong winds are offshore for at least the first half of the day.

There are only a few tourists at Arugam Bay

However, some small scale hoteliers, tour guides and shop owners are disappointed because still there are only a few tourists at Arugam Bay. Continue reading ‘Tourism at Arugam Bay should be sustainable’

Ella to Arugam Bay

Published on 16/05/2011 in Traveler's Reports and front page. 0 Comments

The bus journey from Ella to Arugam Bay involves a change at Moneragala and takes 5-and-a-half hours, all for a mere 500 rupees or 2.75 pounds for the two of us.

Good value even if we do have to stand for the first 50 minutes of this two hour journey, but grindingly slow. The bus is heaving, not only with people but luggage as well and we only just manage to squeeze on with Andy half hanging out of the door! Luggage, stowed alongside the driver, is re-arranged to accommodate our rucksacks, but I feel sorry for the people who are sitting adjacent to the driver who spend most of the journey trying to prevent the mound of luggage toppling on top of them. The bus to Monaragala leaves Ella at 9am and arrives in plenty of time to spare before the 11.20am leaves for Arugum Bay, giving us time to use the non-too salubrious facilities (10 rupees) round the back of the station and purchase a much welcome ice cream and some snacks. Moneragala is Continue reading ‘Ella to Arugam Bay’

Arugam Bay and beyond

Published on 10/05/2011 in Blogs, Culture, Historical sites, front page, people, press coverage, restaurants, the bay and wild life. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

- Land of the Lotus Eaters

Arugam Bay is the amalgamation of the Tamil word for six – Aru and the Sinhala word for village – gam. Juliet Coombe discovered the area has a lot more on offer than surf, sand and sea, when travelling with 2nd Partner – a tour company with a difference.


Arugam Bay is a long way from everything, and in the early years when there was no bridge to the area, this was part of the attraction to the ‘real’ adventure traveller, who discovered this spot of the island in the 1970s. Known for its love gurus, nude bathing and nirvana lifestyle it fast became the spot to surf the waves by day, and the area by night looking for fun times. However, today, this ‘Shangri la,’ tipped to be the next best thing is a rather sad strip of hotels and restaurants that makes Hikkaduwa in comparison look like the South of France. The food is at best terrible, and the only place worth hanging out in is Siam, according to the first film crew, SBS from Australia who have just been filming My Sri Lanka with world famous chef Peter Kurivitas. They are the first crew to go through the area in 30 years and only Siam was worth eating at, where a dude called DJ Nihal calls the shots and the food is the best on the strip. Not really on the surface worth an eight to 10 hour trip from Colombo depending on the weather and traffic conditions.

However step out of this artificial boomtown and discover amazing places like Kudumbigala Monastery (11 miles from Panama), which is the only cylindrical stupa in Sri Lanka. Surrounded by 200 caves in the area that used to be used by monks, they have paintings older than the ones of the girls painted on the Sigriya rock Fortress palace. Appu Hami, a 64-year-old village elder, held in high esteem and the best jungle guide in the area comes from Panama, which dates back as a settlement to 1818. His face is a gnarled as the trees from the jungle, eyes as sharp as a hawk’s, and has a lifetime of stories to tell.

Appu Hami – a legend
in Arugam Bay Appu Hami advocates that before any trek you should eat well from the local indigenous vegetables which include seven different types of yams and two types of Lotus plants which are pulled by the roots from the lakes, famed for their beautiful water lilies. Lotus eating is good for the heart, blood sugar (diabetes) and other things that he says, brings a sparkle to one’s eyes. It seems women also mix the lotus seeds together and make facial scrubs and the pulled up flowers are used as offerings at the Buddhist temples.

The lakes have always been fished in and this is how the people of the Bay discovered the benefits of the Lotus. Until the 1960s no money exchanged hands, and the community-bartered goods instead, and everyone was much better off. The average wages were only Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay and beyond’

Surfers town Arugam Bay

Published on 03/05/2011 in Blogs, From our own Correspondent, Traveler's Reports, books, front page, people and surf. 0 Comments

…”While Brent surfs his days away I am trying in vain to study for my exams but am more often than not distracted by the vast array of wildlife that combs the beach, monkeys, snakes, goats, cows, lizards, birds and the obligatory stray dogs and cats”…

Surfing is not just for men! (file photo)

Brent and I have spent the last five days or so on the East Coast of Sri Lanka in a sleepy little surfers town known as Arugam Bay. The moon shape beach is renowned for its point break and is often regarded as the best surf spot in the country. Being off season, Brent is in heaven surfing from dusk to dawn while only having to share his waves with a few locals and a handful of tourists. Unfortunately he learnt the hard way on his first day that the surf sits on top of a sharp and nasty reef and as a result has earned his far share of reef cuts and grazes.

While Brent surfs his days away I am trying in vain to study for my exams but am more often than not distracted by the vast array of wildlife that combs the beach, monkeys, snakes, goats, cows, lizards, birds and the obligatory stray dogs and cats. Upon driving into the town we even spotted a few wild elephants and Brent has been lucky enough to spot a few turtles in the surf. Further inland crocodiles lurk in mangroves but the locals charge a hefty price to visit them. Our little beach hut isn’t without Continue reading ‘Surfers town Arugam Bay’

Arugam Bay “Whisky” Point Surf

Published on 03/05/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, front page, surf and the bay. 0 Comments

“Arugam’s” Int. Airport opens next year

Published on 25/04/2011 in Environmental, front page, press coverage, services and taxis. 2 Comments

……. Tourists who will arrive there will also have the minimum transit times to holiday destinations such as Nuwara Eliya and Arugam Bay……

Billed to be South Asia’s only environmental friendly airport :

‘Mattala airport to be tourism, cargo hub end 2012’

Foundation stone laying ceremony for main passenger terminal today

Ravi Ladduwahetty

The $ 209 million Mattala airport, will be converted to a tourism and cargo hub for Southern Province which will be a boon to the tourism and export industries.

Areo View of the new Airport runway

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa will lay the foundation stone for the construction of the main passenger terminal building today while Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne and Hambantota District Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa will also be present.

Artist Impression of the New Southern Airport

Continue reading ‘“Arugam’s” Int. Airport opens next year’

Arugam Bay: A Surfing Adventure

Published on 04/04/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, Kitesurf, Surf Federation News, Surf competition, Wind Surf, front page, surf and the bay. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Sri Lanka is still one of the surfing world’s secret gems, discovered by a few lucky ones who return year after year to enjoy the tropical waters, fun waves and diverse cultural experiences the country has to offer.

arugam.info reporting directly from the Bay. Since 1997

Yet to the majority of the worlds’ travel addicted surfing community it has been overlooked as a surf travel destination. The local surfing community and exposure of Sri Lanka as a surfing holiday destination are in their infancy, but this trend is rapidly changing as more and more surfing travellers experience the beauty and adventure Sri Lanka has to offer and share their stories about this once forgotten paradise with the world.

Arugam Bay: A Surfer’s heaven

Every year between April and October, storms from below South Africa, whip the ocean into a frenzy and send large, consistent swells up the length of the Indian Ocean and into the coastline of Sri Lanka. The storms are usually located thousands of kilometres away, so that by the time the swells reach Sri Lanka, they are perfectly groomed ground swells that wrap their way around the southern and eastern sides of the island. During the surf season it is not unusual to encounter at least one solid ground swell every single week and with the prevailing wind coming from the west, the majority of the southeast and eastern coasts of Sri Lanka are protected from the wind offering hundreds of uncrowded and sometimes even undiscovered locations to surf. Breaks range from gentle beach breaks, reef breaks and sandy bottomed point breaks, catering for every type of surfer from the complete novice, up to the experienced professional.

Pro Training Session ;-)

Arugam Bay or A-Bay as it is predominantly known is the hub of the Sri Lankan Surfing community, with the entire village set up to handle surfing tourists, with a huge range of accommodation and eating options. Unlike many surfing destinations which cater for only the hard core surfer and his or her desire to spend 10 hours a day catching waves over sharp shallow reefs, Arugam Bay and all of the Sri Lankan surfing destinations are the perfect place to take your girlfriend or the family. While they enjoy swimming in the protected turquoise waters of the bay, you can slip out to the point to surf perfect uncrowded waves for the morning. Once surfing is over there are so many adventures and places to explore only a short tuk tuk ride away.

Surfing: A sport for all, young, old and any gender

Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay: A Surfing Adventure’

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Arugam Bay, a tourism hotspot

Published on 30/03/2011 in AbTa News, Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Environmental, Security & Safety, front page, guesthouse, hotels, people, press coverage, surf and the bay. 1 Comment

Coastal conservation and management a must:

Disna Mudalige

The southeast coast of Sri Lanka gleams with new vigour and light with the dawn of peace. This area which people dared not to go for decades due to terrorist threats is now wide open for both local and international tourists. It has become a tourism ‘hotspot’ with its wide array of tourist attractions. However, the need of a well planned coastal zone management is strongly felt with the tourism expansion in this coastal stretch.

The coastal stretch from Pottuvil to Panama includes bays famous for surfing and bathing, coastal waters rich with fish resources, lagoons providing ideal niches for prawns, crabs and lobsters, rich mangrove stands, wide sandy beaches for beach lovers and tall sand dunes for those who seek adventures.

The Beach at Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay

The tourist season in Arugam Bay in the Southeast coast starts in March with the favourable windy atmosphere for surfing. Arugam Bay is one of the best surfing areas in Asia. As estimated about 100,000 tourists visit Arugam Bay during the season which extends till October. Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay, a tourism hotspot’