Author Archive for NetFinder

Page 3 of 40

Arugam Bay – Panama Media Tour

Published on 16/03/2011 in Blogs, Environmental, front page, people, press coverage, the bay and wild life. 0 Comments

Media get an opportunity to witness issues related to ecosystems with special reference to tourism development in the southeast coast of Sri Lanka

14 March 2011 | News story

media tour Photo: IUCNSL

The coastal stretch from Pottuvil to Panama on the southeast coast of Sri Lanka is blessed with a wide array of tourist attractions. . These include bays famous for surfing and bathing, coastal waters rich with fish resources, lagoons providing ideal niches for prawns, crabs and lobsters, rich mangrove stands – a heaven for aquatic fauna and birds, wide sandy beaches for beach lovers and tall sand dunes for those who seek adventures.

Arugam Bay is one of the best surfing areas in Asia, and has been a popular destination for surfers even at times of civil disturbances.

These attractions draw a large number of local and international tourists to the area making it a tourism “hot spot” and with the dawn of peace in 2009, visitation by both local and international tourists to places of attractions has increased significantly.  The resulting unplanned development activities are expected to increase which will contribute to habitat degradation.    The area is also famous for traditional fishing. Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay – Panama Media Tour’

Arugam Bay Fishing -v- Tourism issues

Published on 12/03/2011 in AbTa News, From our own Correspondent, Money Matters, front page, people, press coverage and the bay. 7 Comments

Traditional Fishing activities. A colourful old ox cart adds vibrant life to Arugam Bay beach

Arugam Bay fishing community should not be neglected over tourism- ABTA Chief

Immediate measures should be taken to address concerns of the fishing community in Arugam Bay, as they contribute towards developing tourism in one of the world’s top surfing destinations, said M. H. A. Raheem, Chairman of the Arugam Bay Tourism Association (ABTA).

A busy beach. Specially in the morning

Since the very beginning, Arugam Bay has been known as a fishing village, and the fisheries sector has become a major income generating source of the area. Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay Fishing -v- Tourism issues’

How Arugambay got its name

Published on 10/03/2011 in front page. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

dulip:
How did Arugam bay and Komari get their names?

How did this beautiful Bay get its name?

The story is based on the arrival of Princess Devi, claims that she was first spotted at a village near PottuVille but when the king arrived at the spot the craft carrying the princess had drifted to the ocean and the disappointed king questioned the villagers ‘Ko Kumari?’ which eventually gave the village its name ‘Komari’.

Later the princess drifted ashore at Arugam Bay and the villagers told King Kawantissa that the princess had landed at ‘Ara Gama’ which later changed into ‘Arugam’ Continue reading ‘How Arugambay got its name’

For bird watching, Sri Lanka is the best country in the world

Published on 01/03/2011 in Blogs, Traveler's Reports, front page and wild life. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

For bird watching, Sri Lanka is the best country in the world for it is indeed a birds’ paradise. You could view birds throughout the year because of its favourable climatic conditions being a tropical island and throughout the country in forests, jungles, lakes lagoons, streams, villas etc..

Migrant Birds visit the area around Arugam Bay Twice a year. And that always happens in the so-called "Off-Season"

Out of a total of about 450 species of birds, nearly 250 are resident and 23 are endemic of which the majority are found in the lowland wet zone and the rainforests of the hill country and others are migratory. According to the booklet recently published by one of Sri Lankans leading wild life companies there are 33 birds endemic to the country. Most of the endemic birds could be viewed at Sinharaja rain forests Horton plains National park and in the peal wilderness sanctuary.
Quite a number of species of birds about 150 or so are migrants from the Temperate zone. They come during the Northern winter and some even from areas as North as Siberia. Continue reading ‘For bird watching, Sri Lanka is the best country in the world’

Arugam Bay & the East Coast

Published on 04/02/2011 in front page. 0 Comments

Train arriving at Batticaloa

Batticaloa is the nearest train station to reach Arugam Bay. The overnight sleeper express is highly recommended.

We caught the bus to Wellawaya at about 9 AM and yes it was a wreck and yes it was jam packed. But this was the norm here and we were getting used to it. It took us an hour and the ride hair raising. As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, the bus drivers here are crazy but they get you to your destination quicker than a train or a car. From Wellawaya we quickly got another bus to Monaragala. This journey also took an hour. From Monaragala we took our final bus to Arugam Bay.

Unfortunately for me a drunken Sri Lankan man sat next to me. He was well sozzeled. Now I’m no prude and you all know it, but it was just before lunch time on a Saturday. Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay & the East Coast’

Arugam Bay Surf Club Story

Published on 27/01/2011 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, Kitesurf, Money Matters, Surf Federation News, Surf competition, front page, people, press coverage, services, surf and the bay. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

(0)

Exporing Arugam, Kumana and beyond

Published on 10/01/2011 in Blogs, Historical sites, Traveler's Reports, front page and wild life. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Another great photo travel report by Lakdasun.

With the reopening of the Kumana national park early this year it had been on our priority list for quite some time and finally we managed to make that dream come true. The camp sites were booked more than three months in advance as there is no other accommodation south of Arugam Bay. Wildlife department is trying to rebuild the destroyed circuit bungalows and hopefully we will get to use them before long.

Having never been to the east coast before, we wanted to have a glimpse of the rising sun from the east coast and planned the trip so that we will be at Pottuvil by sunrise. So we left Colombo late night at 10.30PM and drove through the night Continue reading ‘Exporing Arugam, Kumana and beyond’

Arugambay – 5 Reasons To Visit

Published on 27/12/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, Historical sites, Traveler's Reports, cabanas, front page, guesthouse, hotels, press coverage, restaurants, surf, the bay and wild life. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Are you an avid surfer?

If so, you may instantly recognize the name Arugam Bay. Even if you are not, you may be interested to learn more about this popular tourist attraction.

The Surf Boards can be rented at many outlets at Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay is a sleepy little hamlet 320 km due east of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital city and is ranked among the top ten surf destinations in the world. In this article I am going to tell you 5 good reasons you should make a visit to Arugam Bay.

Arugam Bay is not your typical surf destination with modern facilities. It is more a community based destination, where little guest houses and the odd star rated hotel lie side by side. This does not make it any less attractive to regular visitors who make repeat visits every year. Although this destination was devastated by the 2004 tsunami and the conflict, the enterprising community of Arugam Bay have brought the destination back to its old glory.

Brilliant roads. by Maga, Photo by: Lovely Arugam Bay on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=108552872497906

Much improved roads, which have reduced travel times by almost an hour and a half and the return of peace has made Arugam Bay a destination you should not miss visiting.+

Here are the top 5 reasons to visit Arugam Bay:

  1. It is the third highest ranked among the world’s top ten surfing destinations. So, if you are a surfing enthusiast or are interested in learning to surf this is just the location for you. You need not even bring your gear along, as you can hire surfing gear from local outfits, who also provide training for newbie surfers. It boasts of over 10 surf points and the waves are great between April and October and it also is the scene for local and international surfing competitions staged during this period.

    10 Surf Spots. Ideal for beginners. And professionals

  2. During November to April the sea is fine for swimming and snorkeling and conditions are just right if you are looking for a quiet get- away. The prices for accommodation can get pretty low and you can find a pretty decent room with basic facilities for around $15 per night.

    Romantic Bungalows. To suit all budgets. Here is one of "Hideaways" best

  3. If you are a wild life enthusiast your excellent wild life sanctuaries are just minutes away from this destination. The Lahugala sanctuary famous for elephants is not more than a 20 minute drive from here. You may even pass some of these majestic beasts if en-route if you take the inland route to arrive here. The Kumana bird sanctuary lies just 10km south of Arugam Bay and birds from as far as Siberia are known to migrate to this location to escape winter.

    Truly Free & Wild Elephants. Right next to the road. No fence!

  4. The sand dunes at Panama allow you to wander around an unspoilt stretch of land, and even go on a jeep safari to the dunes. The Pottuvil dunes are much closer, but it is situated in the midst of a busy little town, but none the less attractive in its own little way.

    A shephard cowboy in the Panama dunes or the Wild East

  5. The area close to Arugam Bay also boasts a host of ancient monuments. The Kudumbigala archeological reserve is host to monastic caves dating from around the 12th Century AD. The ancient Okanda temple dedicated lord Skanda situated on a rocky outcrop south of Arugam Bay is believed to be featured in “Sinbad the Sailor’s tales”. Monuments related to the Southern kingdom of Magama almost a thousand years old are found in Pottuvil town, by the dunes and within the Lahugala sanctuary. They are said to be built to honour the mother of the warrior king Dutugemunu of the Anradhapura kingdom.

    Ancient Temples and shrines. Adore the area all around Arugam Bay

The attractions of Arugam Bay are so, numerous and cater to visitors with different interests. It is just amazing that so many attractions should lie so close together. Coupled with the extremely friendly service by the villagers who run the facilities, I would strongly recommend that you visit here especially if you are on a tight budget.

Friendly local management (Of the SVH and Hideaway shown here)

AUGAM BAY IS AN ALL YEAR ROUND DESTINATION.

With the best and most predictable climate in Asia!
The only dry and sunny place on the island this entire November 2010

A typical winter in Arugam Bay

http://ezinearticles.com/?Arugambay—5-Reasons-To-Visit-Arugambay-Surfers-Paradise&id=5523244

(3)

6 Years on

Published on 26/12/2010 in Blogs, Traveler's Reports and front page. 2 Comments

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Back In The Bay – The Boxing Day Tsunami 6 Years On




The Boxing Day tsunami hit Arugam Bay, on the East coast of Sri Lanka at 8.45am six years ago, taking the lives of 300 people, roughly twenty percent of the community’s population.
Approximately two hours previously an undersea earthquake with a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3 had struck off the coast of Sumatra, near Indonesia’s Mentawaii Island chain, and the resulting waves of tsunamis caused devastation across the Indian Ocean. The International community rallied and donated more than US$14 billion for aid and reconstruction.
But how have some of the communities affected by the tsunami bounced back? The list of coastal areas impacted by the tsunamis includes some of the most revered destinations in the surfing world, so it’s inevitable that places that we hold dear to our collective hearts were affected.





It’s six years on, and the small village of Arugam Bay, spread out along the stretch of the bay from the lagoon to the point that draws surfers, seems to be back on track; there’s a new bridge over the lagoon, hotels are doing a brisk trade in the high season and there are multicoloured fishing boats and outriggers pulled up on the berm.
But talk to any fisherman mending nets on the beach and you can tell that the memory still cuts deep…”and then the wave came and everything died” as one man told me. Continue reading ’6 Years on’

December 2010 Arugambay Photos and Pictures

Published on 06/12/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, From our own Correspondent, Traveler's Reports, front page and people. 1 Comment

A lone beach. Just for your self. The full photo album updated December 5th, 2010 – by: dilantharaka

Riding high. On Arugam's most famous palm tree

source & link to Trav Buddy:

http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/82205/Arugambay-Sri-Lanka-1

Greening Project goes to Arugam Bay

Published on 29/11/2010 in AbTa News, Ideas, Money Matters, front page, press coverage and services. 0 Comments

Arugam's New Road. Previously "Mercy Corps" had a fast growing tree planting program. Under the power lines

The SWITCH-Asia team took the greening message to 44 hoteliers in the Eastern Coast of Sri Lanka on 16 November 2010It was a special invitation extended to the project team by M. H. A. Raheem, the Chairman of the Arugam Bay Tourism Association (ABTA) which was aimed at making the hoteliers aware about the project and its deliverables, namely, enhancing the environmental performance of Sri Lankan hotels through improvement of energy, water and waste management systems.

The participants were enthusiastic about reducing the cost of operations of the hotels at this world famous Surfers’ Paradise.

The hoteliers were keen about the outcome they would receive by participating in the programme which will give them the opportunity to brand and market their hospitality establishments as ‘low carbon foot print hotels’ and thereby increasing the market acceptance among the growing number of eco-conscious tourists. Continue reading ‘Greening Project goes to Arugam Bay’

Rare in life, rarity in death

Published on 28/11/2010 in front page, press coverage and wild life. 2 Comments

“….The Kumana (south of Arugam Bay) crossed tusker, who became a victim of a poacher…”

Well-known wildlife photographer Vajira Wijegunawardane recalls his encounter earlier this year, with the magnificent tusker that died tragically last Tuesday, while being translocated by the Department of Wildlife Conservation

“There are few elephants that can literally take your breath away. ‘Parakrama’, named after King Parakramabahu the Great, is one of them. It was the fourth day, and the last opportunity to get a glimpse of this elusive but magnificent tusker. We had gone on foot with great trepidation, through scrub jungle, on information given by villagers, along an elephant corridor.

“Through dense jungle we arrived at an open area, where, in the distance was a tank with hardly any water. From the bund, I could see an elephant hovering within the thick jungle canopy. My only hope was that it would be the tusker. I hid behind a tree. Due to weight constrains for the hard trek, I was armed only with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens. Within a few minutes the elephant emerged. It was indeed the tusker.

“My heart stopped, as I saw the magnificent tusks shining dully, their full length hidden by the foliage. This was undoubtedly the largest tusker I had ever seen in this country. I felt so fortunate to see this animal. It was amazing how he had survived all these years, but was pleasantly reminded that its elusiveness and difficulty to track, was the very reason it was still alive.”

This is what I recorded earlier this year. On Wednesday, I heard the tusker was to be relocated, but never did I expect another call early the following morning, to hear of its death. The very fact that a majestic creature like this was roaming the jungles of Sri Lanka, was something all Sri Lankans would have been proud of, as its tusks were longer than even most African elephants’. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to photograph this elusive elephant.

The tusker population in this country is minimal, and this particular tusker was no ordinary one, just like the Kumana crossed tusker, who became a victim of a poacher. Animals like this are irreplaceable, and, as nature lovers, all we can ask of the concerned authorities is to come up with a mechanism to ensure the remaining tuskers that are still roaming the jungles in our beautiful isle, be protected, as they are indeed national treasures. Continue reading ‘Rare in life, rarity in death’

Great places to surf: Arugam Bay

Published on 25/11/2010 in Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, Kitesurf, Surf Federation News, Surf competition, Wind Surf, front page, press coverage, surf and the bay. 0 Comments

Q: Where are the best places to surf that few people know about?

Arugam Bay. Renowned for its surf & backpacker heaven

By Rod Gilmour 4:01PM GMT 24 Nov 2010

Answer:

Further afield try Arugam Bay on the southern tip of Sri Lanka. Renowned for its surf, it is a haven few backpackers know about and is back on the map following the devastating tsunami.

The British Surfing Association estimate that there are around 500,000 regular surfers in the UK. With popularity gaining every year, those hardy souls who crave wave after wave are finding their territory spoilt by a multitude of weekenders. If you want to surf in relative peace then searching Britain’s coastlines for those secret waves is the answer. It also means days away. Sandwood Bay, about as far North as you can venture on the Atlantic west coast of Scotland, is one of those places. After leaving the car 4.5 miles from the beach, the first challenge is the walk with the surf boards and tents (don’t forget your map). Once there, you will be amongst only a handful of souls on one of the most isolated and picturesque beaches Britain has to offer.

Further afield try Arugam Bay on the southern tip of Sri Lanka. Renowned for its surf, it is a haven few backpackers know about and is back on the map following the devastating tsunami.

(0)

Arugam Bay Handicrafts

Published on 24/11/2010 in From our own Correspondent, Money Matters, front page, press coverage and services. 1 Comment

Arugam Bay Tourism Association organises handicraft programme for women and youth

Arugam Bay Beach Bag. A new ODEL product (not AbTA's)

The Arugam Bay Tourism Association (ABTA) was established in 1999, and was formally registered in 2005. The association, which began merely with 15 members, now serves as an umbrella organisation for tourism in Arugam Bay. As of today, the Association consists of 400 community members and 16 societies working hand in hand under the Pottuvil DS Division. A significant aspect of the organisation is that it brings together Sinhalese, Muslims, and Tamils, and lays emphasis on working closely with all ethnic groups of the community.

Many designers are already cashing in on the unique "Arugam" name and label.

The Association organised a four-day Handicraft Programme for women and youth of Arugam Bay. The aim of the programme was twofold. While empowering community members and encouraging participants to engage in income generating activities and develop new skills, it also sought to address the issue of the lack of souvenirs for tourists visiting this popular beach town. “Souvenirs, such as ornaments and other gift items on Arugam Bay, were a long-felt need. With tourist arrivals expected to increase in the coming months, we believe that items will be an added boost to the industry and the people,” explained M. H. A. Raheem, Chairman of ABTA. Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay Handicrafts’

Finding Beach Paradise in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Published on 23/11/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, Traveler's Reports, accomodation, cabanas, front page, restaurants and the bay. 1 Comment

Arugam Bay – a true, unspoiled Beach Paradise

beach life Arugam Bay

Hello from Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka.

I’ve spent the last few days enjoying all that Sri Lanka has to offer; predominantly the beach, exquisite cuisine and personalities of the local people. Sri Lanka is an interesting place, with the 25 year civil war ending just  ~1 year ago, I am curious what this place will look like in 5-10 years if the peace persists.

beach hut paradise

Arugam Bay is located near the “line” where freedom and fighting was. As a result it did not have many NGO’s help after the devastating tsunami of 2004 for safety concerns. High season has not started yet and you really get a good idea of what life is like here, if one were to live in this laid-back country of ~21 million people.

beach paradise arugam bay

There are few restaurants, hotels and of course, the ever present tuk tuk drivers.  To get here one must take a tuk tuk from the bus station in Pottuvil. In the last few days, could count the other tourists seen on one hand. The beach is basically ours, shared with Continue reading ‘Finding Beach Paradise in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka’

(1)

Sri Lanka, world’s number one tourist destination

Published on 20/11/2010 in Historical sites, front page, press coverage, surf, the bay and wild life. 2 Comments

And Arugam Bay? Sri Lanka’s number One (Surf & Wild Life) destination !

MagicSeaweed.com (file photo)

Germany also has relaxed travel advisories to German nationals visiting Sri Lanka.
The German Embassy said that a long standing travel advisory had been eased enabling German tourists to visit Yala National Park and Arugam Bay.

“The Island of Sri Lanka is a small universe; it contains as many variations of culture, scenery, and climate as some countries a dozen times its size . . . I find it hard to believe that there is any country which scores so highly in all departments – which has so many advantages and so few disadvantages. Lovely beaches, beautiful landscapes, impressive ruins, a vibrant culture and charming people.”

Sir Arthur C Clarke