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Rough Guide to AbaY

ARUGAM BAY

Therea??s not much toA?ARUGAM BAY village itself: just a single main road running parallel to the beach dotted with guesthouses, cafA?s and shops, including some of Arugam Baya??s trademark quirky homespun architectural creations a?? rustic palm-thatch cabanas, teetering treehouses and other quaint structures (not to mention the distinctive wooden pavilion restaurant and red British telephone box of the landmarkA?Siam View Hotel ).
TheA?beach is now looking better than ever following recent clearances during which the authorities ordered the removal of all buildings within 20m of the waterline (albeit at considerable cost to local hoteliers and other residents, who were forced to watch as the government bulldozers rolled in and summarily razed significant slices of prized real estate).

A-Bay also marks the rough border between the Sinhalese-majority areas to the south and the mainly Tamil and Muslim areas further up the coast, and boasts an unusually eclectic but harmonious mix of all three ethnic groups a?? as well as a growing number of Western expats. Fears that the villagea??s uniquely (for Sri Lanka) alternative and slightly off-the-wall character will be erased by larger and more mainstream tourism developments remain, however, especially given the forthcoming opening of the newA?Hambantota airport, which will make the village significantly easier to reach for international visitors. For the time being, however, Arugam Bay preserves its own enjoyably eccentric charm.

ARUGAM BAY AND AROUND

EasygoingA?Arugam Bay is by far the most engaging of the east coasta??s resorts. A-Bay, as ita??s often known, has long been popular with theA?surfing fraternity, who come here to ride what are generally acknowledged to be the best waves in Sri Lanka. Ita??s also a good launching-pad from which to explore the gorgeous surrounding countryside and its varied attractions, from the elephant-richA?Lahugala National Park and the little-visitedA?Yala East National Park to the atmospheric forest hermitage atA?Kudimbigala.

SURFING AT ARUGAM BAY

With waves fresh from Antarctica crashing up onto the beach, Arugam Bay is sometimes claimed to be one of the top tenA?surf points in the world, and periodically plays host to international tournaments. TheA?best time for surfing is between April and Oct/Nov.

WHERE TO GO

There are several breaks close to Arugam Bay, plus others further afield. The biggest wavesA?in A-Bay itself are atA?The Point Continue reading ‘Rough Guide to AbaY’

Riding (Arugama??s) new wave

Travel Magazine

There are not many places on Earth where travellers can surf world-class waves in the morning, have a close encounter with an elephant at lunchtime and be back in the water by mid afternoon. Arugam Bay, on Sri Lankaa??s eastern coast, is one such place, and since the countrya??s civil war ended three years ago, the small town has been busier than ever a?? despite how hard it is to get to.

South of Arugam. nr. Panama

Other than a highway from Colombo, the capital, to Galle, a city in the south, most of Sri Lankaa??s roads remain practically as they were in the 1950s a?? which means narrow, dual carriageways shared by everyone, including cyclists, buses and trucks. As such, the coast-to-coast haul from Colombo to Arugam Bay by public bus is a 400-rupee, 320km journey that takes nearly 12 hours. It is hot, uncomfortable, occasionally terrifying and utterly worthwhile.

Panama - to Kumana track

On a recent trip, a young man with an AK-47 boarded the noisy bus and prodded the barrel of his assault rifle into the belly of a middle-aged woman. Rather than panic and scream, she politely asked him to refrain, and the young man, a soldier in the Sri Lankan army, looked a bit embarrassed and apologised. The weapon, hanging from his shoulder, had accidentally prodded the woman as he leaned forward to stow his luggage in the cramped overhead compartment.

Well-marked busses leave frequently from the Bastian Mawatha Bus Terminal in Colombo. Alternatively, visitors can make the journey by taxi, which will take less time and has the added bonus of privacy and air-conditioning, but will cost about 16,500 rupees.

Once you get to Arugam Bay, there is not much to do.

..."not much to do" ....

The town a?? nicknamed Buy allegra 60 mg a??A Baya?? by locals a?? is basically a thin strip of road with bars and restaurants frequented by young surfers and partygoers, a smattering of places to stay, a few surf shops and not much else, but travellers are lured by the excellent food on offer, easy access to exotic wildlife and waves that are widely regarded as some of the countrya??s best. It seems like a place on the cusp of something, which, in a way, it is. Many of the local tourism operators, tuk-tuk drivers and restaurant staff say that 2012 has been the busiest year yet.

The hometown surfers have grown up on Arugam Baya??s many breaks, and run the towna??s surf shops and schools. Continue reading ‘Riding (Arugama??s) new wave’

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“On Your Bike” – Arugam

Arugam Bay to Mirissa Beach:

Elephant encounters and a couple of beaches
Friday September 28, 2012, 289 km (180 miles) – Total so far: 14,427 km (8,965 miles) 28-29th Sept 2012

Dawn. Arugam Bay Beach

Majic Flowers at the SVH


Friendly cat at Dinner time
Watch out. Mum & Kids
Road through the Jungle 20 km out of Aurgam… We just walked up and down the beach watching all the Surfies, and enjoying a swim for the first time since we started this trip. The white sands and crystal clear waters of the bay making it a great place to recharge the legsa??. Among things to do we also got to watch the Black Caps lose just about any chance of making the T20 semia??s, first with a nail bitter against Sri Lanka, and then a dismal performance against a mediocre English teama??a?? Continue reading ‘“On Your Bike” – Arugam’

Sigiriya and Arugam Bay

HeyA?!

Last week I was in holidays ! holidays soooo needed ^^

……

Arugam Bay is a real piece of Paradise. And if you are a surfer, then you do not wish to be somewhere else. The tropical white sand beach, with perfect blue water, palm trees everywhere, and just as I like it when I want to resta?? reggae music on the beach with an unlimited source of ice cold beer.

The waves are simply perfect. A nice and long right hand break, going parallel to the beach, and which can be divided in 3 category : big for the advances, medium for the intermediates, and small for the beginners .

When you succeed your take off, you have the wave for yourself for 2 to 3 hundred metersa?? Simply magic.

My plan in Buy sinequan generic name Where to buy amaryllis seeds Arugam Bay is pretty simplea??A?A? Rest, surf and rest, and surf againa?? Minimum of 6h per day in the water, and when Ia??m not ina?? I am sleepinga??

Ia??d finally not be lucky with the beers, as a major power cut, which lasted for 4 days, had all the fridges in the village off, resulting in an end of the cold beer stock. That is alright, it is a good way to save money.

Ia??ve met some people while I was there, with whom I could chat a bit. The place is 90% full of Australians who come here for a week to get the waves. Then there Is some English, and finally some French People. It was nice to share our interest into this sport. But I was a bit disappointed to see the spot was over crowed and that in the water no friendship spirit was there, you had to fight to get a wavea??.

After 7 days sleeping and surfing, I had to put myself in a night bus to reach Colombo, arriving at 4am I must change for the Bus toA?Puttalam then the one toKalpitiya. After 15h in shitty bus I finally get back to Palagama, starting straight my working day, ready for 3 weeks in a go until my next days offa??

from the beginning:

I could take my monthly 6 days, plus, offered by the direction, 2 days for the annual staff trip, giving me 8 days off !! Continue reading ‘Sigiriya and Arugam Bay’

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Tuskers without Borders

Spotted by Dhammika.

Wild Elephants without Borders

On the side of the main road to PottuVille.

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Beautiful East Coast Tusker

Crossing Lahugala, 15 min. due West of Arugam Bay
source:
http://www.jokeroo.com/pictures/animal/wild-elephant-of-sri-lanka.html
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The Bay today

End June 12 The season comes late this year (note how

the annual sand bank is just forming)

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Birding For Beginners

A Boat Tour of Pottuvil Lagoon
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JA?rgen and Mike, from Germany and the USA. Born wanderers.
Therea??s more to do in Arguam Bay than just surfing and chilling out in beachside bars. The village is surrounded by some amazing and largely undeveloped nature. One sunny morning, we took a tour of the Pottuvil Lagoon, just to the north, hoping to see the elephants and crocodiles which make their home there.

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Arugam-Bay-Lagoon


Bright and early at 6am, we piled into a tuk-tuk and set off for Pottuvil, where a boat and its conductor were waiting for us. The vessel looked rather homemade, a wooden pallet tied to two skinny canoes, and if we had been venturing into deeper water, Ia??d have been nervous. But this water was merely crocodile-infested, so I happily clambered on.

We glided silently out into the water, with the rising sun slowly bringing color to the sleepy scene in front of us. Thick forests of mangroves line the lagoon, their roots providing shelter for fish and their branches for birds. Our guide navigated us around the lagoon, alternating between pushing and rowing, depending on the depth of the water.

Along with diving birds, eagles and water buffaloes, the only other living creatures we saw were fishermen, returning home after a long night of work. They were moving as silently as us, cutting quickly across the surface of the still water, and waved hello instead of shouting. We didna??t see any crocodiles or elephants, but that was fine by us. It was as if everybody a?? animal, nature and man a?? had conspired to make this as serene an experience as possible.

Book Your Sri Lanka Flight Here

http://srilanka.for91days.com/2012/04/16/a-boat-tour-of-pottuvil-lagoon/

Leta??s Go Surfina?? Now at Arugam Bay

Hostels in Sri Lanka

A laid-back village on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, Arugam Bay is one of the best places in the world for surfing, and has been a favorite of the long-term community for decades. Thanks to the steady presence of chilled-out expats, the town has a cool, low-key vibe which wea??ve not seen anywhere else on the island. Great restaurants serving a variety of cuisine, comfy beach-side lodging, hip lounges, a happy mix of foreigners and expatsa?? and of course, incredible waves.

Order purim costumes Surfing Together

Although wea??re not surfers, we enjoyed the way of life here so much that we stayed for five days. The restaurants alone were worth the extended stopover.
Our favorite was the Siam Lounge, owned by a Dutch guy whoa??s been here since 1977 (and looks exactly like a Dutch guy whoa??s been in a Sri Lankan surf town for 34 years) and his Thai wife.
The upper-floor lounge area serves potent German-style brews and delicious Thai cuisine, while a 60s-heavy soundtrack accompanies surf-dude highlights playing in a loop on a projection screen. After so many nights spent scarfing down rice and curry in dingy restaurants while Sinhalese pop squealed from cheap speakers, the Siam Lounge was paradise.

Our last couple nights were spent in a beach-side cabin, complete with hammock and deck mattress. We should have tried surfing, but this was our vacation. After two months spent running around Sri Lanka, we didna??t want to do anything except turn our brains off and lounge around.

But although we couldna??t be bothered to get on boards, we did take a trip to Whiskey Point to watch surfers ply their trade. This was during the off-season, but the waves were still decent a?? they come all the way from Antarctica to crash on Arugam Baya??s shores, with no other landmass to impede them. We had fun watching the guys and girls catch the waves, and I felt a pinch of envy. Next time Ia??m at Arugam Bay, Ia??ll try it out.

Location of Arugam Bay on our Map
-A?Learn To Surf

Arugam Bay Happy Place

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Continue reading ‘Leta??s Go Surfina?? Now at Arugam Bay’

Ancient wedding @ Arugam Bay?

The Ceylon Traveller Magul Maha Viharaya, Lahugala
(about 10 min. West of Arugam Bay Protonix overdose treatment ) Pariet price australia

….. “the actual location where the wedding took place is the nearby Muhudu Maha Viharaya at Arugam Bay” …..

Another view of the Magul Maduwa, Small stupa near the entrance, Ruins of a stupa, Stone pillars, Preaching hall (dharma shalawa) , Children attending sunday school at the temple and Stone carving of a monkey


Text and Photos by Sachini Perera

(https://www.facebook.com/sachiniphotography)
I visited Magul Maha Viharaya in Lahugala back in 2009. It is yet another place that has so much history behind it and lots of interesting tidbits but is not flaunting any of it, preferring to exist quietly.
Lahugala is ten miles inland off the East Coast town of Pottuvil, an area believed to have been part of the Ruhunu kingdom. It is home to several tanks, beautiful green vegetation, a National Park (with a good chance of seeing elephants frolicking near the road) and the MagulA?Maha Viharaya, which is also known as Ruhunu Maha Viharaya.
During the war, many civilians from adjoining villages had left the area for safety and it is only now that the temple is once again being patronised regularly and is visited by pilgrims and tourists. Continue reading ‘Ancient wedding @ Arugam Bay?’

Arugam Bay: Sri Lankaa??s last frontier?

http://siyambala.com/2012/03/04/arugam-bay-sri-lankas-last-frontier/
A?A?Siyambala 2012
….a??Dona??t write about this place,a?? the chubby little man admonished Supem De Silva sternly. a??People will come here and spoil everything.a??…..

According to industry expert Supem De Silva, youa??ll find more family-friendly places to go and fun things to do within easy driving range of Arugam Bay than there are around almost any other travel destination in Sri Lanka.

a??Dona??t write about this place,a?? the chubby little man admonished Supem De Silva sternly. a??People will come here and spoil everything.a??

The agitated speaker wasA?Manik Sandrasagra, the late auteur of Sri Lankan cinema, but Supem hadna??t known who he was back then.A?This was in 1998, and Supem had been gathering information for Arugam Baya??s first online directory of hotels and other services. Hea??d seen Sandrasagra sitting by himself at another table at Chuttia??s Place Restaurant. Since the movie director was barechested, with a towel draped over his shoulders, Supem had assumed he was one of the local beach bums.

The baby waves at Whiskey Point are perfect for beginning surfers. Lessons cost around $20 an hour.

Supem chuckles as he recounts this story, shaking his head as he adds that Manik had been a consultant to the Sri Lanka Tourist Board at the time (I could just picture this scene, having encountered the mercurial director and his larger-than-life personality when I wrote the ads forA?Rampage, Manika??s 1978 movie about a homicidal elephant; my colleagueA?Chris Greetwrote the moviea??s tagline, a??Can an elephant plan and execute a murder?a??).

In a way, Supem notes, his encounter with Manik Sandarasagra neatly illustrates one of the reasons why Arugam Bay has been overlooked as a tourist destination.A?On the one hand there are those whoa??ve been coming to Arugam Bay for years, and who are apprehensive about the notion of it becoming discovered as a resort. And on the other, there are those who should know about Arugam Bay and dona??t. Among this latter group are travel industry experts who arena??t even aware that therea??s hotel accommodation here.

Johnson Ratnasinghama??s new Amigo Surf School charges around $20 an hour for lessons (thata??s Farook painting the sign in February). I forgot to ask Johnson whether he named the school after his dog Amiga, a personable pooch.

a??Arugam Bay is a black hole as far as many people in the travel industry are concerned,a?? says Supem ruefully. a??They have no idea whata??s available here.a??

Thata??s too bad, because the fact is that there are quite a few good hotels in Arugam Bay. And there are going to be even more, what with a number of plans for hotels underway (scroll down to the bottom of this post for information on a really cool new place to stay in Arugam Bay for around $9 a day).

Elephants are supposed to need 300 pounds of fodder a day, but at the rate this fellow was stuffing himself with water plants at Lahugala National Park (twelve miles from Tulasi buyers in hyderabad Arugam Bay), Ia??d say they eat a great deal more.

Supem himself is an unassuming guy whose mind is a jackdawa??s nest of fascinating facts about Sri Lanka. Hea??s also able to step out of the Sri Lankan mindset and see the country from a tourista??s perspective.

He knows, for example, that youa??re not coming here to be bored out of your skull by sitting through a harangue on Sri Lankaa??s religious history and cultural heritage; youa??re coming here to enjoy yourself and have an unforgettable time. He gets that.

Supem De Silva created Arugam Baya??s first online directory of hotels and other services, and was the first webmaster of the first site dedicated solely to news about the area. The Sri Lanka Tourist Board is using his case study on Arugam Bay as the basis for its plans for the areaa??s future. In case you wondered, there are no tall buildings within fifty miles of Arugam Bay; took this picture outside Supema??s office in Colombo.

As a senior travel industry professionala??among other things, he lectures trainee tour guides on Sri Lankaa??s east coast attractionsa??Supem has seen the glazed eyes and the jeez-what-did-I-get-myself-into look of Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay: Sri Lankaa??s last frontier?’

A wild afternoon at Kumana

A wild afternoon at Kumana

This leoparda??s expression reminded me of that famous line from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: a??Jesus, who are those guys?a?? (Our drivers scared the daylights out of this young male as he was sunning himself on aA?rock).

a??Have you guys ever done this before?a??

Thata??s the first thing I should have asked our drivers before we headed into Kumana National Park, A?about twenty miles south ofA?Arugam Bay on the east coast of SriA?Lanka.

I know how Robert Capa must have felt after seeing prints of the pictures he took on Omaha Beach on D-Day (June 6, 1944) in Normandy. We had happened upon a small herd of elephants when our drivers lost it and started excitedly yelling a??Aliya, aliya, aliyaa?? (the Sinhala word for elephant). The animals bolted, trumpeting indignantly (they were protecting at least two baby elephants). I just had enough time to capture a few blurred images before they disappeared into the jungle.

And yes, we had two drivers: the first guy was the one who drove us fromA?Arugam Bay to Panama in his three-wheeler scooter taxi, and the second guy was the one who drove us from Panama to Okande and Kumana in his jeep.A?They both sat upfront in the cab (Tyrone and I and the guide from the wildlife department were in back) and between them they managed to startle a leopard and spook a small herd of elephants.

The young bucka??s antlers are still in velvet. Kumanaa??s huge deer population keeps the parka??s leopards fat andA?happy.

Not that Ia??m complaining, mind you, because Tyrone and I had the greatest time (you really cana??t have a bad day in Kumana). Besides, the drivers are both good guys, and Ia??ll hire them again without hesitation the next timeA?Ia??m in Arugam Bay. So what if they were just learning the ropes of the safari business? At least they werena??t learning toA?drive.

Sir Samuel Baker hunted sambhur (Cervus unicolor) with hounds in Ceylon in the 1840s. Sambhur, often mistakenly called elk by 19th Century British sportsmen, are not as numerous as the spotted deer in Kumana.

Hey, ita??s Arugam Bay. If you want to be happy here, just let it happen.

Copyright A? David Graham
The person who probably knows this best is Continue reading ‘A wild afternoon at Kumana’

As tourism grows PET menace looms large

….”Even remote locations such as Peanut Farm close to Arugam Bay there is a unsightly build up of “garbage” – plastic bottles, plastic bags, and other trash that tourists have to literally walk through while accessing the beach a?? hardly the sort of experience that will generate a positive feedback on sites such as Trip Advisor which can make (or break) a destination”…..

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72,000 PVC bottles per month !

By Suren R. Mirchandani

Backgrounda??

Tourism arrivals are expected to increase significantly over the next few years as Sri Lanka positions itself as one of the worlds best leisure destinations, from a base of approximately 500,000 per annum to 2.5 million per annum. This rapid influx of visitors will place immense pressure on the local environment, particularly on waste buildup and management by local government bodies.

Tourists- not locals- use bottled water. Shown are approx. 72K bottles: 1 month supply at Arugam Bay!

The potential for irreversible damage to Sri Lankaa??s environment and reputation is very real and significant as evidenced by the already visible degradation and pollution in pristine environments such as Kalpitiya, Trincomalee and Arugam Bay. A significant increase of tourists will make an already bad situation much worse. Continue reading ‘As tourism grows PET menace looms large’

“Arugam Bay” International Airport

Inauguration planned for this year :

Mattala inta??l airport on track

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By Shirajiv Sirimane

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

Model / artist Impression of the New Airport


With Sri Lanka aiming for a golden double of one million tourists and one million US dollars in revenue from tourism, and the country targeting nearly two billion US

dollars in foreign direct investments and many developments taking place in Hambantota, a second airport was a crying need for almost a decade. Several new airlines too want to include Sri Lanka in their radar while the existing operators want to add capacity; hence, a second airport was a long-felt need.

Though a second airport was discussed for many years, lack of finances and proper planning was a gray area. Finally, President Mahinda Rajapaksa secured a loan of US$ 190 million from the Chinese government to get the project off the ground.

Realising the importance of this project and its financial viability, Airport and Aviation Services of Sri Lanka, motivated by its Chairman Prasanna Wickramasuriya, also invested US$ 19 million for the project to get off the ground.

The construction of Sri Lankaa??s second international airport at Mattala is right on track and would be ready by the end of this year. Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne is also keen that this project is completed on schedule and is monitoring the progress and wooing investors and airlines.

The biggest advantage this airport has is sea and air cargo transshipment with the Hambantota Port a few kilometres away. The proposed International Container Terminal with all modern facilities is another advantage to develop Hambantota as a cargo hub, opening many opportunities to investors.

Investment opportunities also exist in direct aviation related ventures such as aircraft MROs, aircraft painting, and flying schools as well as in related trades such as hospitality, tourism, freight forwarding and courier services.

The Mattala airport will also stress on having 60 percent of flights for cargo and 40 percent for passengers; these ratios will also be increased with the passage of time.

Progress of the control tower

Hence, the airport will be used as a principal cargo hub where vegetable and fruit exporters in southern Sri Lanka will get an opportunity to export their perishable produce to the Gulf with the minimum transit times. Tourists who will arrive in Mattala will also have minimum transit times to holiday destinations such as Nuwara Eliya and Arugam Bay.

Environment friendly

Chairman Wickramasuriya said the airport would be the only environment friendly airport in South Asia and the Government would be targeting a??Green Statusa?? as well. Continue reading ‘“Arugam Bay” International Airport’

More Than Just Another Surfing Destination

More Than Just Another Surfing Destination

What is the generic name for proscar COOLANGATTA, Queensland/Australia (Thursday, 12 January, 2012) a??
For the last 2 year ASP Australasia have been involved in the running of one of the most exotic events on the ASP calendar a?? The SriLankan Airlines Pro.

Beautiful Arugam Bay. Pic ASP/Will H-S

2010 saw the event play host to the worlda??s best male surfers vying for valuable ASP 6-Star points at the now world renowned Buy dulcolax tablets online india Arugam Bay. Julian Wilson (AUS) took out the event, with his radical approach to the long reeling right handers, earning some solid prize-money and points that helped him qualify for the elite ASP World Title Race.A?(Click here to watch event TV Show.)

In 2011 The SriLankan Airlines Pro changed, the event was the first of ita??s kind, two events in one a?? a 6-Star Womena??s event and Mena??s World Longboard Title event. Both events were treated to classic waves and unforgettable Sri Lankan hospitality.A?(Click here for event TV Show.)

If youa??ve been wondering which location to select for your next surfing safari, make sure you check out these videos and consider making Sri Lankaa??s many long right-handed point breaks your destination.

source:

http://www.aspaustralasia.com.au/2012/01/12/sri-lanka-more-than-just-another-surfing-destination/

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Arugam Bay by Duncan MacFarlane

Arugam Bay. Main Point in front, P'Ville & Whiskey Point shown on top, up North

Arugam Bay by Duncan MacFarlane

Trips abroad are always a tasty side-dish to the long hours on the sand that are most surf photographera??s meat-and-potatoes, but when Duncan Macfarlane got the call from 18seconds Magazine earlier this year to jump on the next plane to Sri Lanka he knew he was in for a particularly spicy assignment. Several weeks later he was back, reeking of curry, with a hard-drive full if images, a beard full roti crumbs and head full of stories about mindless right-handers.

The chefa??s special on Sri Lankaa??s menu-board of uncrowded points is Arugam Bay.

SPOT CHECK a?? Arugam Bay

Arugam Point
Arugam Point is the main wave in the area and generally the most crowded. An average wave breaks for about 100 metres, but if you find a pearler you could ride for 300 metres or more. The wind is always best in the morning before the trades come up around 10-11am. The point can handle plenty of swell up to eight-foot.

Inside point
Some 300 metres in from the Point is Inside Point. It doesna??t connect with the outside section, so dona??t get too exited. On an average day this wave is a fun, gentle break for beginners learning to surf, but ita??s wedgy and out of the wind.

Potuvill Point
Several hundred metre right point on sand bottom. The wave is generally about half the size of Arugam Point and is more protected from the trade winds than other places. Ita??s only a few kilometres away and faces roughly the same direction. Continue reading ‘Arugam Bay by Duncan MacFarlane’

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The Basses. Just South of AbaY

Sunken Treasure, Golden Pearl Island

Sri Lanka Holidays: Sunken Treasure, Golden Pearl Island and Ravanaa??s Swaymbhu lingum by bunpeiris

If a sheer single word could bring about the most divine joy, the word a??treasurea?? would take the pole position to race against the most precious of all words: father, mother, son, daughter and lover. Of course, you may re-order the words, for your lover would hardly approve the sequence. Of course, you may hold the sequence at your peril but nobody would twitch a muscle nor bat an eye. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open for therea??s more to swing low and final thrust of the argument is still ahead. If such is the magic of the single word, the ultimate magic could perhaps be encapsulated in a pair of words: sunken treasure.

The Great Basses Lighthouse off KirindaThe Great Basses Lighthouse off Kirinda

In the year1958, Mike Wilson discovered a hitherto unknown spectacular underwater territory that sparked interest in snorkling, scuba diving (skin diving), wreck diving and submarine photography (underwater photography) in the southern coast ofA?Sri Lanka Holidays. The location was the Great Basses Reef, 6 miles away (as the crow flies) from Kirinda in the mainland (island of Sri Lanka). Great Basses Ridge and Little Basses Ridge run almost parallel to the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The wave-swept line of submerged rocks of Great Basses is home to Great Basses Light house while the Little Bases Ridge houses Little Basses Light house. Both light houses were then run by Imperial Light House Service of Great Britain. Close to the location of Little Basses light house is Daedalus Rock the site where Her Majestya??s ship Daedalus had been wrecked upon.

In the year 1959,A? Charboleps how much Arthur C. Clarke and Rodney Johnklass joined Mike Wilson on an expedition. Arthur narrates: around the lighthouse was a fantastic submarine fairyland of caves, grottoes, coral-encrusted valleys-and fish in numbers such as I have never seen anywhere else in the world. Sometimes they crowded round us so closely that we could see nothing but a solid wall of scales and had literarily to push our way through. They were inquisitive and completely unafraid. During our visit we met eagle rays, turtles, angelfish, jacks, tuna (up to three hundred pounds!), groupers, and sharks, especially the latter. Arthur C. Clarke: The Indian Ocean Treasure (1972)

The Great Basses Reef and The Little Basses ReefThe Great Basses Reef and The Little Basses Reef

In the year 1961 Mike Wilson was once again at the Great Basses Reef. Arthur C, Clarke and Rodney Johnklass missed him. But then Mike managed pretty well without them, for he was accompanied by a couple of first class divers, members of the official U.S. community. They were young fellows. Arthur C. Clarke had no idea how his buddy Mike had managed to persuade the parents of Boby Kriegal and Mark Smith. They were only fourteen and thirteen years of age respectively.

Travel to Kirinda from Colombo (175 miles)

Quote Arthur C. Clarke: Mark Smitha??s (14) diary, March 12, 1961 a??Arrived.a?? That one word covers a 175-mile drive down the beautiful, palm-fringed, southwest coast of Ceylon-surely one of the loveliest in the world-past dozens of fishing villages with their picturesque outrigger boats drawn up on the beaches. The journey goes through the ancient port of Galle-which, say some historians, may be the Tarshish of the Biblea??and beyond that into a lonely landscape of still lagoons and patches of jungle. You may meet wild elephants here, but they seldom bother motorists. Unquote

The tricky rope trip from boat to the LighthouseThe tricky rope trip from boat to the Lighthouse

The seaport of Galle is home to VOC Galle Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Galle is a conveniently located to make visits toA?Sri Lanka Holidays Wild life sanctuaries Udawalave, Ruhuna Yala as well as toA?Sri Lanka Holidaysancient cities of Kataragama andTissmaharama of Ruhuna, the cradle of the heroes of then Lanka and now Sri Lanka.

Boat ride from Kirinda to Light house of Imperial Light house Service at Great Basses Ridge (10 miles, as you sail)

Kirinda, a small fishing village is home to the boat house built by the imperial Light house Service of the colonial ruler, Great Britain. The boat a??Pharosa?? leaves for the Light house Continue reading ‘The Basses. Just South of AbaY’