Tangalle to Midigama - south coast beaches

Hi All,

Now used to the Sri Lankan bus network, our journey to the south coast and its beaches was a quick and simple one (just 2 hours this time). We decided to spent the night in Tangalle after reading that it has incredible seafood. Our tuna curry did not disappoint. The beach itself wasn’t overly pretty but that was largely due to the murky waters; owing to the monsoon storm that rolled in that afternoon. The highlight of our visit was undoubtedly a nighttime trip to the beach to a turtle conservation centre. Under red light so as not to disturb her, we were incredibly lucky to see a huge green turtle covering her eggs. We even got splattered with sand as she pushed it back with her powerful flippers! The most special moment of the evening was watching her return to the sea and disappear off into the waves - apparently only to return two weeks later to repeat the nesting process again! It was wonderful to learn more about these beautiful animals and the conservation efforts in the area. Several of the workers are ex poachers and have turned their lifestyle around; being paid to support turtle life rather than illegally taking it.

Hiriketiya, our next stop, was a cove of pure paradise - soft sand and crystal clear waters surrounded by dense jungle. Ross was beyond excited to catch some waves and surf in the turquoise waters. Meanwhile, Danielle relished the opportunity to start developing a tan. We also engaged in a spot of ‘goggling’ (a Button family term for snorkelling using only a pair of goggles) and saw many tropical fish. Two days of this was absolute bliss after so many early mornings and hectic days. Hiriketiya, unlike much of the south coast, is a relatively unknown beach; well it was until Lonely Planet sung it’s praises! Therefore, although there is a tourist scene, it is limited to cute wooden surf shacks and cafes as opposed to the concrete resorts found along some of the coastline.

As we are both missing cooking, we jumped at the opportunity to buy fresh fish which we saw a fisherman catch right in front of us on the beach. Our relaxed Airbnb host allowed us to use the kitchen, cooking up a seafood feast together. He made a tuna dish and we served our fish grilled with a spicy tomato and lime sauce. A couple of days later we got the chance to cook again. This time we sautéed king prawns with garlic, butter, chilli and curry leaves. The tasty sauce was moped up with fresh bread from the singing tuk tuk bakery; the music has sent us running towards it on a few occasions like children to the ice cream van!

At the beginning of our Sri Lankan trip we felt like there were few restaurants to choose from, this is not the case along the coast due to the heightened tourist industry. The fresh fish and seafood are a dream! We have had delicious tuna steaks, fish rotti (stuffed flat bread), prawns, fish curries and seafood kotthu.

We continued to make our way along the Sri Lankan coastline and arrived in Mirissa - a much larger, busier beach. We spent the overcast afternoon taking a walk along the soft sand and palm tree lined shores. On our way, we saw places advertising swimming with turtles for about £15 each. Ross casually asked the guy if it was here or elsewhere; he pointed left and said about 1.5km that way. After a 20 minute walk in that direction, we got in the water and began ‘goggling’ (snorkels are too bulky for our limited luggage). Although the water was slightly churned by the waves we saw a huge shawl of fish, there must have been over a thousand - just a shame we had forgotten the camera. Sure enough, after about 20 minutes in the water we found a turtle! We were able to swim with it for a couple of amazing minutes before it lost us. It was so graceful as it glided through the water. A truly incredible experience and not a penny spent!

The following morning our adventure of the deep blue continued. We went on a boat tour in the hope of spotting a blue whale. Luck was with us again. It was utterly breathtaking to see the largest animal that has ever lived! We got several sightings including its back and fin, its tail as it dived back down and of it spouting water. We were relieved to see for ourselves that the whales were not harassed in any way or chased too closely; concerns that had arisen after hearing about some of the smaller companies who run cowboy tours from adapted fishing boats. A school of over a hundred dolphins swam alongside the boat on our way back, leaping gracefully in synchronisation We arrived back on shore absolutely soaked to the core from the waves at the front of the boat. Our determination not to hide inside paid off but the contents of our money belts now laid across the bed in an attempt to dry.

Our next beach wasn’t on our agenda but suggested to us as a good spot for surfing so we decided to check it out. We are enjoying the flexibly of travelling and being able to change plans at the last minute. Weligama, is the perfect spot for begging surfers so would have been good for Danielle if she hadn’t have been so engrossed in her book. Ross gave the relatively poor surf a go though - this time wearing a t-shirt so as to not get as burnt as he did the day previously!

Midigama, just a 15 minute drive along the coast, is said to be a surfers paradise. Ross wasn’t so sure. After 30 minutes of watching the surfers in the water and not a single wave caught, he decided that due to the strong onshore wind it wasn’t worth renting a board. Instead we enjoyed the day relaxing on picture perfect beach, hardly touched by tourism. With Danielle happily reading, she hadn’t realised that Ross’ walk had taken nearly 2 hours. When he returned an air of arak (local coconut liquor) surrounded him. He had spent the afternoon on the rocks with some local men, chatting in broken English and sharing their drink and curry. As the sun set in the horizon and waves crashed against the rocks just offshore, we enjoyed dinner on the beach.

Sorry not sorry for the pictures of of blue skies and sunny beaches. If it’s any consolation, we are jealous of you starting your advent calendars and the exciting Christmas countdown. Danielle has decided to play one Christmas song each day and surprise Ross with a sweet from a local corner shop so Christmas doesn't completely pass us by. As your trees start to go up, email or message us a picture to help us get into the Christmas spirit too!

Love R and D xxx