Devil's Island | Photo by Katie Rae
This is Soul & Surf’s take on a local area guide. A real insider's guide to our South Sri Lanka. We don’t want or need to add to the noise and give you another Lonely Planet-style tourist guide. You can look that up anywhere.
This guide won’t necessarily tell you about the best, flashiest restaurants, or where to go to get the best sunset (although those things are obviously brilliant and you should do those things too).
This is straight from the mouths of the people that actually live here, work here, have spent a lot of time here. It’s where the staff run away to when they have a day off, or when we finish up for the season and give ourselves a little treat. Where the local kids go to eat the best dosas. Where we spend our time when we are in these places. Most of this stuff is close to home – the everyday that we take for granted in these special corners of the world.
And it’s the little gems we’ve found and assimilated over the years that are away from the tourists, off the beaten path. These special spots sometimes won’t have the best decor, wifi or the best service (or any service at all). You may not be able to find them easily, the people that work there may not speak English to you, you might get lost, you might get something completely different to what you ordered. But you’ll be experiencing something real. And that’s why we all travel, right?
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So here is our version of the Lonely Planet for you. Anecdotes, tips and a peek into a life less ordinary.
Soul & Surf's Insider's Guide to Sri Lanka
Sofie, Ed & Kit
Are Soul & Surf’s founders who found themselves in Varkala in 2009 and thought… I wonder if we could open a little surf & yoga stay here? They now divide their time between home-town Brighton and a mix of India, Sri Lanka & Portugal.
Kahanda Kanda
One of the first few times we came to Sri Lanka we found Kahanda Kanda. It’s a really special hideaway at the top of a hill surrounded by tea plantation. When friends visit us on the island we always take them for a late afternoon swim, a cocktail or two, and a snack of cashews stir fried with curry leaves & Sri Lankan spices before a great dinner.
Wild Beach or SB1
Just down the way, pretty much right on the beach road is one of our favourite secret beaches, hidden in plain sight. Once you get on the beach you’ll find a little cafe hidden under the trees with a lovely family serving drinks and snacks. We often take our BBQ and have sunset swims in the calm waters and a few drinks before dark.
The Paddy Fields
Hop on a bike or a scooter at dawn or dusk and just pootle around getting lost. From where we are it’s only minutes before you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to a slower, more gentle Sri Lanka. The elegant tranquility is only pierced now and then by the shrill call of a peacock, the deep grumble of a water buffalo or the scrambled passing of an enormous monitor lizard.
Kit
If you want to snorkel with a massive turtle - bigger than Kit - Wijaya’s the beach for you. There’s a great lagoon to swim in between the reef and the beach and there’s a rope swing and Wijaya restaurant makes pizzas too. Thursdays after school are for heading down to The Shack Dewata with friends and family. Everyone piles into the water with surfboards, canoes, and bodyboards, while the adults relax on the sand with drinks. For Kit, it’s the best kind of beach day—full of play, surf, and easygoing energy.
Anita
Anita finds her slice of paradise at Hiriketiya Beach—a small, palm-fringed bay perfect for beginner and intermediate surfers, brunch lovers, and anyone who appreciates turquoise water and easy vibes.
For a more local touch around Ahangama, she heads to Mamma’s Midigama, a simple roadside curry spot that feels like home. She loves walking in after a surf, piling her plate high, and hoping it’s “potato day” because their spicy potato curry is unbeatable. When she’s craving something familiar, Nomad Weligama is her pick—bright, airy, with strong coffee, perfect croissants, and a great remote work setup.
Lily
When Lily wants to watch the sunset, she climbs up to Lighthouse Ahangama. It’s a bit of a trek to the top, but the ice-cold drink, stunning view, and epic vibes make it more than worth it. It’s one of those places where “just one drink” often turns into an entire evening of laughter and great food. She also loves a good game of pool, and Kicks Sports Bar is her new favourite hangout. With its icy AC, surf and skate videos on giant TVs, and occasional DJ nights, it’s a little slice of home with a Sri Lankan twist.
Jo
For Jo, a perfect day starts at Kabalana Beach—a long stretch of sand perfect for lazy sunbed reading, dipping into the ocean, and sipping coconuts from beachside stalls. When she needs to recharge, she slips away to Ember & Ice, where a stunning sauna and ice bath setup is hidden among the rice paddies. It’s her detox ritual, complete with great coffee from their little café. For food, she loves Veda, an all-you-can-eat rice and curry spot right across from the beach.
Gayan
We first met Gayan when he was driving a tuk tuk in the village. He’d often be one of the drivers to take us back and forth from the surf. As we got to know him we realised we needed to have his beautiful smile on our team and around our guests.
My favourite place to go is the temple in Matara, and then stop over at Mirissa beach with my wife and son and drink a green kurumbu coconut. We like to then have some food (my favourite food is egg omelette) in one of the beach shacks at sunset time before we come home.
Joel
For Joel, nothing hits the spot after a surf quite like Mr Sunil’s Roti Shop, a tiny beachside shack just a short walk from Devil’s Rock. It’s simple and perfect: fried buns stuffed with eggs, lentils, onion sambol, and veggies, eaten with sandy feet and an ocean view. Washed down with a cold king coconut, it’s his ultimate post-surf ritual.
*This is a quick snippet of all of our recommendations. If you want to take it all in, please download the full guide on the link here.
“You will be invited for a tea, kissed by a dog, surprised by amazing birds and bathed in sunshine." ~ Min
Photgraphy by Kahanda Kanda