The 2020 World Oceans Day on 8th June is uniting conservation action to grow the global movement calling on world leaders to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030. This critical need is called 30×30. By safeguarding at least 30% of our ocean through a network of highly protected areas we can help ensure […]
Recreate one of our favourite breakfasts to eat at Soul & Surf Sri Lanka with this recipe for our coconut roti, avocado smash and onion chutney.
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Words: Rachel Lingham, Head of Pop-Ups Hands down, the best thing for surf fitness is surfing.We all know this, but it isn’t always possible to get as much water time as we’d like. Whether it’s because you are landlocked, you don’t have your own kit, or even if it’s too cold (no excuse really, but […]
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When we first arrived in Varkala there were no local people surfing at all, so we set up our weekly surf club to teach the local kids how to surf.
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Soul People: Georgie Roberts, founder of independent jewellery brand, Wanderlust Life.
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Matty joined us as a surf coach on our recent trip to Chicama, Peru. It was fun.
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Words: Ed Templeton In late November 2009, Sofie & I first came to Varkala, Kerala. A couple of months before we had left home, our jobs and business to spend the best part of a year surfing the world. Fresh from Portugal we flew to Delhi and hot-footed it to Goa and then to Gokarna […]
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Get to know Jamie Mitchell, our resident photographer at Soul & Surf India…
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Soul People – Blain. A chat with our brilliant assistant manager at Soul & Surf Sri Lanka.
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Jazmin is leading our trip back to Chicama, Peru, in Spring 2020. Here, she shares some words on what it is about the place that she’s fallen so completely in love with…
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This month, I returned to Sri Lanka for the first time since the terror attacks earlier this year. I wanted to write this blog to share my experiences.
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The first time we met Mike – the photographer behind Pura Vida Cornwall – he took some seriously beautiful shots of our home and surrounding neighbourhood in Sri Lanka. We couldn’t resist getting him back out to the jungle to shoot some more for us, and luckily for us he agreed to share some words […]
It might still be peak season over in Portugal, at our new home in the Algarve, but we’ve been busy behind the scenes making plans for how we’ll be spending our first winter in Europe. Officially, our season ends in November – but we’re firm believers that a little cold water never hurt no one! […]
Meet Adam! What do you do at Soul & Surf I am the assistant manager at Soul & Surf Portugal as well working closely with all things surf across all of S&S. Where’s home? Right now, it is in Portugal. Myself and Rachel moved here in February. Before that it was 6 years in Cornwall […]
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Those of you who’ve been to stay with us at Soul & Surf Portugal already will have met Nat, our fantastic yoga teacher. Having first crossed paths with Nat a few years back in Kerala, we jumped at the chance to get her on board as our yoga teacher and some-time surf coach the minute […]
Words: Ed Templeton It’s hard to believe it’s been a month since the attacks in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, that devastated the country that Sofie, Kit and I – along with a large portion of our team – have come to call home. A lot has happened in the last month. There’s the initial shock […]
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And why we are going back this October Words: Rachel Lingham I have the enviable position of working on some of Soul & Surf’s Pop-Ups. These mini versions of our main hotels in Portugal, India and Sri Lanka can be, within reason, anywhere in the world. There have been pop-ups in Banda Aceh, The Andaman […]
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Words: Rachel Lingham Invented by monks and enjoyed all around Portugal, a Pastel de Nata needs to be fresh, fresh, fresh. This usually means they are best first thing in the morning, but some rare gems bake them two or even three times per day. There’s not a lot better in life than a small, perfectly formed […]
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Tammy Mittell of Real Flow Yoga explores the links between yoga and surfing.
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We caught up with Sim Warren, the director of our latest short film for Soul & Surf Portugal.
We spoke to Rachelle Lincoln, our resident surf photographer in Kerala, about life on the cliff…
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We’re really excited to have Becca Spooner popping up with us for the month of January. As a Zen Shiatsu practitioner, Becca incorporates knowledge from each of her practices into Holistic treatments that empower her clients’ innate ability to heal themselves, restoring balance, energy and a sense of calm in their lives. Here’s a bit of […]
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Words: Mhairi MacLeod Portugal is generally known for its peri-peri chicken, fresh seafood and pastel da nata. All considered to be ‘soul food’ of the country – and for good reason. If you find the right chicken shop, seafood restaurant or local bakery you can experience local chefs and bakers putting their passion into their […]
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Earlier this year, Kerala was hit with the worst flooding the state has seen in almost a century. We’re lucky here in Varkala to have been largely unaffected, but many areas further inland have been completely devastated by the disaster. We’re open for business, as are most other businesses locally – but there’s still a […]
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If you’ve been following our antics this year, you might have seen that we’ve been bouncing in and out of Portugal a fair amount this summer, popping-up for a series of week-long retreats. It’s been fun! (So much so, that we’ve decided it’s time to go a little more permanent…) On our most recent trip, […]
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Last month, we teamed up with the lovely folk behind the Smooth Movers surf festival – a three-day event down in Cornwall showcasing traditional surfing and all that it champions…music, art, independent film (and really cold beer). We were stoked to be asked to sponsor the weekend’s charity expression session (thanks guys!) – so, we […]
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Over the last month or so, we’ve been posting these short yoga videos, taking you through some simple twists and stretches you can do at home. Last week, Jessamin guided us through ‘thread the needle,’ which is all about gaining greater rotation and mobility in the shoulders and torso. This one kind of builds on […]
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Praise…we’re not always that good at receiving it. It makes us blush. Silly really, because sharing our love for surf, yoga, good food and good company – it’s why we do what we do. So why wouldn’t we want to hear that someone’s enjoyed their time staying with us?! Anyway, quite a few of you […]
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Jumping over from Kerala to Sri Lanka for our next yoga tutorial – y’know, just to keep you on your toes. Jessamin explores ‘thread the needle,’ which is all about creating greater mobility and rotation in the torso, shoulders and neck. Surfers, this can help us out in the water with our turns…handy! YOGA – […]
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Earlier this year we took a small team of people out to surf one of South America’s most iconic destinations: Chicama. It was pretty great – really great, in fact, and so we’re going back! Interested in joining us?! Here’s Min, one of our hosts, telling you what you’re in for…
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This summer we’ve been busy popping-up on the South Coast of Portugal’s Algarve, hosting a series of surf and yoga weeks. And we’re pretty stoked to say we’re not done yet – we’ve still got a week in October to come, and another in November (spaces available on both – get in touch…) Rachel, our […]
You know that dream you carry around with you each day? It’s kinda important. Wasn’t it what you were put on planet earth to do? Find Your Love from Soul&Surf on Vimeo. We’re open in Kerala from the start of October through until May. Come and play!
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We’ve compiled a short series of short, practical yoga videos – demonstrating practical tips and exercises you can try out at home to bring a moment’s post-holiday calm… Here’s the second in the series: join Freddie again from our rooftop shala in Kerala to explore this restorative Yin Yoga pose. This particular variation is a […]
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One of the things our yoga teachers get asked LOADS by our guests is for simple techniques they can incorporate into their busy lives once they get home. So, we figured some of you might be interested in a few short videos to take you through some yoga, meditation and breathing exercises – and maybe […]
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In the final instalment of four articles for Soul & Surf, Sam Bleakley explores The Soul of Surfing alongside the stunning photography of Katie Rae. You can read part one here, where Sam discusses the cultural context of the term ‘soul surfer’ and the often overlooked role of the wipeout. In part two Sam tracks […]
In the third instalment of four articles, Sam Bleakley explores The Soul of Surfing alongside the stunning photography of Katie Rae. You can read part one here, where Sam discusses the cultural context of the term ‘soul surfer’ and the often overlooked role of the wipeout. In part two Sam tracks the roots of surfing, […]
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Lou Burton, a member of our Varkala team last season, shares her thoughts on how surfing has helped her achieve a more mindful lifestyle since leaving behind the City… Anxiety is a big word. And it’s not something we admit to freely, or even realise we have until it’s already started to consume us. For […]
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In the second instalment of four articles, Sam Bleakley explores The Soul of Surfing alongside the stunning photography of Katie Rae. You can read part one here, where Sam discusses the cultural context of the term ‘soul surfer’ and the often overlooked role of the wipeout. The Blessing of the Board The spiritual importance of […]
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In the first instalment of four articles, Sam Bleakley explores The Soul of Surfing alongside the stunning photography of Katie Rae. Immersed in Water Today there are over 30 million surfers in the world, a rainbow spectrum of ages and nations, all seeking fulfilment from riding waves. You can surf reefs, points, beach breaks, river […]
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Our team in Kerala recently bid farewell to Lou Burton – who after a couple of months helping out in our clifftop cafe in Varkala, is now off on the next leg of her adventure with partner-in-crime Mark (you can follow along at TannedTonedTravelled.com). While she was with us, Lou took the opportunity to book […]
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Earlier this year we set off on our first South American adventure – heading all the way to Peru to surf one of its most iconic destinations: Chicama. We had a pretty great time… so much so that we’re going back next year. For those of us that couldn’t make it (but perhaps fancy coming […]
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Two men stand on the clifftop of Soul & Surf’s garden – one born in the hills, the other raised by the ocean – and discuss a mutual love of wave riding. Surf instructor Varghees, born and bred near Kovolam on India’s south west coast, could best be described as a lion-hearted surfer; his prowess […]
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Soul & Surf and Finisterre have been crossing paths for years now – from Joe (our head of partnerships) collaborating with the brand in its earlier years on video content, to sharing mutual friends both in Cornwall and in the tropics. It’s one of the main reasons we wanted to work with them – they […]
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A few months back, Riz of Riz Boardshorts (pretty much the Soul & Surf uniform in Sri Lanka and Kerala), asked Raff, our GM in Varkala, a few questions about his life; we thought we’d return the favour, seeing as we are proudly stocking Riz in our brand new shop, Kit. . We talked to […]
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Earlier this season, we hosted our good friend, the pro-longboarder Sam Bleakley here at Soul & Surf in Varkala for a special month-long residency. Sam joined to share his knowledge and love for the ocean through special one-to-one long boarding workshops plus screenings from his Brilliant Corners series of surf travel documentaries. Best of all, […]
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Soul & Surf present a week of Mindfulness and Meditation, in collaboration with Joey Hulin from Horizon Inspired. We have a varied programme of sessions across two locations – from practical, no-nonsense workshops, deeply blissful guided visualisations to film screenings – all designed to support your own journey into Mindfulness and Meditation – however practiced, […]
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“Woza” (“Come” in Zulu) tells the story of an African surfer who has been taken as a lover by the African water spirit Mami Wata. It features 22 year-old Transkei surfer, Avuyile Ndamase.
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For three seasons now, Sam Bleakley – champion longboarder, writer, journalist and documentary maker – has done a month-long residency at Soul & Surf in Varkala, offering longboard workshops to both locals, guests and non-guests, giving them the chance to dance on waves. Sam spent some time with us in Sri Lanka before jetting off […]
In February next year, we’re taking Soul & Surf to Peru for a four-week pop-up in the home of one of the longest left-hand waves in the world. Our hosts, Jazmin and Franco, share their experiences of discovering – and falling in love with – Peru. “Peru chose me a long time ago. Travelling […]
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One of the best things about Varkala is spending time with all the guys who grew up here. Some of them learnt to surf through Soul & Surf, growing into strong and wonderful souls who now inspire the next generation to walk on water. At first they were reserved; they’ve known each other for years […]
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Whether we’re exploring the local coastline to find the best waves, or chilling in the garden after a long day, most of us here at Soul & Surf are rarely found without a good book somewhere on their person. And since we spend so much time exchanging reading recommendations between us – we thought it […]
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Each Friday at Soul & Surf Sri Lanka, while the guests are enjoying a post surf breakfast or lounging in the pool, the S&S team get together for our weekly meeting – discussing the week we’ve just had, making plans for the week ahead and generally taking time to ‘check in’ with each other. Inspired to do […]
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On 19th October, the London Surf Film Festival kicks off, marking the seventh annual celebration of the very best in international surf film, art and culture. We caught up with the festival’s co-founder, Chris Nelson, to get the low-down. What is your name and where’s home? My name is Chris Nelson and I live close […]
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We are huge coffee fans so when our friends at SmallBatch Coffee in Brighton approached us about a collaboration with one of their farms in India, we jumped at the chance. We are giving away a holiday for 2 at our Varkala retreat, just pick up a bag of Bibi coffee in store or online […]
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Next in our Soul People series is 2 inspiring individuals who stayed with us in Sri Lanka, Tara and Eric from Lush Palm. Where’s home for you guys? Tara: Sunny Encinitas, California… and we absolutely love it! Encinitas is a beautiful mellow surf town in north San Diego so it’s an easy place to […]
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Don’t think about the future, just be here now. Don’t think about the past, just be here now. Our latest film shot in and around our jungle retreat in south west Sri Lanka. Camera & Edit – Mati Quinzio
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We love working with people who do things differently. When setting up our shop in Sri Lanka we wanted to make sure whoever we stocked had an interesting story to tell. When we met Venita and she told us about her 100% natural skin oil, Surfskinoil , we had to find out more. This stuff […]
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Florescence from Morgan Maassen on Vimeo. A 2 minute underwater exploration in the Indian Ocean brought to you by Morgan Maassen.
Read MoreOn the full moon of May, Buddhists commemorate the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. Simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks are brought to illuminated and decorated temples, where the celebration is an opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practise loving-kindness and to […]
Read MoreNext in our Soul People series is our Head of Vibes Siona who has been with us in Varkala for the last year and a half. Today is her last day working for Soul & Surf so we caught up with her to see how the last 16 months have been… What’s your name? Siona […]
Read MoreIn February, the United Nations announced its new program, Clean Seas (http://www.cleanseas.org), with the goal of eliminating major sources of pollution that are choking our oceans and waterways across the globe. We are starting to see the significant impacts our trash problem has on the environment and human health. We are realizing that this is […]
Read MoreIt’s that time again, say hello to Serena, the next member of the Soul&Surf family in our Soul People series. Serena first came to Soul&Surf as a guest and is currently our Head of Service in India managing our cafe SoulFood however she will be joining us for our Portugal PopUp this May as our […]
Read MoreFor the next interview in our Soul People series we caught up with Raff, General Manager, Doer and Thinker of Soul & Surf India. Raff joined the company when it was still in it’s infancy and has seen it blossom and grow over the years. Here’s his story: What’s your name? Raffael Kably aka Raff […]
Read MoreIn 2016 we decided to stay open in Sri Lanka all year round. All the way through the traditional ‘off-season’ from May to October. Of course we didn’t just open and hope, we’d spent some time here to check it out and asked our local friends what the general weather and wind patterns were in […]
Read MoreA little snippet of life lately according to our wonderful new photographer in India Katie Rae. Dreamy hot days, sky blue seas, rooftop yoga and lovely little nuggets to surf on. This really might be paradise! Save Save
Read MoreNext in our Soul People series is Head Chef Aruna who helped us set up our new hotel in Sri Lanka. Chef makes the best seared tuna we’ve ever tasted and is always smiling. We caught up with him for a quick chat: What’s your name? Aruna Ulu Waduge What do you do? Head Chef at Soul […]
Read MoreWe are currently lucky enough to have Grant Lloyd staying with us in Kerala as our Guest Chef. Having trained and worked closely with Jamie Oliver he has a wealth of knowledge and skill and has been getting in the kitchen every day coming up with new, delicious dishes for us. Inspired by our forthcoming […]
Read MoreOne of the shorts from videographer and brilliant guest Sean showing our local community in Varkala. We are lucky enough to call this place home and to have made so many amazing friends here, we’d love to share it with you!
Read MoreWhat is your name: Jack Wells Where is home? Currently home is South London What do you do for a living: Half of my time is spent working as a cinematographer for music videos and commercials. Then the other half of my time is spent painting pictures, a lot majority of my […]
Read MoreNext in our Soul People series is Freddie who has been with us for the last few months working in our reception. Her happy smiley face is the first to welcome guests to Soul & Surf and her yoga lessons get you bending and stretching in all the right ways! We caught up with her […]
Read MoreWe love hearing our guests stories about what they’re doing in life and consider ourselves super lucky that we get to meet so many amazing people from all over the world! Jamie Johnstone, owner of Dick Pearce & Friends bellyboards and his family stayed with us in Kerala over Christmas and New Year so we […]
Read MoreMULTIKULTI The first in our series of guests posts from pro surfer, explorer and author Sam Bleakley takes us on a history trip of surfing in India and explores the vast coastline and all it’s surf potential. With nearly 1.3 billion people, India is the world’s second most populous nation, has over 7,500km (4,700 miles) […]
Read MoreAlthough feeling festive can be a bit more of a challenge in a tropical climate without the traditional Christmas jumper, roaring fire and mulled wine we still like to keep some customs going. This week we turned our hand to floristry making a Tropical Leaf Christmas Wreath. Our HoV in Kerala, Siona, along with some […]
Read MoreA Million Waves is a portrait of 19-year-old surfer Kadiatu Kamara, the only woman surfer at Bureh Beach, south of Freetown, Sierra Leone. Beautiful work from Daniel Ali and Louis Leeson.
Read MoreName: Hayley Mia Age: 29 What is your role at Soul&Surf? I teach people how to bend and how to breathe 🙂 How did you come to be at Soul & Surf? One of my dear friends shared a post with me on Facebook a few years back that Soul and Surf were looking for a […]
Read MoreThe story of a group of pro surfers who have left the international surfing circuit in order to grow organic vegetables on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. Mat, Fergal, Mitch and all the crew are creating a sustainable community that focuses on taking care of the earth, sharing the crops they grow and surfing really […]
Read MoreWe love all of our guests and hear a lot of incredible stories around the villas both in Kerala and Sri Lanka. We wanted to bring these to the Journal, starting with Jen and Tom (a.k.a. “Stretch” – he’s 6’6”) Jen and Tom came to Soul & Surf in Sri Lanka to take a break from […]
Read MoreSurfers Against Sewage are leading the way in protecting our seas. We’ve been huge fans ever since their iconic environmental work in the 90s with guerilla style campaigns like the one below. We joined the 1% for the planet scheme a few years ago and have been supporting SAS by donating 1% of our annual profits to help them […]
Read MoreEUNOIA from Desillusion on Vimeo. This beauty comes from the man behind Desillusion , Sebastien Zanella. If only all surf films were shot like this.
Read MoreLoving Lanka from Sebastian Linda on Vimeo. Sri Lanka is undoubtedly one of the most photogenic places in the world. German film maker Sebastian Linda spent some time here last year and produced this epic short covering all corners of the island. Want to come and visit now?!
Read MoreWe get some incredible, beautiful and inspiring people staying with us at Soul & Surf. Some of them even go home and write about it. Kayla came over from the UK and had never surfed before, by the end of her stay she was cruising! Check her story HERE.
Read MoreWhat makes Soul&Surf tick? The amazing bunch of people that work with us of course. Soul People will introduce you to some of the incredible people we work in both Sri Lanka and India. Photo: Steve Coombes Name: My name is Rakhul, find me on Facebook Age: 25 Where’s Home? I’m from the Western Ghats What’s your […]
Read MoreWhat makes Soul&Surf tick? The amazing bunch of people that work with us of course. Soul People will introduce you to some of the incredible people we work in both Sri Lanka and India. Photo: Steve Coombes Name: My name is Varghees Age: 26 Where’s Home? Kovalam, Kerala What’s your role at Soul&Surf: I’m a surf instructor Photo: […]
Read MoreDavid Carson – All For a Few Good Waves from Dress Code on Vimeo. David Carson is arguable one of the most famous graphic designers in the world. After serving as art director for iconic magazines, Transworld, RayGun and BeachCulture, he set up his own studio and now live and surfs in the BVIs, and despite […]
Read MoreStephanie Gilmore – The Tempest. from Monster Children on Vimeo. Stephanie Gilmore oozes style and class in this beautiful short from Monster Children. Kelly Slater put it best: “Stephanie is an original badass. She surfs like people should surf and plays music from her soul. She’s interested in a variety of topics outside of riding waves. […]
Read MoreSoul&Surf India is situated on beautiful cliffs overlooking the Arabian Sea in the small coastal town of Varkala. This area is known to be one of the cleanest and most beautiful regions in India. However, access to clean water is still a significant issue for many people in this region of India. Most of […]
Read MoreWhat makes Soul&Surf tick? The amazing bunch of people that work with us of course. Soul People will introduce you to some of the incredible people we work in both Sri Lanka and India. Name: Jelaine but call me Jelly Age: 24 Where’s Home? : South Africa What’s your role at Soul&Surf : Surf Instructor […]
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But I don’t know how to do anything else. It’s all very well leaving everything behind, travelling thew world and having a wonderful time but if you don’t actually get around to doing something new and different and just have a few drinks, some lie-ins and a bit of a laugh you’ll end up going back […]
Read MoreI can’t risk it. Change is the only constant we have, we can run in fear from it or embrace it when it comes or better still we can positively chase it. Drastic changes are the things that make us feel alive. This second post in my mini-series looks at why and how we quit our jobs […]
Read MoreIf you’ve ever wanted to spend more of your time doing the stuff you love and less doing work that you don’t love then, over the next 3 online posts, I am going to share a few key things that helped us to jump ship back in 2009 and end up running a surf & yoga […]
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It’s all very well leaving everything behind, travelling thew world and having a wonderful time but if you don’t actually get around to doing something new and different and just have a few drinks, some lie-ins and a bit of a laugh you’ll end up going back home to the rut you were stuck in before […]
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Change is the only constant we have, we can run in fear from it or embrace it when it comes or better still we can positively chase it. Drastic changes are the things that make us feel alive. This second post in my mini-series looks at why and how we quit our jobs and travelled around the […]
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If you’ve ever wanted to spend more of your time doing the stuff you love and less doing work that you don’t love then, over the next 3 online posts, I am going to share a few key things that helped us to jump ship back in 2009 and end up running a surf & yoga […]
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The hard-hats and hi-vis jackets are on and Soul & Surf is being built on the south coast of Sri Lanka and all is going to plan.
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We are back in Mumbai (albeit briefly until LA) and already miss Sri Lanka. What a lovely place you and Ed selected and we feel privileged to have been able to spend some time there. We want to thank you, Ed, Lucy, Josh and the staff at the House for one of the best vacations […]
Richard & Sherie Stoner
