Hikkaduwa has been popular as a resort for 40 years, ever since this coast was discovered by hippies in the 70s. And from year to year the popularity of this place is only growing, and the resort itself is constantly developing.

Once known as a cheap and democratic place, Hikkaduwa is gradually becoming more respectable, while maintaining all the previous opportunities. She is not perfect in everything, but she is deservedly loved by many.

Narigama Beach in Hikkaduwa

7 reasons to go to Hikkaduwa

1. Hikkaduwa is one of the most developed tourist areas in Sri Lanka, with the maximum number of recreational opportunities (choice of cafes, restaurants, travel agencies, entertainment).
2. Two beaches nearby: a surfer's beach with waves, and a lagoon without waves for safe swimming.
3. Opportunity to see sea turtles in their natural environment.
4. Convenient location to see attractions and beaches nearby (Bentota, Unnawatuna, Galle).
5. Fun beach parties (not found on other Sri Lankan beaches), overall quite a lively resort, especially by Sri Lankan standards.
6. Here you can find reasonable prices for everything (hotel or guesthouse, inexpensive cafes, rent a motorbike, etc.), especially when compared with the more expensive and serious Bentota, as well as the ever-increasing price of Unawatuna.
7. Surfers come here (you can also learn), there are opportunities for diving and snorkeling.

Helpful information

Capital of Sri Lanka: Colombo.

Distance Moscow - Colombo: 6573 km; the average duration of a direct flight is 8 hours 30 minutes; Bandaranaike international airport code is CMB.

Where is Hikkaduwa: on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, approximately 98 km from the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo and 127 km. from Bandaranaike International Airport.

Visa to Sri Lanka: for Russians for up to 30 days you can get a visa on arrival (35$) or a little cheaper by filling out an online application in advance ( 30$) — a copy must be presented at the airport; through the embassy in Moscow you can obtain a single or double entry visa for up to 90 days (25$).

There are no accredited consular missions in Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan: if necessary, visas are issued in Moscow, personal presence is required.

Season in Hikkaduwa: from November to April; surfing: from November to March.

Currency of Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan Rupee (Sri Lankan rupee), symbol: ₨, currency converter.

Banks in Sri Lanka: Bank of Ceylon, People's Bank, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Hatton National Bank, Nations Trust Bank. There are ATMs in every resort area.

Prices in Hikkaduwa:

exchange rate for November 2015: 1$ = 140 Rs.

transfer from the airport (official price of an airport taxi) - 8500 Rs ($60);

budget hotels - from $20-50 (depending on the season and conditions), comfortable hotels from $50-70;

meals in tourist restaurants: breakfasts on average $5, lunches and dinners from $10 (beer 200 Rs (375 ml)/400 Rs (625 ml); rice and curry - 600 Rs, soup - from 300 Rs, sandwiches from 300 Rs , pancakes from 150 Rs, fish from 700 Rs, barbecue from 2000 Rs, grilled lobster from 600 Rs per 100 gr.);

prices in the cafe for locals: rotti 100-120 Rs, fried rice 110-150 Rs; rice and curry 200 Rs.

surfing lesson with a Sri Lankan instructor 2000-4000 Rs (price includes board rental), with a Russian from 8000 Rs (board rental included); surfboard rental: from 1000 Rs ($7-10 per day).

scooter rental - from 1000 Rs ($7-10 per day).

Distance from Hikkaduwa to other cities and beaches of Sri Lanka :

Distance from Bandaranaike Airport to Hikkaduwa: 141 km (toll road).

Distance from Colombo to Hikkaduwa: 119 km (toll road).

Distance from Bentota to Hikkaduwa: 37 km.

Distance from Unnawatuna to Hikkaduwa: 25 km.

Distance from Galle to Hikkaduwa: 21 km.

Distance from Kandy to Hikkaduwa: 209 km.

Distance from Sigiriya to Hikkaduwa: 268 km.

About the resort Hikkaduwa

During our travels, we visited all the resorts in Sri Lanka, but if we happen to visit this country again, we will definitely stop by Hikkaduwa again.

To be honest, Hikkaduwa evokes conflicting feelings. No, it is not perfect, it has its pros and cons, like any resort. But it is in Hikkaduwa that the holiday is lively, varied and cozy.

In terms of relaxation atmosphere, this is one of the most comfortable places in Sri Lanka. The beaches here are wide and long, with enough space for everyone.

At Narigama Beach, the ocean appears in all its glory - noisy, with powerful waves. On the Hikkaduwa beach (or in the lagoon, as it is more often called), on the contrary, there are no waves, you can swim, and sea turtles and colored fish swim there. In this sense, the place is uncompromising: a kilometer and a half, and you are on a completely different beach.

Here you can feel in the thick of things - you can choose from many beach cafes, some of which host noisy night parties on the shore, surf schools, etc. Or you can be a little hermit, choosing a secluded place 10 minutes walk from the ocean and enjoy silence, birdsong and tropical laziness.

Hikkaduwa is conveniently located so that you can diversify your holiday with trips. From here you can easily go to other Sri Lankan beaches (to Bentota, to Unawatuna), by local bus or rented motorbike, in one day you can go to Galle and even to Colombo.

There is a coral reef here. True, it was very badly damaged during the 2004 tsunami, and do not believe those who write about its incredible beauty - this, unfortunately, is in the past. But there are remnants of the reef, and colorful fish in the lagoon and sea turtles swimming to the shore.

Another big plus about Hikkaduwa is that at this resort there is always a choice for everything. Hotels - from the most affordable to the fantastically expensive. Cafes range from local dollar eateries to cozy beach cafes. There are many options here and you can always find your own.

This diverse range of opportunities in the unevenly developed and increasingly expensive Sri Lanka is of some value. For example, if you are used to walking in the evening in search of a cafe where to have dinner, and do not like to be tied to a hotel restaurant, then you do not have many options for resorts in Sri Lanka. And Hikkaduwa is one of them.

In Sri Lanka, it happens that the resort consists of a couple of large hotels on the shore. This is why Hikkaduwa is so loved by those who travel to Sri Lanka on their own, without a trip.

If we compare Hikkaduwa with neighboring Bentota, it compares favorably with the presence of a larger number of affordable hotels. And if you compare it with neighboring Unawatuna, then Hikkaduwa is simply more spacious.

True, Hikkaduwa also has its disadvantages. The beach here was built up spontaneously. On Narigama Beach, guesthouses are located quite densely, close to each other.

Not everywhere the beach is convenient for swimming: in the western part, Narigama Beach is quite narrow and, due to erosion, the shore is reinforced in some places with sandbags. But this is local, and you can hardly encounter this, especially if you choose a hotel in the right part of the beach.

There is also a rather noisy road to Galle along the beach, which also needs to be taken into account when planning a vacation here (more on that below).

Season in Hikkaduwa: when is the best time to go?

Sri Lanka has a rather unique microclimate due to the fact that the island is located almost on the equator (650 km to the equator), while the island is very small and a significant part of it is covered with mountains and forest.

Therefore, it is always humid here, and even in the driest months it rains on some of the days, days can be cloudy and cloudy even in the high tourist season, the temperature is even throughout the year: during the day 30-33, almost regardless of the season, the water temperature is ocean 28-29 degrees.

Tourist season continues in Hikkaduwa from November to April. In the off-season, theoretically, you can also relax, but on the ocean at this time there are guaranteed to be high waves, and there are significantly more cloudy, cloudy and rainy days than in the season.

The rainiest month in Hikkaduwa is September. A detailed description of the weather in Hikkaduwa by month is at the end of the guide.

How does Hikkaduwa work?

The resort area of ​​Hikkaduwa stretches for about 7 kilometers. There are two separate beaches nearby in Hikkaduwa - Hikkaduwa Beach and Narigama Beach.

Near Hikkaduwa beach, which is also called the lagoon, and whose length is only 1.5 km, there are several large hotels, including (for example Coral Sands, Hikkaduwa Beach Hotel, Hikka Tranz, which used to be called “Chaya Trans”, Bansei by Hotel J(pay attention to it, it is inexpensive and the conditions are very good).

This is how beautiful the lagoon in Hikkaduwa can be during the season

The good thing about the beach next to the lagoon is that there is a coral reef nearby that protects the shore from the waves, so you can almost always swim here. But the downside is that many people come here to swim, including Sri Lankans.

From the cape on which the hotel stands Hikka Tranz The second, longer Narigama beach begins - its length is 4 km.

Beach life in Narigama

Most of the hotels and guesthouses in this resort area are concentrated on Narigama, for example, Universal Beach Guest House, Surfing Beach Guest House or much more comfortable Avenra Beach Hikkaduwa, Roman Beach, Hotel Suite Lanka.

It is important to note that Narigama Beach is not equally good along its entire length. At the beginning (behind the cape on which the Hikka Tranz hotel is located, the section of the beach is very narrow and not very suitable for swimming, in some places the buildings on the shore are too close to the water, and sand erosion has to be compensated for with sandbags.

This part of the area is very densely populated with budget hotels and guesthouses, some have swimming pools, and there is also a decent number of restaurants, cafes, tourist souvenir shops, motorbike rentals, etc.

The location for hotels here is not very good; the hotel sites are very small, sandwiched on one side by the approaching ocean and on the other side by a noisy road. Noisy cafes hosting beach parties are also located closer to this section of the beach.

Closer to the central part of Narigama beach, the beach is very wide and comfortable, it’s not so crowded here anymore, this is a very good place to settle on the shore. It is usually lively here, there are many cafes on the shore and in general it is very beautiful. Swimming here is also better than in the western part of Narigama beach (where it is very deep near the shore) - a little shallower, beautifully rolling waves, etc.

Towards the southern end of the beach it becomes quieter, since this is no longer the epicenter of resort life.

Behind the first line of hotels, guesthouses and cafes in Hikkaduwa there is a fairly busy and rather noisy road to Galle Rd.

Road in Hikkaduwa along the beach

Behind the road there is also tourist infrastructure - cafes, small souvenir shops, inexpensive hotels and guesthouses (the price/quality ratio in these hotels is sometimes better than on the shore, since they somehow need to compensate for the disadvantages of their location): the best are here Tandem Guesthouse, The Oasis Villa.

Railway in Hikkaduwa (runs parallel to the beach and the road to Galle)

Trains do not go very often (about a couple of dozen per day), but the road is old and the trains are noisy.

Not far from Narigama beach, behind the road and railway, there are several comfortable small hotels that are located away from the hustle and bustle, usually the price/quality ratio of these hotels is higher than on the shore, and the location is better than those located next to the road, but this comes at the expense of being close to the beach.

So the best ones are here Asian Jewel Boutique Hotel(they have a very good restaurant) Villa Acres Green(villa with three bedrooms and a private pool, a very profitable option for a group), Vesma Villas, Villa Dineha. All of the listed hotels except the last one have swimming pools.

Beaches of Hikkaduwa. Is it possible to swim here?

Narigama Beach

As for swimming in Hikkaduwa, Narigama Beach near the shore is quite deep. During the season (from November to April) the ocean is relatively calm, the rest of the time the waves are very strong.

Surfer on Narigama in Hikkaduwa

The section of the beach next to the Chaya Tranz hotel is very remarkable - it is still protected from the waves by the reef, but at the same time there is no longer such crazy activity (boats, Sri Lankans, tourists) as in the lagoon.

Starting approximately from the Time-n-Tide Hotel, the strip of sand gradually widens. In the central part of Narigama beach, the width of the beach reaches 100 meters. This is the most beautiful and well-groomed area.

Towards the end of the beach, the strip of sand gradually narrows again and ends with a rocky cape.

Waves at Narigama in October:

Hikkaduwa Beach (lagoon in Hikkaduwa, beach opposite the coral reef)

In the lagoon, which is located just west of Narigama, there are usually no waves: there is a coral reef nearby, the waves break against it and almost never reach the shore, so the water in the lagoon is almost always calm and you can swim. In addition, sea turtles live in the lagoon; they swim to the shore and this always causes a storm of emotions.

One of the disadvantages is that the lagoon is very small; both Sri Lankans and tourists come here to swim. In addition, there are always a lot of tourist boats in the lagoon that take you on boat trips and for diving, which adds to the bustle, but does not add purity to the water.

Due to the fact that there are almost no waves in the lagoon, it is comfortable to swim here, but due to the characteristics of the bottom and corals, there are rip currents here (be careful).

Best guesthouses and hotels in Hikkaduwa

In our guide, we have collected information about the best hotels in Hikkaduwa - from guesthouses with basic conditions to very comfortable hotels.

It is important to remember that any stars as an indicator of the class of a hotel in Sri Lanka is a big convention. There are still very few hotels of international chains on the island, so all the standards on the island are Sri Lankan.

The average standard of hotels in Sri Lanka is quite low. But if you choose a hotel carefully, you can always find a suitable option.

If we talk about inexpensive hotels with basic conditions, it is important to remember that hot water in the shower is rather an exception (usually cool, which warms up a little in the sun), the same applies to air conditioning.

Budget hotels and guesthouses

Tandem Guesthouse

This guesthouse has been operating conscientiously for almost 10 years. The best guesthouse on this coast for the price. Both the rooms and their owner actually make a very favorable impression.

The rooms are very comfortable: there is air conditioning and hot water in the shower. The guesthouse is located behind the road, but very close to the beach. You can go swimming at Narigama, or you can go to the lagoon - the guesthouse is located between them.

The area is quite small, but each room has its own small terrace overlooking the garden. Really very clean, neat and cozy.

Please note that there are only 9 rooms. Over the years of operation, this mini-hotel has earned many thanks and high ratings in booking systems, so it is worth booking in advance, especially considering its low cost.

The Oasis Villa

Small hotel (12 rooms) with a swimming pool. The hotel is located behind the road, 50 meters from the beach. Located in the middle of the road between the lagoon, where there are no waves and you can swim safely, and Narigama beach, where the epicenter of resort life.

A good option in terms of price and quality ratio.

Doors guest house & cafe

Budget guesthouse run by Russians (a plus for those who are afraid of the language barrier).

The nearby section of the beach for swimming is not very good, but you can go for a swim towards the Chaya Tranz Hotel, to the lagoon (walk about a kilometer), or to Narigama.

Near the guesthouse there are Vibration and Fanky de Bar, which host noisy parties (at the same time this is a warning for those who like to sleep peacefully at night).

Universal Beach Guest House

Acceptable, inexpensive guesthouse on the beach.

3 star hotels in Hikkaduwa

Villa Dineha

Clean, new, small hotel 5 minutes walk from the beach. Located in a quiet location.

Bansei by Hotel J

The hotel is located next to the lagoon, on the shore. Spacious rooms with panoramic windows, swimming pool. Normal hotel for reasonable money.

Vesma Villas

Located "off the road". There is only greenery and rice fields around. Very quiet. Walking distance to the ocean is 15-20 minutes, you can use a motorbike or tuk-tuk. You can go to the town and to the beach once a day, spending the rest of the time in complete silence.

Small complex (10 villas), there is a swimming pool. Comfortable and relatively inexpensive for these conditions.

Villa Acres Green

Spacious private villa with private pool, surrounded by coconut trees. The villa has three bedrooms, so it is suitable for a large group. Relatively inexpensive for such accommodation (for double occupancy, $140 and only $20 more for 6 people).

It is located in a very quiet place, there are guaranteed to be no neighbors here, far from the noise of the highway and from the railway. You can enjoy your own pool, greenery and silence all day long. And at the same time, no one except inconspicuous personnel. If you wish, you can use the services of a cook and order groceries.

Located 8 km. from the ocean, but here you can also rent a bicycle or car. But it’s so great here that many people forget about the ocean.

4 star hotels in Hikkaduwa

Asian Jewel Boutique Hotel

The hotel is located 10 minutes' drive from the beach, on the shores of a lake also called Hikkaduwa.

The hotel has one very serious advantage: the hotel has one of the best restaurants on this coast (according to TripAdvisor - No. 1 in Hikkaduwa). That is why many people come here many times during their holidays to eat well.

In fact, you can just live here and ride a tuk-tuk to the ocean. Especially in the off-season when the waves are strong. The hotel has a swimming pool.

The hotel is very small, only 5 rooms. Surrounded by tropical greenery, complete silence and relaxation, in contrast to the rather noisy beach area.

Roman Beach

One of the best hotels on the beach. Small - only 6 rooms. Located in a nice, wide part of the beach, in the central part. Stands on the shore. There is a swimming pool, which is very important in Hikkaduwa, since you can’t always swim in the ocean and it’s already deep off the coast.

Spacious, stylish, clean, very tidy rooms. All of the above are truly valuable in Sri Lanka. Very helpful service.

This hotel is worth booking in advance, the price/quality ratio is very high and the rooms are limited.

Hotel Suite Lanka

Stylish hotel in a quiet part of the beach, but close to the tourist epicenter. It stands on the shore (the location is indicated with an error on the Booking map). There is a small pool, the rooms are cozy and spacious.

Avenra Beach Hikkaduwa

The hotel is located in the center of Narigama Beach. There is a swimming pool and sun loungers on the shore.

5 star hotels in Hikkaduwa

Aditya Resort

There are 12 suites in total. 55 helpful hotel staff. Antique furniture. Magnificent SPA. And a fantastic price per room.

Mostly very wealthy tourists from the UK vacation here. The option with this hotel can theoretically be considered only if there is some very good special offer, when the price drops by half or even more.

Cafes and restaurants in Hikkaduwa

Beach life in Hikkaduwa at Narigama Beach

Rotti Shop

In Hikkaduwa, on the main street along which the beach runs - Galle Rd. — there are several local small cafes called Rotti Shop or Rotti Stop.

Feel free to go to these small, nondescript-looking local cafes - the rottis in Hikkaduwa are very good.

Rotti is a fried Sri Lankan flatbread (or pancake) that is filled with a variety of fillings. Very democratic and incredibly tasty.

Burger Shag

Here you can find giant delicious burgers if you get tired of Sri Lankan food.

Located next to the Blu Not Hotel, also close to the Time N Tide.

Cool Spot

An excellent restaurant where you can eat delicious fish and seafood (crabs, lobsters, giant shrimp, etc.). An atmospheric, cozy place, the restaurant has been around for a very long time and has an excellent reputation. At the same time, prices are low, there is no extra charge for service, as is often the case in tourist restaurants. The only negative is that it is often crowded.

It is located opposite the Chaya Tranz hotel (that is, across the road, on the second line).

The Den

Located on the shore. A good place to sit and eat. Prices are moderate. The portions are large, delicious, the ocean is nearby... what more do you need. There are seafood, fish, Sri Lankan and European dishes.

Where it is: located next to the Time - N - Tide hotel (if you face the ocean - a little to the right).

Top Secret

It's not so much a place to eat as just a pleasant place to sit. Especially in the evening. It has been around for a very long time and is popular. Chill out bar, you can lie on pillows, there are hookahs.

Where is it located: in the central part of Narigama beach.

Nightlife in Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa has a little better fun than other resorts. But in reality, this is still a village resort, where all the nightlife is concentrated in a few local bars: Fanky de Bar, Vibration, Mambo’s.

Vibration

Since 2000, it has been organizing its famous Friday parties (you can follow their current events on their Facebook). Photo gallery of Vibration parties on their official website.

Fanky de Bar

It is not located on the shore, but on a hill and is good for watching sunsets. In the evening there is usually cheerful music playing, there are a lot of people, you can have dinner. They have parties on Thursdays (photo gallery of them). They also have a cafe on the beach.

Video from their party:

Read more: Fanky de Bar official website, Facebook group(there are videos of their night parties).

Mambo's Surfers Paradise Restaurant & Bar

Surfer's place. Fun beach parties on Saturdays, fireworks, lively, fun. During the day it operates like a regular beach bar.

Top Secret

Also, one of the most pleasant places in Hikkaduwa where you can sit, even in the evening, is the chill-out bar on the shore of Top Secret.

The food there is relatively expensive and not exceptionally tasty, but it’s definitely worth coming here in the evening for the atmosphere.

There are hookahs, but not very many of them (those around the bar are props).

Hikkaduwa: tours and attractions

Apart from the beach, the coral reef and the sea turtles swimming into the lagoon, there are no important attractions (at the level of World Heritage sites) in the immediate vicinity of Hikkaduwa.

There are several temples, the most interesting of which is Shinigama Vihara, a museum and temple dedicated to victims of the 2004 tsunami.

If you want to complement your beach holiday with a visit to interesting sights, then it is better to immediately focus on trips around the island. For example, you can visit Bentota, Ambalangoda and Galle Fort (protected by UNESCO). These are optimal trips that are easy to complete in one day and do not require large expenses.

It is also theoretically possible to go to Colombo, but you need to plan your time carefully, leaving early, since you need time both to explore the city and on the road.

You can plan an excursion for several days (through a travel agency or by renting a car with a driver, or on your own using public transport) and explore the most significant sites of the island (Yala National Park, Kandy, Sigiriya, etc.).

If you don’t want to spend energy planning a cultural program and trip, but just want to brighten up your beach holiday a little by exploring the surroundings of Hikkaduwa, then you can drive along local roads, visiting local temples, stopping on the shore, taking photographs, and walking.

coral reef

Before the 2004 tsunami there was a very beautiful coral reef here. Now many sites often accompany the description of this place with spectacular photographs taken... in the Red Sea (that is, in Egypt). The former beauty is no longer there, the corals have mostly died.

You can snorkel near the reef, there are quite a lot of colorful fish, there are moray eels, and several turtles live in the lagoon and swim right to the shore.

Coral reef in Hikkaduwa

Glass-bottom boat trips to the reef are offered, but the glass on the bottom of the boats is thick and cloudy, so you can’t see much through it.

Turtle watching

There are several small turtle nurseries near Hikkaduwa. But it’s much more interesting to see them at sea or offshore.

You can often see turtles in the lagoon; they are fed with sea grass and swim straight to the shore.

Sea turtle in Hikkaduwa

Also, Narigama Beach in Hikkaduwa is one of the places where sea turtles lay their eggs. They do this on the same shore on which they themselves were born. The best chances of seeing egg-laying turtles and baby turtles are from February to April.

The hatched turtle is small and weightless

Turtles crawl ashore at night to lay eggs. Hatched turtles run towards the ocean during the day. The turtles are very small, the clutches are invisible, they can be seen by chance, sometimes noticed by locals or tourists.

There is a turtle nursery in Kosgod. There is also a nursery near Hikkaduwa Sea Turtle Hatchery and Rescue Center in Dodanduwa (just south of Narigama Beach).

Sinigama Muhudu Viharaya Temple (Seenigama Vihara Temple; Seenigama Muhudu Viharaya)

A large temple, which is located 2 km from the center of Hikkaduwa along Galle Rd towards Colombo.

It consists of two parts - the main building of the temple is located on the mainland, and there is also another building related to the temple on the island 100 meters from the shore. It is also notable for the fact that it is the only building near the coast that survived the 2004 tsunami.

You can get to the island by boat; the cost of a boat is in the range of 500-1200 rupees, and mainly depends on your bargaining ability. About 10 monks live in the temple on the island. There is nothing particularly interesting there.

Entrance to the temple is free.

Shri Shylathararamaya Temple

A small local temple, which can be reached in a maximum of 10 minutes walk from the beach.

Visiting is free, but the ministers noticeably hope for donations.

Photo museum in memory of the victims of the 2004 tsunami

Located 6-8 km. from Hikkaduwa towards Colombo (mark 94 km). Here is a village destroyed during the 2004 tsunami, only partially restored.

A small private museum has been organized here, where evidence of what happened (drawings, photographs, things) is collected. The museum is organized by a witness to those events.

A little closer to Hikkaduwa there is a large standing Buddha - the statue was erected in memory of those killed during the tsunami, installed by the Japanese. It is believed that the height of the statue is approximately equal to the height of the wave during a tsunami.

The statue stands on a small island among a small artificial island, with a bridge leading to the statue. At the foot of the Buddha there are plaques with the names of those killed during the tsunami. There were many fatalities in this place, since during the second wave a train was traveling through the railway here to Halle, carrying 1,270 people.

Admission is free, but usually visitors leave small donations, which is how the museum operates.

Address: 95th km of Galle Road.

Excursion to Galle

Galle Fort is a World Heritage listed monument, well preserved and a very atmospheric place worth visiting. From Hikkaduwa to Galle 21 kilometers. You can get to the fort by bus, rented motorbike or tuk-tuk.

Coastal road from Hikkaduwa to Galle and Unawatuna

You can also drive from Galle to Unawatuna (they are only 5 kilometers apart) to appreciate another beach and add to your impressions of Sri Lanka.

Excursion to Bentota

You can go to Bentota to visit another beautiful beach, and you can also go on a tour along the Bentota River. The guides promise to show crocodiles, but for this you need to swim quite far. But you can look at mangrove forests, monitor lizards basking on the shore and colorful birds.

Excursions to Ambalangoda

There are two mask museums in Ambalangoda. Here you can watch the manufacturing process and buy a mask. Excursions are usually brought here. If you wish, you can come on your own. Although masks are easy to buy in Hikkaduwa.

The distance from Hikkaduwa to Ambalangoda is 13 km, approximately 20 minutes by bus. You can also get there by motorbike or tuk-tuk.

Excursion to Colombo

You can travel to Colombo from Hikkaduwa in one day by bus or train. But we must take into account that this is an Asian metropolis, which outwardly produces a rather contradictory impression.

This trip will take a whole day, so you should leave Hikkaduwa as early as possible. This walk will definitely take your energy, but if there is enough of it and it’s very interesting, then why not.

How to get to Hikkaduwa

First, we buy a plane ticket to Sri Lanka. There are direct flights to the island of Sri Lanka from Moscow operated by SriLankan Airlines (departure days - Tuesday, Saturday; travel time 10 hours 55 minutes).

You can also fly with transfers from Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, etc. It is very comfortable to fly with these airlines and you can find a flight with a short connection.

Air tickets and their prices by month can be viewed in this convenient search form:

There are several ways to get from the airport to Hikkaduwa - by taxi or transfer, as well as by local public transport - train or buses.

Taxi or transfer to Hikkaduwa from the airport

If you are going on vacation for two weeks, then, of course, the most convenient and energy-saving option would be a transfer or taxi from the airport.

The usual cost of a taxi or transfer to Hikkaduwa is $65-70 per car. If you drive along the toll highway, the journey will take about 2 hours (surcharge for the toll road is about $7). The free road along the sea takes about 3 hours.

It is better to arrange a transfer or taxi in advance with the hotel, making sure to specify the cost of the meeting.

You can also take a taxi at the airport. The cost of an official taxi at the airport is fixed, in Hikkaduwa it is 8500 rupees for an air-conditioned car.

The arrivals area at Bandaranaike International Airport is very small, the airport taxi stand is located immediately after customs, on the right hand side (official airport plan, arrivals area).

From Bandaranaike Airport to Hikkaduwa by bus

You can also get from the airport to Hikkaduwa by bus, which will be much cheaper (the journey will cost about $2 per person, but you will have to get there with two transfers).

First, you need to take the free airport shuttle and get to the nearest bus station, where you need to change to bus number 187, which goes to Colombo.

At the bus station in Colombo you need to take a bus that goes to Hikkaduwa, Galle or Mattara. Buses leave frequently, at least once every half hour.

A ticket from Colombo to Hikkaduwa on a bus without air conditioning costs 100 rupees, with air conditioning - 215 rupees.

Buses in Hikkaduwa

From Colombo to Hikkaduwa the journey takes about 3 hours. In total, the road from the airport to Hikkaduwa will take about 4 hours, given that there is usually high traffic on the road from the airport to Colombo and on the exit from Colombo.

To Hikkaduwa by train

To get to Hikkaduwa by train, you first need to get to the Colombo railway station (Colombo Fort station). From the airport you can take bus No. 187 (see section above). Colombo Fort is the final stop of bus number 187.

The current train schedule can be found on the Sri Lanka Railways website. The cost of tickets for 2nd class is 160 rupees, for 3rd class - 85 rupees. Travel time is 1.5 - 2 hours. There are usually about a dozen trains a day. The journey by train is usually shorter than by bus, but the trains are often overcrowded.

Railway station in Hikkaduwa

You can also get to Hikkaduwa by express, but it runs only once a day, it leaves from Colombo early in the morning, at 6:55, the ticket price is 990 Rs, it arrives in Hikkaduwa at 9:22, the schedule (Colombo - Matara train) can be viewed .

This article will tell you about what Hikkaduwa Beach, a popular resort in Sri Lanka in the south of the island, is like.

Review about Hikkaduwa beach with photo

1) Hikkaduwa beach is good, wide and long - about 3 kilometers. Covered throughout with pleasant yellowish sand. On the first day, we wandered along the shore for an hour and a half, met only a couple of merchants, complete solitude. Even in the Maldives, the beach of our resort island was more crowded than in the south of Sri Lanka! True, the beach is not equally clean along its entire length. If at hotels everything is usually orderly and noble, then in front of some guest houses we noticed some kind of construction debris and other impurities. Not globally, but still.

2) Well, the Indian Ocean, of course, is incredible - powerful, noisy, a completely different impression compared to the Atlantic. The only problem with swimming in it is that the waves are huge. The only place where we saw people in the water was the bay behind the Hikka Tranz hotel. And so, red flags are raised along the entire beach prohibiting entry into the water. If you are traveling to the southern coast of SHL in the summer, keep this fact in mind.

3) This is the very bay that Christina is looking at.

4) But in general, the weather was gorgeous, and you can’t say it’s not the season!

5) Walking along endless beaches...

6) We've been waiting for this moment for a whole year and here we are!

Beach rating in Hikkaduwa: 7.5/10. In general, we liked it in Hikkaduwa! In June, the season is super low, resulting in an almost complete absence of tourists, the bulk of whom cluster in a few hotels where package travelers are taken. And despite the fact that we were never able to swim in the raging Indian ocean, we rated the beach in Hikkaduwa very highly. First of all, for its length and desertedness.

Hikkaduwa hotels on the 1st beach line

The situation with hotels on the first line in Hikkaduwa is as follows - there are not many of them, but they exist. And in principle, for every taste and budget, from inexpensive guest houses to luxurious “fives”.

In June, many guest houses were a little less than completely empty, and it’s hard to say that there was any activity near the hotels. In fact, you could choose accommodation upon arrival; there were plenty of accommodation options to suit any budget, but in the high season, in our opinion, it is better to think about accommodation in advance.

Well, we also made the following observation: if you can sometimes negotiate with guest houses on the spot a little cheaper than they offer online, then with decent hotels the situation is the opposite - when booking through Booking it almost always turned out cheaper than at the reception, and significantly cheaper . 🙂

In Hikkaduwa, Booking offers more than 500 accommodation options, of which just over 40 are located on the first line of the Hikkaduwa beach. You can view the entire list of hotels on the first line at this link.

We can also recommend the hotel where we stayed ourselves - this is a pretty good 4-star Citrus Hikkaduwa, a review of which you can find at.

We know that many people are specifically looking for a hotel in Hikkaduwa with a good beach and turtles. There is only one such hotel - this is Hikka Tranz (formerly Chaaya Tranz). It is really well located, there is a small cove nearby, where even in the season with big waves it is quite calm and you can swim.

Hikkaduwa beach in the photo

You can find more photos of Hikkaduwa beach in our album.

Turtles in Hikkaduwa

On the second day of our stay in Hikka, we decided to walk to the Hikka Tranz hotel, where large turtles swim to feed in the mornings.

8) Kristina and Sobakevich stomp to feed.

9) And here is the hotel itself in the photo, it will be difficult to make a mistake.

How to breed in Hikkaduwa

We knew in advance that the turtles have a local pimp who takes a bribe for the algae that these reptiles feed on. Having thought about it, we decided to pick up some algae ourselves along the way; there was no point in paying.
Approaching Chayi beach, we met the same native responsible for monetizing turtle eating habits. He immediately indicated that these turtles are his and he has been feeding them for 15 years, and our algae is complete shit, which we can feed each other, but not his shelled friends. For his own magic ones, he asked for 500 rupees. In addition, he promised to bring the turtle to the shore, because... she was hanging on the waves quite far away, and we would hardly have been able to do it on our own. Many people write on the Internet that you have to bargain hard with the Sri Lankans, because... They like to greatly inflate the prices for their services and in real life you can almost halve the price. That's what we decided to do. They immediately said - we will give 200 and no more. He started to get indignant, but we didn’t listen to him, we just went into the water. He's behind us.

10) To the right of Christina is the same turtle master.

Having lit this way and that with the turtle, they returned to the shore to settle accounts. He took 200 rupees out of his pocket - the dark-skinned ruler of the turtles spreads his arms to the sides, saying - “What am I, a sucker or something, drive five hundred, snowball!” I told him: “Its Good Price for You, Maine!” There is no one else on the beach except us who would be happy about this income, but no, he insists on his own. We are, of course, talking about ridiculous amounts of money, but there is no particular point in overpaying for something that is essentially free. They offered to pay 250 rupees today and 250 tomorrow when we come again to feed the turtles. Not at all. He began to appeal to our conscience, because this is his only source of income and if I don’t pay him now, he will have nothing to feed his family for dinner. Then he began to threaten that he would call his local bros and we would be in trouble. I started to get tired of this and as soon as it came to threats from him, I simply gave up and moved towards my hotel. He followed along and, having finished with threats of physical violence, moved on to the next round of pressure - he began to scare him with the police.

To be honest, I was aware of the approximate line of behavior of Sri Lankan hucksters in such cases and clearly understood that they had no real leverage over tourists. Therefore, I just slowly walked towards the hotel and watched how the initially threatening style of his rhetoric ultimately came down to the fact that he, with a face full of disdain, all in foam (he was literally foaming at the mouth!), agreed to the proposals us the money and set off, taking half the amount, cursing us at the top of our lungs, and went home.
This is not a very pleasant story. I can’t say that I behaved in the best possible way, but the guy showed himself to be quite stubborn, refusing us the slightest bargain.

11) The Sri Lankan asks for money for this very seaweed.

Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka: map, photo, weather, how to get there

The city of Hikkaduwa is located on the west coast, 128 km from Colombo International Airport (CMB). Belongs to the administrative district of Galle in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. The territory of the city of Hikkaduwa is located on the ocean coast, on a peninsula formed by the bend of the river flowing into the lake of the same name (Hikkaduwa Lake).

For lovers of a quiet and uncrowded holiday, it is worth noting that the number of permanent residents in Hikkaduwa is several times less than the number of visiting tourists. It is here that package tourism from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus is widely developed, with all the ensuing consequences of a popular resort, such as the presence of beach vendors and a certain amount of garbage on the beach.

Map of Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka

• to the north - Telwatta, Kahawa, Madampagama, Ambalangoda, Balapitiya;
• to the south - Tiranagama, Kumarakanda, Dodanduwa, Rajgama, Bussa, Gintota, Velawatta, Galle.

The resort of Hikkaduwa is a comfortable place to relax, with a relatively developed infrastructure, located two hours drive from the largest city of Sri Lanka, Colombo. Two national highways pass through the village: A2 and E01, which provides the opportunity to quickly get to any point on the island.

How to get to Hikkaduwa from Colombo Airport

Getting from Sri Lanka International Airport, located in Negombo, to Hikkaduwa on the southern coast of the island is not at all difficult. To do this, you can use the official taxi service; the Colombo Airport prepaid taxi counter with fixed prices is located at the exit from the arrivals hall.

The taxi counter is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and on holidays. The cost of an official taxi from Sri Lanka Airport to Hikkaduwa in a car with AC is about 8,500 rupees. There is no need to book an airport taxi transfer in advance; the journey will take about 1.5-2 hours if you drive along the highway.

You can also use public transport services, for example, bus number 187, in order to first get to Colombo, and then transfer to a local bus or train to Hikkaduwa. Bus number 187 between the airport and Colombo railway station. Bus No. 187, depending on the type, arrives at the Central Bus Station or Pettah Bus Station. Colombo Fort Station and Pettah Bus Station are located within a 10-minute walk from each other.

Travel time from Colombo by train is about 2 hours, by bus - about 4 hours, as there are usually traffic jams at the exit from Colombo. And also because commuter buses towards Matara go along the coast along Galle Street, and not along the highway, which significantly increases travel time.

Buses connecting Matara and Colombo run 24 hours a day, with an interval of about 20 minutes during the day and about 1 hour at night. The total cost of a trip by public transport to Hikkaduwa will be about 200-400 rupees.

Hikkaduwa beaches: Narigama and Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is remarkable for its lake of the same name, surrounded by magnificent tropical nature and the wonderful Narigama Beach. The majority of visiting tourists rarely visit the city to explore ancient cultural monuments and local attractions, preferring beach and sports activities to these destinations. There are two beaches in the city - Hikkaduwa beach(Hikkaduwa Beach) and Narigama(Narigama beach).

Hikkaduwa Beach is a narrow strip of sandy beach, densely built up with hotels, bars and shops. The bottom of the beach in most of the territory is rocky, which is why the waves rolling onto the shore contain almost no sand and have a crystal-transparent blue color. The area near the Hikka Trans hotel is used for swimming; there are almost no waves there.

Hikkaduwa Narigama Beach is a wide sandy beach, the entrance to the water is quite flat, there is no immediate transition to depth. There are waves, since Hikkaduwa is not located in a closed bay, but due to the presence of coral reefs, the waves are not very strong. The beach infrastructure is very developed.

Hikkaduwa Photos

Water sports in Hikkaduwa

A beach holiday gives you the opportunity not only to relax in the warm Indian Ocean under the tropical sun, but also to start practicing various water sports: diving, snorkeling, surfing in all its varieties and many other forms of active recreation on the coast.

There are several surf schools on the beach in Hikkaduwa, providing surfing lessons for children and adults. A lesson with a local instructor costs about 2000 rupees.

There you can easily find several diving centers providing the services of dive instructors. All water sports centers operate during the dry season - from October to April.

Feeding turtles on Hikkaduwa beach

In Hikkaduwa, huge turtles swim to the beach in the lagoon located opposite the Red Lobster restaurant, not far from the Hikka Trans hotel. Moreover, they do this on a daily basis, which attracts many tourists there. You can observe sea turtles in the lagoon from early morning until 3-4 pm.

Tourists have the opportunity not only to photograph huge turtles, but also to carefully feed them, sometimes even pet them. The key word here is "careful" - sea turtles have teeth and use them. The approach to the lagoon, photos with turtles and feeding of the turtles are FREE, even if there are local businessmen who claim otherwise. Enterprising Sri Lankans even manage to make a living by selling turtle food - algae - to white tourists.

Sights of Hikkaduwa

Lake Hikkaduwa
(Hikkaduwa Lake)

The second most popular place in the city after the beach is Lake Hikkaduwa, which attracts many tourists with walks along the calm surface of the water, as well as the opportunity to observe the leisurely Sri Lankan life.

On numerous islands located throughout the lake, locals grow coconut, cinnamon, ginger, bananas, etc.

Nets are installed in the dams on the channels of the lake; river shrimp grow in them. On one of the islands of Lake Hikkaduwa there is a museum that displays exhibits of the art of the local population to tourists. The lake itself is a bird sanctuary.

Coral reef in Hikkaduwa
(Coral reef)

There is a large coral reef along the coast of the city. This place is historically called the “Coral Gardens” because previously, not far from the shore, there were countless corals surrounded by bright tropical fish, starfish, urchins and other oceanic life.

Previously, the Hikkaduwa reef could easily compete with the beauty of the Red Sea with its natural resources. Unfortunately, all this splendor could not survive the notorious tsunami of 2004, and what can now be seen are only remnants of its former splendor, mercilessly exploited by tourist businessmen.

Sinigama Muhudu Viharaya Temple
(Seenigama Muhudu Viharaya)

At the entrance to Hikkaduwa, in the village of Sinigama, there is a temple, the Sinigama Temple (Seenigama Muhudu Viharaya or Seenigama Devol Devalaya), in honor of the deity Devol Deviyo. Sinigama - translated from Sinhala as “sugar village” (“sini” - sugar, “gama” - village).

The temple attracts not only tourists but also local residents; it is believed that Devol Deviyo, or god Deviyo, is the protector of the southwestern province and all fishermen and drivers. Every month, the offering site on Galle Road at the entrance of the temple collects about 50 kg of coins, and a puja, a worship ceremony, is also held at the temple every month.

According to local beliefs, the Shinigama Temple is a place where an unjustly injured person can ask for retribution for their offenders, and they will certainly be punished. Some people use this place to cast curses. In order to ask Devol Deviyo for retribution for the offenders, you need to reach the island on foot and turn to the deity there. It is believed that in this way, the territory in which the act of cursing is performed is outside the Buddhist world, without denigrating it. After the petition, it is necessary to carry out a certain ritual, which consists of grinding chili pepper on a special stone.

Honganji Vihara Tsunami Monument
(Honganji Vihara)

Not far from the Shinigama Temple is the Tsunami Honganji Vihara memorial complex, which was erected after the tsunami in December 2004, when about 35,000 people died in Sri Lanka.

The location of the monument was chosen in connection with the tragedy that occurred a few meters from it on December 26, 2004. At this point, a train was washed away from the railway tracks by a tsunami wave; there were 1,700 passengers in the carriages, including tourists from around the world.

The statue of Buddha, 18.5 meters high, looking into the ocean, was donated to Sri Lanka by Japan. In the neighboring village of Tellwatta there is a Tsunami Museum with a voluminous photographic exhibition. This museum is not recommended for visiting by impressionable people, as the photographs of the museum evoke strong emotions.

Nightlife in Hikkaduwa

Due to the developed package tourism, nightlife, by Sri Lankan standards, is present at the resort. However, when going to Hikkaduwa, lovers of nightlife must remember that you should not expect the scale of Pattaya there. The city has several nightclubs with different reputations: “Mambo”s”, “Blue Moon”, “Funky de Bar”, “The Vibration Music Bar”, open until one in the morning.

We strongly advise young travelers not to fall into a tourist trance and periodically subject the surrounding reality to critical reflection - just as if the scene were an unfamiliar nightclub in their hometown, since conflict situations with the local population in such establishments are not at all uncommon.

Weather in Hikkaduwa

The climate in Hikkaduwa is very humid, but warm: the average annual temperature practically does not change its values ​​throughout the year and fluctuates in the range of +28C - +31C. The water temperature in the ocean also changes slightly throughout the year, within the range of +27C - +29C.

The tourist season in Hikkaduwa lasts from November to April - this is the best time to visit the city; during this period the weather is coolest, the average daily temperature drops to +28C, and the amount of precipitation is significantly reduced.

The rainy season in Hikkaduwa lasts from May to October inclusive, during these months there is a large amount of rainfall, mainly in the form of tropical thunderstorms. May and October are the wettest months, precipitation at this time can fall in the afternoon, in the remaining summer months the amount of precipitation is less, rains begin in the afternoon.

After all our hikes and adventures, being on the beach was just a pleasure. Hikkaduwa is a very good place to relax - clear water, only one large hotel on the shore, many cafes and restaurants.

1. We stayed at the Coral Gardens hotel:

2. The hotel is not very new, but quite tolerable. There are no balconies and the windows do not open, but each room has an excellent view of the sea. There is a sticker on the window with a list of all those wonderful insects that will certainly enter the room if the window is opened. We didn’t encounter anything like that, with the exception of a huge tropical cockroach, which for several days in the evenings sat on the outside of the window.

3. A huge number of chipmunks are running around the territory, very funny.

5. Another permanent inhabitant of the hotel is crows. In the evening they migrated from tree to tree with loud croaking:

6. Every morning, almost two large turtles swam to the hotel’s doorstep. This is a must see; just for the turtles alone, you can choose Hikkaduwa as a holiday destination. I have never seen turtles of this size anywhere else, neither in the most famous aquariums, nor in nature.

7. Every morning we tore seaweed from the remains of the coral and fed the turtles. With a certain amount of luck, it was even possible to ride a turtle underwater, but this is risky - its mouth is large and its teeth are sharp.

8. The turtles clearly have a good life - they are fed, no one offends them. Turtles are not mischievous and enjoy being photographed.

10. My wife and I celebrated the New Year at sea for the first time, we had mixed impressions. Well, all these snowmen, deer and Santa Clauses with which the hotel was richly decorated cannot create the atmosphere of the main winter holiday.

11. Dinner at the hotel restaurant:

12. Swimming right in front of the hotel is not very convenient - there is a coral reef nearby. So every morning we took a short walk along the beach. The tides in Hikkaduwa are not very strong, just enough to notice that they are there. However, at high tide, this piece of the beach was completely flooded with water and the return journey became somewhat more difficult.

14. On our last trip, we chose the Drunken Monkey restaurant as our permanent location:

15. Near each restaurant on the beach there are sun loungers that you can freely occupy, but it is advisable to order something from food or drinks. There were no questions about this - I have never drunk such tasty and cheap fresh juices from mango, pineapple, and papaya anywhere. And our mornings always started with a bottle of ice-cold cola for me and a fresh coconut for my wife.

The water and air temperatures in Sri Lanka are simply ideal; you want to sit in the water all day. However, very strong waves do not allow you to completely relax; every entry into the water is a struggle. Right before the New Year, however, the waves were almost non-existent and we were even worried. But with the onset of January, everything returned to its place.

16. Decorated the Christmas tree. Did not help. :)

18. There are many surfers and kite surfers. You can rent a board right on the beach and arrange lessons with a trainer.

19. Fishing poles. I have never seen anyone sitting on them (except for my wife - she climbed on once and barely got off):

21. Dealers of all sorts of things, they also have interesting things. But you have to bargain mercilessly - prices are raised 3-5 times. In addition to sellers of bedspreads, there are sellers of T-shirts, shirts, and fruits on the beach. The least lucky person, according to my observations, was the man who offered vacationers a “foot massage” - few agreed. The salespeople are not intrusive and do not distract from your holiday...

22. "House" reef in front of the hotel. You can get to it by boat with a transparent bottom and see the underwater world (it must be said, not very rich).

25. As it turned out, national boats not only perform a decorative function, decorating the beach, but are also used for their intended purpose. The boat was launched by the whole world:

26. The fishing was a success - a huge net filled with fish was pulled ashore.

To be continued...

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