Welcome back to Team Tala Travels!

If you are reading this blog, then you will be directed to the third leg of our Sri Lanka trip, which is in Hikkaduwa! 

Hikkaduwa is located in the southwest part of Sri Lanka. A beach city two hours south of Colombo, Hikkaduwa is famous for its beautiful beach resorts, surfing sprees, scuba diving, and giant sea turtles. 

There are many beaches in Hikkaduwa, but we specifically decided to stay in Narigama Beach, which happens to be the most popular beach in Hikkaduwa. It is about 4 kilometers long and has a wide expanse of sand perfect for walking, chilling, and sunbathing on the shores.

Narigama Beach has garnered a lot of interest from tourists and locals alike because of its natural beauty and the great number of activities that can be done in the city. Most of these activities are good, but coming from a tiring trekking adventure at the mountains of Ella, we decided to take it slow in Hikkaduwa and simply enjoy the waves and the waters of the beaches.

 Also, it is not new information that we are travelling on this trip with an injured kid (Tala broke her arm from the monkey bars two weeks before our Sri Lanka trip), so there were only a limited kind of activities that we could do that involved water. 

So, in this blog, we will outline to you the top chill things that you can do in Hikkaduwa.

1. Enjoy morning walks by the beach

Wake up around 6 in the morning and enjoy the lovely view on the horizon as you walk along the shores of the beach. The sunrise is amazing! The solitude of the sound of the waves and the feel of water on one’s feet is simply an amazing way to start the day with a grateful heart and a calm spirit.

2. Take surfing lessons

Surfers from all over the world go all the way to Hikkaduwa to surf. People say that surfing on this beach is legendary because of the waves and the good weather that go along with it. There are many surfing schools around Hikkaduwa. If you want to learn how to surf, or upgrade some of the surfing skills that you already have, talk to surf school guides who are walking around the beach advertising their schools. 

3. Play with sand, or sand toys

The shores of Hikkaduwa are wide and flat. This makes this beach ideal for making artistic creations made of sand. There are also many shops here selling sand toys, so you can have tools for digging or for shaping sand into sandcastles or other figures.  

4. Pet dogs

Sri Lanka is a dog-friendly country. Here in Hikkaduwa, same with Ella and in Unawatuna, there are many dogs that wander around and are used to interacting with people. Here in Hikkaduwa, almost all beach resorts and restaurants have their own dogs. You can pet them as most of them are used to being with people, too. In Refresh Blue, there is even a dog that we endearingly named Tres (spanish for three), because he only had 3 legs and was limping all the time. 

5. Swim and go for a dip

Many tourists go for a dip and swim in the beach. The water is cool but not freezing, which is the ideal temperature for relaxing in the waters. Just be careful though because the waves are oftentimes rough and can make you tumble in the water. As the saying goes, learn to ride the waves so you can have fun along the way! But if you are a kid or a non-swimmer, it is best to swim with an adult or with someone who swims well. 

6. Get a massage from a local therapist.

There are many massage therapists who walk around and offer to massage the head, back, and legs of tourists. As there are many lounge chairs outside the resorts, massages are done with a beach vibe and a relaxing atmosphere. They bring their own oils with them, mostly coconut oil, and a towel to dry your skin afterwards. Just note that all therapists I encountered in Hikkaduwa are males. So if you are not comfortable to be massaged by a masseur, maybe wait for another opportunity to get a massage later on.

7. Go sunbathing

What other chill activity can you think of when you are on the beach but to sunbathe? 

Just lie on the sand or on lounge chairs and enjoy the heat of the sun as it touches your skin.

8. Lie on lounge chairs.

There are many lounge chairs around the beach where you can relax and enjoy the beach vibe in Hikkaduwa. We enjoyed relaxing on lounge chairs outside our resort hotel because it was directly facing the beach. It was so relaxing to watch the waves while playing UNO cards and working on Tala’s sticker books. We also enjoyed drinking beer and refreshing milkshakes. Occasionally, we would also walk along the shores and play with sand toys before going back on our lounge chairs.

At Refresh Blue, the lounge chairs in front of their hotel can be used by hotel guests for free. However, if you are not checked in at their hotel, you can use their lounge chair provided that you order something from their restaurant. 

9. Eat at beach cafes.

There are a lot of restaurants and cafes here in Hikkaduwa. There are drinks for adults, such as beer and cocktails, but there are also kid-friendly drinks like fruit shakes and juices. 

Here are some of the restaurants and cafes that we tried in Hikkaduwa

Refresh Blue Bar and Restaurant

This is our absolute favorite in Hikkaduwa because of the variety of food that it serves. They offer Sri Lankan food, Oriental food, as well as Western food. The quality of their food is also superb! We can’t remember any food that we ordered from them that we did not like. We personally enjoyed their grilled squid, fried chicken with cashews, fried noodles, and their shakes! Refresh Blue is a must-try restaurant in Hikkaduwa! 

Mambo’s Restaurant

Mambos Restaurant is also a beachfront restaurant situated just a few meters away from our hotel. It serves both European and Sri Lankan food, and offers a wide variety of drinks, such as coffee, fresh juices, cocktails, and beer. We specifically enjoyed their grilled squid and chicken fingers. Mambos also has hotel rooms behind the restaurant. If you are a hotel guest, you can enjoy playing billiards and table tennis for free.

Joint in Southwind 

Joint in Southwind is situated right next to Refresh Blue. It offers good food and superb cocktails. We had dinner there one time and we absolutely enjoyed our seafood. They also serve a wide variety of desserts, such as New York cheesecake and curd with honey. We were not impressed with their desserts, though. Go there for their seafood, burgers, and drinks instead! 

10. Play beach volleyball

There are a number of volleyball nets installed along the shores, encouraging volleyball enthusiasts to dig, toss, and spike on the sand! Just borrow a volleyball from resorts nearby and you’re all set! 

Remember, this list only involves the chill activities that you can do in Hikkaduwa. If you want more adventures, you can go to turtle farms, go scuba diving, or snorkeling. But for our family, we decided to simply chill in Hikkaduwa after a tiring adventure in Ella. 

Now, maybe you are wondering how you can get to Hikkaduwa. Let’s find out!

How to Get to Hikkaduwa

There are many ways to get to Hikkaduwa. This city is 100 kilometers south of Colombo, and is 143 kilometers away from Galle. To get to Hikkaduwa, you can do one of the following:

Drivers in Sri Lanka. If you are like us who went straight to Hikkaduwa from Ella, then you can get to Hikkaduwa by car. In our case, we booked a car transfer service from Drivers in Sri Lanka and informed the operator about our scheduled transfer. The car ride took us 3 and a half hours to Hikkaduwa. We couldn’t state exactly how much this transfer costs, though, since all our transfers for our 2-week stay in Sri Lanka were charged as one whole package. 

By Bus. If you are coming to Hikkaduwa straight from the airport, you can take a bus heading to Matara and be prepared for a 3-hour journey. These buses pass through Hikkaduwa, and you can directly get off at Narigama. The cheapest bus fare is at 1,373 Sri Lankan Rupees, or 4USD. 

Take the train. You can take a train from Colombo straight to Hikkaduwa. This is the cheapest way to go to Hikkaduwa. Each train ticket will cost you as low as 317 LKR or 1USD per person. Just be prepared to be onboard for 1 and a half hours or so. There are also no sure seats on the train if you are taking second class or third class tickets, as it can be crowded during peak seasons. Get off at Hikkaduwa train station.

So, there! Now that you know the different options in going to Hikkaduwa, you can plan your trip and decide on activities that you can do. Team Tala Travels had a fun, unforgettable, and relaxing stay in Hikkaduwa! The beaches are beautiful and the views are simply amazing! 

You can also visit other travel destinations in Sri Lanka that are as wonderful as Hikkaduwa, such as the mountains of Ella and the historically-rich Galle. Subscribe to our blog and to our Youtube channel for more information on Sri Lanka!