Sri Lanka Pt. 8 | How our diving plans felt apart and we decided to hop on the scooter instead
Hikkaduwa is a beach city in Southwest part of the country, about two hours south of Colombo. It’s famous for beach resorts, giant sea turtles, scuba diving, moonstone mining, and being ground zero for the devastating 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. It's also famous amongst surfers and about 30min away from the famous Galle Fort.
We took a good-bye morning walk along the beach in Tangalle, hung out by the sea and after breakfast (coconut rolls 😋 ) we were off to Hikkaduwa.
We found a nice hipster spot (think: Bali decor and smoothie bowls) right at the beach and that’s where we resumed the chilling and tanning schedule. The only acitivity: vegan burger and drinks for dinner 🍔 Looking forward to a scooter trip tomorrow and then a scuba dive adventure the day after 🛵 🤿!
During breakfast, where we got to watch the pros and not-so-pros at their attempt to catch the perfect wave 🏄 we took to the scooter tour with the following itinerary: Stupa - jungle beach - Galle Fort for shopping and dinner.
Jungle beacH and the Stupa
First on the list was the Japanese Peace Pagoda. A kind of too long 40min scooter drive away from Hikkaduwa around Unawatuna stands one of only four japanese peace pagodas in Sri Lanka (In 1947, a Japanese Buddhist monk by the name of Nichidatsu Fujii dedicated his life to constructing Peace Pagodas around the world as symbols of peace.)
A nice refreshment was just around the corner. A quick 10min walk down the hill we found the infamous Jungle Beach. Some call them a hidden gem or one of the nicest beaches in in the area. This can be true if you come early enough and avoid the crowds. We managed to do so, enjoyed a dip into the tuerkies water and finished off with a coconut.
SHOPPING AND DINNER AT GALLE FORT
What was once build by the Portuguese in the 16th century to fight off enemies, has been transformed into an enclave of Sri Lankan and European style restaurants, hotels, shops and art galleries set in the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It's impressive to see the architecture and wonder around the streets, imagining how life was here in the 16th century. For us, we made sure to buy some spices, checked out the shopping stores, watched the sunset ad enjoyed. a nice dinner.
A CANCELED DIVING ADVENTURE
Unfortunately, we were informed that visibility for scuba diving was going to be five metres at most and so we decided to pass on that. 😢 The roads were a lot more busy with reckless bus drivers and daring motorbike riders.
Also: while Katharina endured her daily low due to humidity, she got stung by a tiger mosquito 🦟😧 counting down the days till the outbreak of dengue fever….
THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND HIKKADUWA
Rent a scooter and explore the area (scooter costs you 2.500 Rand)
Visit Galle Fort
Go for a Scuba Dive
Explore the beaches around (e.g. Jungle Beach)
Watch sea turtles at Turtle Beach
OUR ACCOMMODATION
Dates travelled: 02.-04.2024
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