Sunday, March 31 – Tuesday, April 2
I’m feeling like a bona fide beach bum at this point. I’m hopping to my third beach retreat in one week and the miraculous southern coast of Sri Lanka continues to not disappoint.
My little strip of beach
I took a tuk tuk from Mirissa up to Tangalle, about an hour and a half drive across the southern coast. This beach town feels very slow, which I love, and I’m really appreciating that I chose the off-season for my trip. The beaches are empty, restaurants are quiet and the atmosphere is sleepy. It’s hard not to be though when the daytime temperatures are so hot. Even the locals seem to take the hours of 12-2 to nap and stay out of the sun. It’s really brutally hot.
I stayed at the Dilena Beach Inn which is on a small beach frontage road right (more like a sidewalk) in front of a gorgeous strip beachfront. The waves are big, but once you can get past that mean breakline, it’s heaven to float in the rolling waves.
A few snaps from my pilgrimage into Tangalle in the blistering sun. Walked in, tuk tuk-ed back. Too hot!
The street turns into a path the farther down you go!
Gorgeous walks on the beach
Morning breakfast
The hostel a few doors down from me had yoga classes twice a day on this unreal third floor, all-open space. This is something that just wouldn’t happen in most countries, it was unreal (and also a little scary for my acrophobia). But I’m glad I overlooked my fear because a sunset hatha flow class overlooking the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean is something worth doing.
My time in Tangalle was chill and relaxing, not too much to report. I read my book, swam a lot, did yoga, ate lots of fresh seafood, drank wine, and continued to meet so many genuine Sri Lankan locals.
At dinner on Sunday night, a man approached me and asked where I was from and we chatted about me feeding local doggos part of my fish dinner, haha! He asked where I was going next and I told him Tissamaharama, which is about 90 minutes northeast. He quoted me a price and we agreed he’d be my driver on Tuesday! And just like that I had my ride figured out. I had intended on taking the bus, but I keep lucking out and having drivers give me deals I can’t refuse. This is another perk of being here in the off-season!
Where's Lindsey? 