Exploring Sri Lanka - Midigama and Weligama
During our first stint in Midigama we stayed at Plantation which is a family run guesthouse. Plantation has a range of rooms to suit different budgets and of course we went for the most basic as we’re travelling on a budget. The room was spacious and we had our own private bathroom however there were lots of gaps that creepy crawlies could sneak in through. If you read my blog about Udawalwe you’ll already know about Sam’s run in with the cockroach! The Chamika family are great hosts and wonderful cooks and I would definitely recommend staying there if you want to be close to the surf spots.
During our stay at Plantation we also went to Weherahena Buddhist Temple in Matara. We were shown around the temple by a guide who was extremely knowledgable on the temples history. The walls of the temple are decorated in 100's of cartoon like paintings of Buddah's life. There is also a HUGE statue of Buddha that you can walk to the top of which makes for a good photo opportunity... However, you can't stand with your back to Buddha as that is seen as disrespectful. We also learnt that it's considered disrespectful to have a Buddha tattoo and after googling it I found a news article about a British nurse who was arrested shortly after arriving in Sri Lanka as she had a Buddha tattoo on her arm!
(click to scroll through the gallery)
Just down the road from Plantation we discovered Rockvin Café, which quickly became our favourite spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Their vegetable curry is the best I’ve tasted in Sri Lanka so far and I’m addicted to their passion fruit and banana smoothies and banana pancakes! If you follow me on Instagram you may already know this…
A little further on we discovered Surf View which overlooks Rams surf spot. They have the usual breakfast options as well as traditional Sri Lankan options such as string hoppers with Dahl and coconut Sambal. They also make a delicious rice and curry and are always smiling!
If you’re feeling a bit more flash Ceylon Sliders in Weligama make delicious smoothies and serve avocado and poached eggs on toast (my favourite). They also offer daily rooftop yoga classes with the lovely Vera and have a cool surf shop. However, it’s more than double the price of the spots mentioned above.
Other food spots:
Soul Café, Weligama - delicious smoothie bowls and play the best tunes
Coconuts Surf Inn, Midigama – good grilled fish and great view
Splash, Weligama - yummy tuna burgers and curry
When we returned to Midigama after our trip to Hiriketiya we stayed at the Surf Lanka which is opposite Plantation and Coconuts surf spots. Our room here was the cheapest we’ve had (£10 per night) and one of the best! The rooms are spacious, modern and have private bathrooms. We went for a room with a fan rather than aircon as it was way cheaper and the fan is so good that we actually get cold in the night. The staff are all really friendly and they provide a laundry service which was a godsend as we were starting to stink…
Across the road from the Surf Lanka you can see the stilt fishermen. They are out on their stilts most of the day (depending on the tide) and when they’re not they’re usually in their shacks made out of wood and plastic sheet on the side of the road. Seeing how hard they work and how little they have really put things into perspective.
Sri Lankan people on the whole are super friendly. Everyone smiles and waves as you walk past and you quickly get to know people in the area. I made friends with a group of young Sri Lankan lads who kept me company while Sam was surfing. They spoke very little English, and I can’t speak Sinhala so our main method of communication resembled a game of charades.
