Archive for the 'Traveler’s Reports' Category

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Ella to Arugam Bay

Published on 16/05/2011 in front page and Traveler's Reports. 1 Comment

The bus journey from Ella to Arugam Bay involves a change at Moneragala and takes 5-and-a-half hours, all for a mere 500 rupees or 2.75 pounds for the two of us.

Good value even if we do have to stand for the first 50 minutes of this two hour journey, but grindingly slow. The bus is heaving, not only with people but luggage as well and we only just manage to squeeze on with Andy half hanging out of the door! Luggage, stowed alongside the driver, is re-arranged to accommodate our rucksacks, but I feel sorry for the people who are sitting adjacent to the driver who spend most of the journey trying to prevent the mound of luggage toppling on top of them. The bus to Monaragala leaves Ella at 9am and arrives in plenty of time to spare before the 11.20am leaves for Arugum Bay, giving us time to use the non-too salubrious facilities (10 rupees) round the back of the station and purchase a much welcome ice cream and some snacks. Moneragala is Continue reading ‘Ella to Arugam Bay’

Protected: Surfing Mag (June2011) on Abay

Published on 06/05/2011 in accomodation, Arugam Bay Surf Club, Arugam Surf Club, Arugambay Surf Club, bars, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, front page, hotels, Money Matters, press coverage, restaurants, Security & Safety, services, shops, surf, Surf Federation News, the bay and Traveler's Reports. Enter your password to view comments. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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Surfers town Arugam Bay

Published on 03/05/2011 in Blogs, books, From our own Correspondent, front page, people, surf and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

…”While Brent surfs his days away I am trying in vain to study for my exams but am more often than not distracted by the vast array of wildlife that combs the beach, monkeys, snakes, goats, cows, lizards, birds and the obligatory stray dogs and cats”…

Surfing is not just for men! (file photo)

Brent and I have spent the last five days or so on the East Coast of Sri Lanka in a sleepy little surfers town known as Order rocaltrol dose Arugam Bay. The moon shape beach is renowned for its point break and is often regarded as the best surf spot in the country. Being off season, Brent is in heaven surfing from dusk to dawn while only having to share his waves with a few locals and a handful of tourists. Unfortunately he learnt the hard way on his first day that the surf sits on top of a sharp and nasty reef and as a result has earned his far share of reef cuts and grazes.

While Brent surfs his days away I am trying in vain to study for my exams but am more often than not distracted by the vast array of wildlife that combs the beach, monkeys, snakes, goats, cows, lizards, birds and the obligatory stray dogs and cats. Upon driving into the town we even spotted a few wild elephants and Brent has been lucky enough to spot a few turtles in the surf. Further inland crocodiles lurk in mangroves but the locals charge a hefty price to visit them. Our little beach hut isn’t without Continue reading ‘Surfers town Arugam Bay’

For bird watching, Sri Lanka is the best country in the world

Published on 01/03/2011 in Blogs, front page, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

For bird watching, Sri Lanka is the best country in the world for it is indeed a birdsa?? paradise. You could view birds throughout the year because of its favourable climatic conditions being a tropical island and throughout the country in forests, jungles, lakes lagoons, streams, villas etc..

Migrant Birds visit the area around Arugam Bay Twice a year. And that always happens in the so-called "Off-Season"

Out of a total of about 450 species of birds, nearly 250 are resident and 23 are endemic of which the majority are found in the lowland wet zone and the rainforests of the hill country and others are migratory. According to the booklet recently published by one of Sri Lankans leading wild life companies there are 33 birds endemic to the country. Most of the endemic birds could be viewed at Sinharaja rain forests Horton plains National park and in the peal wilderness sanctuary.
Quite a number of species of birds about 150 or so are migrants from the Temperate zone. They come during the Northern winter and some even from areas as North as Siberia. Continue reading ‘For bird watching, Sri Lanka is the best country in the world’

Exporing Arugam, Kumana and beyond

Published on 10/01/2011 in Blogs, front page, Historical sites, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Another great photo travel report by Lakdasun.

With the reopening of the Kumana national park early this year it had been on our priority list for quite some time and finally we managed to make that dream come true. The camp sites were booked more than three months in advance as there is no other accommodation south of Arugam Bay. Furosemide without prescription Wildlife department is trying to rebuild the destroyed circuit bungalows and hopefully we will get to use them before long.

Having never been to the east coast before, we wanted to have a glimpse of the rising sun from the east coast and planned the trip so that we will be at Pottuvil by sunrise. So we left Colombo late night at 10.30PM and drove through the night Continue reading ‘Exporing Arugam, Kumana and beyond’

Arugambay a?? 5 Reasons To Visit

Published on 27/12/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, cabanas, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, front page, guesthouse, Historical sites, hotels, press coverage, restaurants, surf, the bay, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Are you an avid surfer?

If so, you may instantly recognize the name Arugam Bay. Even if you are not, you may be interested to learn more about this popular tourist attraction.

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The Surf Boards can be rented at many outlets at Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay is a sleepy little hamlet 320 km due east of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital city and is ranked among the top ten surf destinations in the world. In this article I am going to tell you 5 good reasons you should make a visit to Arugam Bay.

Arugam Bay is not your typical surf destination with modern facilities. It is more a community based destination, where little guest houses and the odd star rated hotel lie side by side. This does not make it any less attractive to regular visitors who make repeat visits every year. Although this destination was devastated by the 2004 tsunami and the conflict, the enterprising community of Arugam Bay have brought the destination back to its old glory.

Brilliant roads. by Maga, Photo by: Lovely Arugam Bay on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=108552872497906

Much improved roads, which have reduced travel times by almost an hour and a half and the return of peace has made Arugam Bay a destination you should not miss visiting.+

Here are the top 5 reasons to visit Arugam Bay:

  1. It is the third highest ranked among the world’s top ten surfing destinations. So, if you are a surfing enthusiast or are interested in learning to surf this is just the location for you. You need not even bring your gear along, as you can hire surfing gear from local outfits, who also provide training for newbie surfers. It boasts of over 10 surf points and the waves are great between April and October and it also is the scene for local and international surfing competitions staged during this period.

    10 Surf Spots. Ideal for beginners. And professionals

  2. During November to April the sea is fine for swimming and snorkeling and conditions are just right if you are looking for a quiet get- away. The prices for accommodation can get pretty low and you can find a pretty decent room with basic facilities for around $15 per night.

    Romantic Bungalows. To suit all budgets. Here is one of "Hideaways" best

  3. If you are a wild life enthusiast your excellent wild life sanctuaries are just minutes away from this destination. The Lahugala sanctuary famous for elephants is not more than a 20 minute drive from here. You may even pass some of these majestic beasts if en-route if you take the inland route to arrive here. The Kumana bird sanctuary lies just 10km south of Arugam Bay and birds from as far as Siberia are known to migrate to this location to escape winter.

    Truly Free & Wild Elephants. Right next to the road. No fence!

  4. The sand dunes at Panama allow you to wander around an unspoilt stretch of land, and even go on a jeep safari to the dunes. The Pottuvil dunes are much closer, but it is situated in the midst of a busy little town, but none the less attractive in its own little way.

    A shephard cowboy in the Panama dunes or the Wild East

  5. The area close to Arugam Bay also boasts a host of ancient monuments. The Kudumbigala archeological reserve is host to monastic caves dating from around the 12th Century AD. The ancient Okanda temple dedicated lord Skanda situated on a rocky outcrop south of Arugam Bay is believed to be featured in “Sinbad the Sailor’s tales”. Monuments related to the Southern kingdom of Magama almost a thousand years old are found in Pottuvil town, by the dunes and within the Lahugala sanctuary. They are said to be built to honour the mother of the warrior king Dutugemunu of the Anradhapura kingdom.

    Ancient Temples and shrines. Adore the area all around Arugam Bay

The attractions of Arugam Bay are so, numerous and cater to visitors with different interests. It is just amazing that so many attractions should lie so close together. Coupled with the extremely friendly service by the villagers who run the facilities, I would strongly recommend that you visit here especially if you are on a tight budget.

Friendly local management (Of the SVH and Hideaway shown here)

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AUGAM BAY IS AN ALL YEAR ROUND DESTINATION.

With the best and most predictable climate in Asia!
The only dry and sunny place on the island this entire November 2010

A typical winter in Arugam Bay

http://ezinearticles.com/?Arugambay—5-Reasons-To-Visit-Arugambay-Surfers-Paradise&id=5523244

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6 Years on

Published on 26/12/2010 in Blogs, front page and Traveler's Reports. 2 Comments

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Back In The Bay – The Boxing Day Tsunami 6 Years On



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The Boxing Day tsunami hit Arugam Bay, on the East coast of Sri Lanka at 8.45am six years ago, taking the lives of 300 people, roughly twenty percent of the communitya??s population.
Approximately two hours previously an undersea earthquake with a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3 had struck off the coast of Sumatra, near Indonesiaa??s Mentawaii Island chain, and the resulting waves of tsunamis caused devastation across the Indian Ocean. The International community rallied and donated more than US$14 billion for aid and reconstruction.
But how have some of the communities affected by the tsunami bounced back? The list of coastal areas impacted by the tsunamis includes some of the most revered destinations in the surfing world, so ita??s inevitable that places that we hold dear to our collective hearts were affected.





Ita??s six years on, and the small village of Arugam Bay, spread out along the stretch of the bay from the lagoon to the point that draws surfers, seems to be back on track; therea??s a new bridge over the lagoon, hotels are doing a brisk trade in the high season and there are multicoloured fishing boats and outriggers pulled up on the berm.
But talk to any fisherman mending nets on the beach and you can tell that the memory still cuts deepa??a??and then the wave came and everything dieda?? as one man told me. Continue reading ‘6 Years on’

December 2010 Arugambay Photos and Pictures

Published on 06/12/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page, people and Traveler's Reports. 1 Comment

A lone beach. Just for your self. The full photo album updated December 5th, 2010 a?? by: dilantharaka

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Riding high. On Arugam's most famous palm tree

source & link to Trav Buddy:

http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/82205/Arugambay-Sri-Lanka-1

Finding Beach Paradise in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Published on 23/11/2010 in accomodation, Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, cabanas, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, front page, restaurants, the bay and Traveler's Reports. 1 Comment

Arugam Bay – a true, unspoiled Beach Paradise

beach life Arugam Bay

Hello from Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka.

Ia??ve spent the last few days enjoying all that Sri Lanka has to offer; predominantly the beach, exquisite cuisine and personalities of the local people. Sri Lanka is an interesting place, with the 25 year civil war ending justA? ~1 year ago, I am curious what this place will look like in 5-10 years if the peace persists.

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Arugam Bay is located near the a??linea?? where freedom and fighting was. As a result it did not have many NGOa??s help after the devastating tsunami of 2004 for safety concerns. High season has not started yet and you really get a good idea of what life is like here, if one were to live in this laid-back country of ~21 million people.

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beach paradise arugam bay

There are few restaurants, hotels and of course, the ever present tuk tuk drivers.A? To get here one must take a tuk tuk from the bus station in Pottuvil. In the last few days, could count the other tourists seen on one hand. The beach is basically ours, shared with Continue reading ‘Finding Beach Paradise in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka’

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Smoker’s Research Trip to AbaY

Published on 18/11/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, front page, Fun, Humour, Ideas, Music, parties, people, press coverage, stop over Ideas and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

Tripped ‘Outstation’

“Abyss” – A Smoker’s Research Trip

Since the 9th of November Ia??ve been out of my mind so much ita??s insane. From one intoxication to another, bouncing around different locations, I still cana??t believe it. Smoking pretty much every strain of grass available in this country, from KG to Manali hash to Ukraine skunk, ita??s nuts.

The other day we headed off to Mirissa and stopped by at Hikka on the way. We never thought the grass we bought would be so good till we smoked it and found it hard to get off the bed. Mirissa was just mindblowing, just like the first time. This time was better since we got boogie boards and pretty good treatment from the guys at the Surf Bar. Ia??ve even got myself a Continue reading ‘Smoker’s Research Trip to AbaY’

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From West Coast to East Coast (Exploring Kumana National Park)

Published on 16/11/2010 in Blogs, front page, people, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 1 Comment

Lakdasun explores Arugam Bay. Panama and Kumana National Park.
With excellent, unique photos attached.

"Never seen a more beautiful beach thanPanama"

With the reopening of the Kumana national park early this year it had been on our priority list for quite some time and finally we managed to make that dream come true. The camp sites were booked more than three months in advance as there is no other accommodation south of Arugam Bay. Wildlife department is trying to rebuild the destroyed circuit bungalows and hopefully we will get to use them before long.

Having never been to the east coast before, we wanted to have a glimpse of the rising sun from the east coast and planned the trip so that we will be at Pottuvil by sunrise. So we left Colombo late night at 10.30PM and drove through the night via the Beragala route. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the Beragala junction the road via Koslanda to Wellawaya was closed for repairs and the detour took us to Haputale, Bandarawela, Ella and then to Wellawaya. We lost a good part of an hour due to this detour and the sun was already rising as we passed Lahugala. Continue reading ‘From West Coast to East Coast (Exploring Kumana National Park)’

My favorite place? Is Arugam Bay

Published on 14/11/2010 in Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, front page, people and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

I have decided that Arugam Bay is, so far, my favorite place in Sri Lanka. A?The first day I arrived, I took a long walk on the beach and on the way back, the sun was starting to set.

Arugam Bay Beach. file photo arugam.info

If I believed in God, (not sure), I would be convinced that I had witnessed the gates of heaven opening. A?I have never seen anything as magnificent as the sun rays going up toward the sky and the clouds outlined in gold. A?The picture does it no justice but of course I didn’t have my camera with me!d so my friend took the picture but a moment late. A?The sunrises were almost equal. A?(All the pictures are on Facebook and Snapfish if anyone wants to see them.)

I am quite fortunate with my work these days, not because I am doing so much but because I don’t seem to have Continue reading ‘My favorite place? Is Arugam Bay’

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2010 Surf Champion Julian remembers Arugam Bay

Published on 13/11/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, front page, people, press coverage, surf, Surf competition, Surf Federation News, the bay and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

THE RETURN OF JULES

Arugam.info Julian Wilson screen shot 2010-07-13 at 12.42.02 pm

The Sri Lankan Airlines QS event at Arugam Bay marked the return to competition for Julian Wilson, the first time he’d paddled out in a heat since severely injuring his ankle and concentrating on his much hyped film, Scratching The Surface. With the video all but in surf shops and his foot back to full strength he brought home the trophy, beating 19 year-old Amrican Nat Young in long clean right handers. He spoke to SW from California, preparing for the U.S open at Huntington.

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Julian contemplates his cover shot on the latest Surfing World. All photos courtesy of Red Bull


SW: First of all, congrats on the win. We’re all stoked for you. How’d it feel to get back into a competition rashie?
JW: It felt really good to be competing and it felt even better to bring a rashie home with me because that meant I won.

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What were your expectations going into the contest?
Any event I go to I have high expectations on myself. I went to Sri Lanka really wanting a win and put that pressure on myself from day one, it felt good to follow it through.

Arugam.info Julian Wilson screen shot 2010-07-13 at 12.41.44 pm

The waves looked fun, the culture interesting. What’s Sri Lanka like as a contest destination?
As a contest destination I was really impressed with the wave. When you go somewhere for a contest its a lot different to going to film or shoot photos there. As long as the competition spot has decent waves and you are comfortable and happy then its all good, that was the case. Continue reading ‘2010 Surf Champion Julian remembers Arugam Bay’

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11th day, 11 Month, 11Hrs. 11Minutes @ AbaY

Published on 11/11/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, Facebook Fan Club: Arugam Surf, From our own Correspondent, front page, Fun, the bay and Traveler's Reports. 0 Comments

Colombo is said to be flooded.

However, yet another fine andA? dry day at Arugam Bay! Buy tadalista 20 Purchase reglan for nausea

Lazy, dry AbaY in Nov.: 11 / 11/ 2010 @ 11:11 hrs.

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Kumana a?? The bird paradise

Published on 09/11/2010 in Blogs, front page, Historical sites, people, Traveler's Reports and wild life. 0 Comments

A brilliant trip report by Danushka of Lakdasun to Arugam Bay and nearby Kumana. Scoll down for some amazing photos!

It was a long weekend ahead of us, just 3 days left before it. We still havena??t had any clue on what to expect. One of my friends was repeatedly calling for Wilpattu, but I was disappointed after my last visit there. Wilpattu is yet to rehabilitate, that was my opinion. But since everyone was calling for it I joined them. At this point we received a bad news from Wilpattu, Bad but it was good for me ;) it was raining there.

As soon as we got to know about this we checked on other available options. Yala is my favorite place on earth, but since it is a long weekend Yala must be crowded. We decide at least we should let those animals live in peace. The only option left was Kumana, The Yala East National Park which is famous for its birds and, none of us had ever been there. Even though it was the beginning of the bird migration season we decided to go there. After struggling a bit we managed to book a campsite and start our journey toward the birds paradise.

We started from Colombo around 9PM on Thursday. Continue reading ‘Kumana a?? The bird paradise’

“Rainy” AbaY Season ’10

Published on 07/11/2010 in Arugam Surf Club, Blogs, From our own Correspondent, front page, Kitesurf, surf, Traveler's Reports and Wind Surf. 1 Comment
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Our famous "Rainy" Season @ Arugam Bay: Sunday afternoon. 07/Nov./2010

How much alli should i take Not a single cloud in the sky. Perfect surf, swimming and frolic conditions!
A great November weekend for the entire family!