Journey from Weligama to Unawatuna:

One of the most straightforward journeys we had. It was only a short tuk tuk ride to our next hotel for 1,500LKR. The journey took a speedy 30 minutes.

Things to do:

Galle Fort

A really beautiful town with lots of colonial architecture. The fort was first built by the Portuguese in 1505 and was later taken over by the Dutch in 1640 who made lots of fortifications to improve the fort up until the 18th century as it was used as their main base. The Dutch lost the fort to the British in 1796, but as the British used Colombo as their main base they paid little attention to Galle.

There are lots of historic buildings still set within the fort and the walls surrounding Galle are an impressive sight by themselves. There are lots of shops and cafes and is the perfect place to meander around for an afternoon.

Surfing

There were again lots of surfing spots in this area. Ahangama had several reef breaks for the more advanced, and the other way along the coast line heading back towards Galle had Bonavista Beach which was perfect for the beginner to intermediate level surfer.

Habaraduwa Sea Turtle Hatchery

Sea turtles come to lay their eggs on Habaraduwa beach. The hatchery protects the eggs from potential predators/being stolen by people. Once the eggs hatch the baby turtles are kept until that evening or for a couple of days and then set free into the ocean. We saw some baby turtles that had hatched the day before and were about to be set free. They were absolutely tiny!

The hatchery also has a few bigger turtles. There were a couple of fully grown turtles that had sadly lost their fins in motor boat accidents but they were hoping they would soon be strong enough to set free again. There were also a few hawksbill turtles as this type of turtle is often killed due to its beautiful shell and so they are trying to increase the population by keeping them in captivity until they are a bit stronger and more likely to survive the wild.

It cost 500LKR per person and although it was very small and you are there for maybe half an hour at the maximum, it’s interesting and it’s amazing to see the turtles at such close proximity.

Jungle beach

Before we went I had read that this beach was a must to go to as it was very beautiful. We disagreed. It was far too touristy for our liking and the amount of rubbish on this beach was appalling. Perhaps if it was cleaned up and there was nobody else there then it would be a very nice beach but I doubt either of those things are going to happen. See below for what the beach could look like versus what it actually looks like…

Where to stay:

Lara’s Place

I think this was our favourite hotel. Just outside of Unawatuna there is a small turning leading up into the hills. There were very few rooms but I think all of the rooms had the same beautiful sea view. The Sri Lankan breakfast was absolutely incredible and definitely one of our highlights.

Where to eat:

Mati Gedara

There is a street in the centre of Unawatuna running down to the beach which is home to all the restaurants and shops. Just off this Street was Mati Gedara which did an all you can eat authentic Sri Lankan curry for only 350LKR per person. You also had the option of choosing some freshly caught fish for them to cook for you. Only downside was the food was a bit cold, but other than that for the exceptionally cheap price it was a great find.

The Nest

This one was in Galle Fort and doubles up as a clothes/souvenir shop. Had some very good smoothie bowls here and they had a good variety of flavours. It was a lot cheaper than where we had been in Weligama too at only 550LKR a bowl.

Blue Caffeine

The first cafe off the main road and on to the street going to the beach in Unawatuna. Probably our favourite smoothie bowl which was called Tropical Paradise.

Beach Front Restaurants

There are loads of restaurants that have tables on the beach so you can sit and listen to the sea whilst you eat. Complete with a cute candle on the table. However, very overpriced and very average food. Tourist central too – one girl kept sending her pizza back because it was not up to her standards. It is absolutely baffling why you would come to Sri Lanka and order pizza and not have any of their local dishes which will obviously be far tastier as it is food they know how to prepare very well.

Unawatuna is a lovely spot. It is maybe a bit more touristy than Weligama which is probably to be expected being so close to Galle. Our hotel was perfect as it was a tiny bit outside the town so you avoided the main tourist area and also had fantastic ocean views. Also we can’t stress enough how amazing the breakfast was here. I would return in an instant just to be able to eat this breakfast again.