The Hiriketiya Bible
Finding my heart a home in Hiriketiya, South Sri Lanka
From the moment I arrived in Hiriketiya I knew it was a special place! Guided by intuition; after a rocky couple days in India I decided to book a last minute flight to Sri Lanka.
I’d asked some friends where I should go and a couple times Hiriketiya, South Sri Lanka was mentioned. I needed somewhere to base for a few weeks to catch up on some work, celebrate my 24th birthday and felt like this would be the perfect place.
Hiriketiya is located approximately 195kms south of Sri Lanka's Capital, Colombo. The easiest way to reach Hiriketiya from the international airport is by taxi/ private driver which will cost anywhere between$75-100+AUD. If like me you are travelling on a budget you can reach Hiriketiya during the daytime using the public bus system for under $5AUD. My flight arrived at 1.30AM so I opted to spend a night in Negombo; a quaint neighborhood near the airport to take a nights rest before navigating the public bus system. From Negombo there is one early morning direct bus to Dickwella per day (The closest main town to Hiriketiya) or multiple daily busses from Negombo/ Colombo to Matara the main bus station of the south which will easily connect you to Hiriketiya or any other popular coastal towns of Sri lanka’s south.
After a late night and rough sleep I arrived in Matara and realised I’d left my main bag on the highway bus. If you’ve been to Sri Lanka you know that finding my bag again in the sea of busses 20 minutes after I realised my mistake was a miracle. By the time that was sorted I set off on the final half hour bus to ‘Hiri’. It was 5pm so I arrived into town at golden hour, walked along the bay with my bags and across to the Hidden Well Hostel.
Having done no research, basing my plan to be here on recommendation I had no idea what to expect… this first walk along the coast I felt electric; like I was exactly where I was meant to be!
I spent almost a month here and absolutely fell in love with the local community. The energy here is magic and I know this is a place I will definitely return to.
Below are my top recommendations on how to spend the perfect few days (or weeks) in Hiri.
SURFING
Hiriketiya is the sweetest little horseshoe shaped cove beach.
It has a left hand peeling reef break and a little right/ beach bank that breaks most days! It’s the perfect beginner - intermediate wave and super fun on a long board.
The left is A seemingly gentle wave that runs over a torturous shallow reef otherwise known as the ‘carpet of sea urchins’. All over Sri Lanka you will meet people with stings and 9 times out of 10 they happened at Hiri!
Don’t let this put you off. the beach is incredibly beautiful and teeming with marine life. most morning surfs you are accompanied by the local turtles and friendly black tip reef sharks.
I rented my board every day with Samit surf rentals!
I liked his energy and got along with all of his staff. I had an incident on the reef and broke fin: he was completely reasonable, friendly and fair in dealing with this and helped get my sea urchin spines out of my foot when I got a bit too big for my boots on the left.
LOCAL FOOD FAVOURITES
First and foremost I want to mention my most eaten at restaurant in Hiriketiya; Priyanka ~ this local gem is located on the main road and serves all you can eat curry buffet for 250 rupees (that’s currently $1.25AUD) And an array of delicious made to order meals like fried rice, kottu, grilled fish!
RICE AND CURRY
Other local favourites include Kingsleys hot kitchen and lemongrass cafe. two family owned restaurants run. by the sweetest locals with an amazing array of affordable local dishes.
every morning after a surf you could find me perched at Kingsleys, journaling, catching up with friends or eating my bodyweight in coconut banana roti.
Along the main road just out of town you will find incredible street food vendors serving Roti, Kottu, Hoppers, pancakes and more! this was a really affordable and tasty lunch or snack option after a swim or surf!
COFFEE AND DRINKS
sunset bar / Turtle point - two beach bars with perfect surf view and sunset vibes. Grab a juice, drink or coffee here with the best view in the bay!
Muthu bar - Have a rooftop terrace which offers a great ocean view. The gentle breeze and shade make this the perfect location for even the hottest parts of the day!
Bahia - Best western brunch, good coffee and energy. a nice garden location close to the main beach.
MOND - Best coffee and beautiful food , pricier option but worth it for the blue ocean view and contemporary architecture, a vibe.
Belika Beach Club - This was my favourite place for a coffee or juice and brunch! they serve delicious French crepes and have a pool you can use if you purchase food and beverage. Step back in time with their eclectic retro-mod mid century decor and art deco design. I felt like I was in a slim Aaron’s picture every day here.
Verse Collective - For the cool kids this surfy skate cafe is a great hang! Located at Dickwella beach it’s the perfect place to make a stop through on your way to the beach to grab a coffee, catch up on some work or have a great meal!
Smoke and Bitters - Although out of my budget I wanted to mention this highly recommended upscale restaurant and cocktail bar that is also located at Dickwella. Stop in for incredible mixology and fine dining experience.
Another couple restaurants I heard about but didn’t try are: Malu Poke bowls, a hip smoothie and salad bowl cafe. Dunis hoppers, another cute brunch spot. Bacuzzi, traditional Italian food and pizza located on the beach with Italian owners. Tangalle rice and curry; located a little further in the neighbouring town of Tangalle this restaurant offers a cooking demonstration followed by a curry buffet of 28 home made curries and rice for around $15AUD.
ACTIVITY
Gym - Serene villa have an air conditioned simple gym and rooftop yoga shala available for paid day use by outside guests.
Yoga - Salt, Jasper House and Serene Villa run weekly yoga classes! check their socials for updates and special events.
Surf Lesson - Samit surf!
Dickwella beach - long charming beach with an array of restaurants, epic sunset and a beach volleyball net.
Saturday - Dickwella food and fruit markets; immerse yourself in local Sri Lankan culture with a visit to the Dickwella Saturday fair.
The beach house hiriketiya - This co working cafe has a great pool table you can go use anytime of day when purchasing a drink. They sometimes also throw movie nights and live music events! I had a fun ew really fun nights here dancing and listening to local live music!
with a visit to the Dickwella Saturday fair.
The nightlife in Hiri is pretty non existent and chill as most people who visit are coming to surf and relax! It’s a morning place and I found myself socialising most in the water or at the local restaurants (Kingsleys from breakfast after a sunrise surf everyday with the crew)
On Saturdays dots bay hotel throw a party but I never went so can’t comment what it’s like! There’s a couple bars on the beach that play music and serve drinks till late, one called lychee bar which sometimes has a beach bonfire!
Sunset at blue beach island or along the rocks on the left hand side of the bay is a glorious place to watch the sun melt into the sea.
Swim with sea turtles at batigama beach (this I didn’t do but heard great things)
Rent a scooter and explore the surrounding areas and beaches
One day when the swell was small we set off on a little inland mission. We saw crocodiles, motorbiked through a wetland conservation park and visited a wild beach just south of
STAYS
I split my time between a home stay in the center of town and the most incredible open air hostel a little further out of town named Hidden Well.
The owners of Hidden well are so kind, caring and fun! they joined us on our motorbike adventure and took us to the local food fair with live music. they made me feel at home away from home and I really appreciated the relaxed vibe and energy they had created at the hostel.
