Galle & Unawatuna in Southern Sri Lanka are famous for its palm lined beaches. Unawatuna in particular is mainly visited byEuropean tourists ranging from honeymooning couples to young families. Upon our arrival, the weather, vibe and surroundings reminded us of what Bali was like many years ago before it got too busy. Unawatuna’s beaches, restaurants and shops ticked all the boxes for us.
Lets Go Bear Travels Top Tips For Unawatuna:
- Bring your bathers and sunscreen – ditch your gadgets for a few days
- Check out Dalawella Beach – you can swim with giant sea turtles!
- Check out Galle just 6km away – so many cool shops & restaurants here
- Ice cream stop at Pedlar’s Inn Gelato, Galle – Yum!
- Visit a charity organization – SOS Children’s Village Galle
Things to do
There are many beaches to choose from so don’t forget to bring your bathers and sunscreen! From the famous (and more crowded) Unawatuna beach to a more secluded Jungle beach. There are beaches to suit everyone.
Since we have a young toddler with us, we preferred a less crowded beach with mild waves. Our hosts at Hotel Zeilan recommended us to go to Dalawella beach just less than 10 minutes drive from our hotel. The best spot on this beach is directly behind Wijaya Beach Resort (local tuk tuk drivers will know this place). Dalawella beach is absolutely beautiful and there were hardly anyone when we visited. The beach is perfect for young kids. It’s clean, the waves are very mild, and we were also lucky enough to swim with a giant sea turtle!
15 minutes drive from Unawatuna is Galle. We spent half a day here to see the Dutch fort and lighthouse. This is a very touristy area so of course the prices at cafes and restaurants reflect this. There are many luxury clothes boutiques here but our favourite shop was the Stick No Bills Poster Gallery. They design retro-style travel posters and postcards reflecting Sri Lanka’s beauty. Their postcards along with Ceylon teas were the only souvenirs we purchased in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka surprisingly makes yummy gelato ice creams! It’s the perfect treat for a hot humid afternoon. We stumbled upon Pedlar’s Inn Gelato at Galle and 3 creamy scoops just wasn’t enough! At only $2 per scoop this was a bargain.
At Galle we visited a charity organization, “SOS Children’s village”. Since 1981 they have been providing a loving home to abandoned and orphaned children across Sri Lanka. There are 12 family houses. Other infrastructures include a Kindergarten, a Social Centre and Youth Facility for boys and girls and retired Mothers’ homes. This was the perfect way to end our 2 weeks trip in Sri Lanka. Being able to travel the world whilst helping out the local community in a small way makes the trip even more memorable for us.
Weather
Unlike Ella and Nuwara Eliya, it is generally hot and humid in Unawatuna – perfect beach weather. During our visit in January it was a maximum of 30°C in the daytime and down to about 27°C at night. At times it felt much hotter though because of the humidity. Don’t forget your insect repellents. The mosquitoes had a nice buffet with Tara’s legs.
Accommodation
Unawatuna is a major tourist destination hence the accommodation prices are slightly more expensive. There are a small number of big hotels in the area but majority are still bed and breakfasts. We stayed at Hotel Zeilan, an ocean front bed and breakfast with just 7 rooms. The Dutch family who owns and operates it are very welcoming. We stayed in a king room with private balcony.
Picture perfect and nice to know there is fantastic gelato for those hot and humid days. Thanks
Sri Lanka surprisingly has many yummy Gelato places