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Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay… at the beach in low season

Arugam Bay being one of the best places for surfing in Sri Lanka has two appearances: the peak season, from May to August… and the rest of the year, were Arugam Bay is not much more that a fishing village!

Between November and April can be considered the best time to visit Sri Lanka, with the months of December and January to reach the peak of tourist. But the east coast and the northern part of the island, that are the least visited areas, difficult to reach and that for many years place of war, have a different climate, with rainfall during this period. The months from May to October are those with a more favorable climate in the north and on the east coast, where lies the beach of Arugam Bay.

Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay Beach

But for those who do not chase the “waves” visit Arugam Bay or any other place, during the low season provides some advantages: more peace, more space, more affordable rooms, less crowded transport… on the other hand many restaurants and guest houses are closed, less social life and sometimes rain that may show persistent and annoying. Although the temperature is never chill, and the sea never cold.

As the southwest coast rather dry and arid, the visit during the rainy season, which still does not bring rain every day, provides a landscape full of green and enough water to make Arugam Laguna attractive to many birds that gathering here looking for food.

Arugam Laguna
Arugam Laguna
Arugam Laguna
Arugam Laguna

the stay at Arugam Bay provided calm and long walks along the almost desert beach, accompanied by the heavy rhythm of the waves, feeling the moist air that comes from the sea and the warm water temperature that plays around our feets. Walkings that can be extended to the lagoon, located north of the bay, which separates Arugam Bay Beach from Pottuvil.

With light filtered through the soft layer of clouds, the sea shows up with heavy dark colors as well as the sand, which tones along with the abundant garbage brought by the tides is far from forming a paradise image of this place. Nevertheless, this picture changes in the months where dozens of surfers compete for waves that form at the entrance of the bay.

Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay Beach

Arugam Bay lives from the surf and surf related business, like surf schools, rentals, rooms, etc… As off-season there’s no activity in terms of surf, with a rough and disorganized sea, at an upper level than usual making the beach narrow, the local population is targeted for fishing, which remains the main occupation and source of income this small town that was seriously affected by the 2004 tsunami, which severely hit the south and east coast of Sri Lanka.

Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay Beach
Fisherman at Arugam Ba
Fisherman at Arugam Ba
Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay Beach
Fisherman at Arugam Ba
Fisherman at Arugam Ba
Fisherman at Arugam Bay
Fisherman at Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay is not only a place where you go… you have to get there… it’s on the opposite coast of Columbus and the only international airport, between are the mountains and to escape the mountains you must go around to the south or to the north, passing extensive tropical plains… whatever option are trips that do not are not made in one day, forcing always to one or a more stops along the way.

Arugam Bay. Road Pottuvil-Panama
Going to school. Arugam Bay. Road Pottuvil-Panama

Where to stay in Arugam Bay:

In low season, most places are closed or whether they were open probably are deserted. Along the main road, on both sides, line up successive accommodation of different styles and for different budgets.

The Beach Hut is one of the oldest places and, therefore, very popular even in low season attracting most of the foreigners, some passing by but others that remain here for long periods, enjoying the tranquility of the place and the proximity of the sea, which is around twenty meters far. There are several types of accommodation, rooms and huts with different levels of amenities and comfort. The Beach Hut has a restaurant provides a nice common area surrounded by forest.

double bedroom with en-suite: 1000 LKR (low-season)

Free wi-fi

Beach Hut @ Arugam Bay
Beach Hut @ Arugam Bay
Beach Hut Room @ Arugam Bay
Beach Hut Room @ Arugam Bay
Beach Hut @ Arugam Bay
Beach Hut @ Arugam Bay

Where to eat in Arugam Bay:

Many of the guesthouses have a restaurant, but during the low season many are closed. Those who are open, such as the Beach Hut, offer the usual menu with many international options.

On the main road that crosses Arugam Bay (road Pottuvil-Panama) there are some local food restaurants, serving only tea, rotis and fried-rice, but most of them just open during the high season.

But proved to be indifferent to variations of tourists and surfers, because essentially live from the local population, there’s a restaurant in the south of Arugam Bay, along the national road, very close to the curve that in some way marks the border of the village. Working also as a kind of small grocery, sells delicious King coconuts, serves rotis, kotus and a variety of snacks, including some Sri Lanka traditional sweets, popular as breakfast, like coconut rotis and coconut hoopers, that runs out quickly in the morning. At lunch the usual rice and curry, for which foreigners are overcharged with 250 LKR; yet delicious, rich and entitled to refill.

rice and curry @ Arugam Bay
rice and curry @ Arugam Bay
restaurante @ Arugam Bay
restaurante @ Arugam Bay

Bus from Arugam Bay to Batticaloa:

In the morning there is only one direct bus from Arugam Bay to Batticaloa, passing on the main road by 5 am or 5.30 am, and reaches Batticaloa around 10:30 am.

Alternative is a tuk-tuk to Pottuvil (100 LKR) and at the bus terminal catch one of the many buses bound for Batticaloa, but most of them aren’t direct buses; although at 10 am there’s one that avoids stopover.

The Pottuvil Bus Terminal, which is no more than a set of buses parked perpendicular to the road, with tuk-tuks waiting on the other side, there are buses with high frequency to Kalmunai, from where you can find another to Batticaloa.

Bus Pottuvil – Kalmunai: 93 LKR (2.15h)

Bus Kalmunai – Batticaloa: 59 LKR (1.5h)

Pottuvil Bus Terminal
Pottuvil Bus Terminal
Bus Pottuvil to Kalmunai, on the way to Batticaloa @ Pottuvil Bus Terminal
Bus Pottuvil to Kalmunai, on the way to Batticaloa @ Pottuvil Bus Terminal

The trip between Pottuvil and Kalmunai is particularly beautiful with the road crossing vast plains of rice fields and many natural vegetation zones with a scarce human presence, and form the Lahugala National Park.

 

Ecowave Sri Lanka

Is a organisation based in Arugam Bay, focuses in developing projects to support local community in a sustainable way.

There are many things going on in Ecowave, that suites a travellers, like stay with a local family, and cooking classes, in a way to show the local cuisine and also local products that come from their own organic farm. There are also more tourist activities, in a more responsible and  sustainable way.

Check their page so se what’s going on or just pass bay their shop in Arugam Bay Road (not far from the entrance to “Beach Huts” where you can find organic products as food and cosmetics as also handicrafts made local community.

//www.facebook.com/ecowavelk/

//www.facebook.com/EcowaveTravels/

About Elephants and buses… from Kataragama to Arugam Bay

Having already visited the south coast, is time to look for other places, but the topography of the island, with a mountain range to occupy the entire center of the southern part of the territory, make it an unattractive option with slow journeys, pushing you to longer but more easy and accessible itineraries.

Other obstacles are the natural parks, which make the roads go around large areas, with Sri Lanka to stand out for a total of 26 wildlife reserves in an area 1.4 times larger than Portugal.

And an image that stays in the memory after traveling through Sri Lanka is green. The green of palm trees and tropical forest. The green plains of rice fields. The green forests in the mountains. The green of the water lilies and lotus flowers covering lakes and wetlands.

And out of the most densely populated areas such as the southwest coast, south of Colombo and the triangle covering Colombo-Kandy-Galle, scarce villages and dozens of kilometers can be made trough a landscape that still maintains natural.

The Kataragama travel toward the East Coast is far from being linear, taking a longer route to avoid the Yala National Park. First to the north towards the anonymous Buttala, then northeast to the unknown Monaragala, and then heading east to Pottuvil. But the final destination of this route is the beach of Arugam Bay, about 4 km south of Pottuvil.

While about the stops in Buttala and Monoragala to change buses there’s no trace of memory, as well as the road that links this two places, with houses, shops, restaurants, workshops and other buildings line up along the road.

But between Kataragama and Buttala is one of the nicest bus trips made in Sri Lanka, that in a month were more than 20… not counting with the usually necessary bus change during the same trip. This route passes near the Yala National Park, a vast area that ranks as the second largest natural park in the country, whose significant population of elephants and leopards attracts lots of visitors.

But leaving the animals peacefully live their life away from human hanging in jeeps that roam the streets of the park, visits to national parks were off the itinerary.

But as a compensation, the bus ride between Kataragama and Buttala offered an unexpected whole show, with the passage of an elephant that circulated by the roadside, that without showing any kind of fear or surprise, stopped as if to observe the giant vehicle that was crossing his path. But spotting wildlife along this road is not unusual, forcing the vehicle running at low speed and avoid beeps, which makes this a truly relaxing trip, offering the possibility to quietly enjoy the natural landscape. From wetlands, the road goes gradually getting drier as one moves north, with the reddish soil where vegetation comes down to trees and small leaf bushes, through which it was possible to see yet another Sri Lanka elephant, a subspecies of the Asian elephant.

Bus Kataragama to Buttala. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Bus Kataragama to Buttala. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Bus Kataragama to Buttala. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Bus Kataragama to Buttala. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay

Leaving behind Monaragala and as it moves to the east toward Pottuvil road extends almost in a straight line along wooded plains that offer a bit of freshness to the tropical temperatures of the region, refreshing the body and softening the intense sunlight. The last kilometers before Pottuvil landscape let behind the trees transforming into endless plains of rice fields. We are again close to another national park, not as popular as the Yala but whose lagoon features attract many species of birds: the Lahugala National Park.

The warm breeze coming in through the windows, while the bus glides smoothly through the endless road and the serenity of the landscape that fills the eyes, provide a deep sense of calm and tranquility, that along with the unexpected “encounter” with an elephant, made this trip a strong memory of positive feelings.

Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama to Pontuvil. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay

How to go from Kataragama to Arugam Bay bus:

The route has a total of 137 kilometers but it took six hours to do it.

As the only direct bus that leaves Kataragama to Pottuvil is at 6 am, the alternative was to go first to Buttala. In Buttala just ask for a bus in the direction of Pottuvil, and as there is no direct connection is necessary to stop in Monaragala and change there to another bus to the final destination, Pottuvil.

Some buses end in Pottuvil, the largest village in the area, but others continues up to Panama stopping at Arugam Bay. If the bus ends in Pottuvil the only option is to take a tuk-tuk to make the last 4 kilometers that separate the bus terminal the first guesthouses of Arugam Bay. If you want to go to the “center” of Arugam Bay you need to walk another kilometer, but in any case, the tuk-tuk shouldn’t cost more than 100 LKR.

 

Bus from Kataragama to Buttala: 46 km (9.35h – 11h)

Ticket: 85 LKR

 

Bus from Buttala to Monaragala: 20 km (11.05h – 11.55h)

Ticket: 40 LKR

 

Bus from Monaragala to Arugam Bay: 71 km (12:30 – 15:30)

Ticket: 120 LKR

Bus Kataragama to Buttala. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Bus Kataragama to Buttala. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama Bus terminal. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama Bus terminal. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama Bus terminal. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Monaragama Bus terminal. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay

But all bus changes required during a journey are not as bothersome as they seem at first glance, as all the buses stop at the terminals, where it is not difficult to find the next bus; yet is necessary ask for help to the local population or bus drivers waiting in the terminal, as many times there are no proper information or signs.

These breaks in the terminals, given the high frequency of buses, never take longer than 30 minutes, the most usual is to find a bus that is about to depart, being only necessary to “jump” inside. Alway take your backpack with you, inside de bus, no matter what the drive helper can say as the trunks are dirty and full of dust or mud, on rainy days.

Tickets are always sold inside the vehicle, whatever the route or the bus company.

The bus terminals are away of being an attractive area, but if you have to wait for a few minutes this places always provide the chance to of finding a meal, fruit, roti or another kind of snack to eat during the trip… even rice and curry properly wrapped for take-away, which only has the drawback of not being provided cutlery as in Sri Lanka food is eaten by hand, and only the restaurants offer spoons.

 

The buses are neither good nor bad… they’re basically all the same, all made in the same factory Lanka Ashok Leyland, following all the same model… the only difference is that there are older ones and newer ones, that means in better conditions, but even the older buses never appear properly degraded, and are only used in urban areas and for short distances.

 

The red buses belonging to the state-owned company (SLTB); blue and white buses are from private companies, more focused on profit, which leads to the bus stop every time someone on the roadside or at any point of the city makes a signal to stop, and every time someone want to get off at a particular site. Buses from SLTB are more respectful of bus stands but are less often.

 

Despite the discomfort caused by too full buses, by numerous stops, by constant honking, by dangerous overtaking and the unbridled driving of some drivers, the bus is no doubt the best way to travel by Sri Lanka, which in addition to cover the whole territory they provide a stimulating contact with the population and multiple smiles…. and a lot of Sinhalese music !!!!!

 

Tickets. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay
Tickets. bus trip Katamarama-Arugam Bay

How to get out of Arugam Bay:

In the morning, only one bus pass by Arugam Bay destination North towards Batticaloa, with the inconvenient time of 5 or 5.30am, being difficult to get accurate information.

The Arugam bay bus stand is in front of the school, in the northern part of the beach, not far from the bridge that crosses the lagoon that separates Arugam Bay from Potuvil.

The alternative is to take a tuk-tuk to Pottuvil (100 LKR) and from the bus terminal catch one of the many buses to north, in direction of Batticaloa.

Pottuvil bus terminal_DSC_7695
Pottuvil Bus Terminal

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