Hikkaduwa: surfing, surfing and more surfing

What to do in Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is a very nice place to chill with your buttocks in the sand, take the occasional dip and enjoy the sunshine.Prefer to do something more? Even then, there is plenty to see and do in Hikkaduwa.

Let’s GO surfing!

Sri Lanka’s south coast is perfect for improving your surfing skills. Hikkaduwa is certainly no exception. Everywhere you will find small surf schools for private lessons or board rentals. The waves at Narigama Beach are perfect for beginners since there is very little coral here. For a lesson, you pay about 4,000 rp per hour. Renting a board costs about 500 rp which is less than 2 euros per hour.

Tsunami museum

At the Tsunami Museum, you’ll get an explanation of exactly how the 2004 tsunami occurred and the impact it had on Sri Lanka.The walls are filled with photos of the moment of impact and the devastation left by the 2004 tsunami. Their stories and images impressed us tremendously. Especially also because most of the people who still live here experienced the tsunami The museum is very small, but definitely worth visiting. You pay about 500 rp (+/- 2 euros) per person and can also make a donation inside by donating money or buying a souvenir.

Visit the old fort Galle

You can easily visit Galle from Hikkaduwa by train, tuktuk, scooter or bus. It takes you about 30 -45 minutes. Galle is an ancient fort built the 16th century by the Portuguese and became the headquarters of the Netherlands in 1640. It has been Sri Lanka’s main port for 200 years, The fort and the town behind it remained almost completely untouched by its strong walls during the 2004 tsunami.

Visit Turtle Beach

You probably guessed it on this beach you will find lots of turtles.The turtle population is really huge in Hikkaduwa thanks to the Turtle Hatchery. From the beach, you can spot giant sea turtles in no time. A bit of a shame though that many tourists can’t resist feeding and even touching the turtles. Because of this, we still left with a bit of a double feeling. The best way to spot the turtles is to snorkel a bit from the shore.

Turtle Hatchery

In recent years, Sri Lanka has suffered tremendously. Partly because of Corona, there is a huge crisis going on in the country right now. Consequently, the Turtle Hatchery looked a bit dilapidated and sad. The fact that the man who showed us the hatchery smelled appallingly of alcohol didn’t really help either. We therefore found it a bit questionable. Still, it is good that this is there. However, the population of wild turtles in Hikkaduwa is huge and this is also certainly due to the Turtle Hatchery and of course this can only be continued through donations.

Hotspots & food in HIkkaduwa

• The Roti Stop Restaurant: really good tasty Kotu and Roti and incredibly Super cheap
• Hello Burger: nice people, good burgers
• Salty Swamis: hip breakfast store and lunch spot, a bit pricey though
• Steffi´s Mandala: lots of vegan options
• Sea Salt Society: top spot right on the beach
• Friends indeed: from burgers to curry
• Funky the bar for a party

Also fun to read: Hikkaduwa Hotspots

Best time to travel to Hikkaduwa

The travel time for the south coast of Sri Lanka is from February to April, but you can also visit Sri Lanka and Hikkaduwa well in the other months. In April, May, October and November, you are only slightly more likely to have rain in this region. June and July are also top months to visit the south coast. Temperatures around 30 degrees and minimal rainfall.

Transportation in HIkkaduwa

The best way to explore the Hikkaduwa area is by tuktuk or scooter. It is also possible to rent your own tuktuk in Colombo or Negombo and take a trip around the country. Definitely a fat tip!

Which budget do i need in Hikkaduwa?

How expensive is Hikkaduwa? Of course, the answer depends on what type of traveler you are and the number of activities and sights you have planned. For example, we chose to do a surfing lesson in Hikkaduwa which cost 45 euros and ate regularly at some hipper joints. As a result, we were already through our daily budget of 65 euros before the morning, but Hikkaduwa offers something for everyone. This makes it a top destination for flashpackers and budget backpackers.

In the past year, 1 rupee was worth between 0.0041 and 0.0045 euros, but since the country’s economic crisis, this has fluctuated enormously and the currency has seen sharp declines. During the publication of this article, the rupee actually dropped to 0.0027 cents. That means 1 euro is about 374 rupees. The cost in this article is a snapshot of our trip in February/March 2022 when the rupee had a value of 0.0041. Therefore, we have also placed most of the costs in rupees so that you can convert them to the current situation. Click here to convert costs.

• Total cost HIkkaduwa for 3 days: 240 euros (56660 rupees)
• Day budget HIkkaduwa: 80 euros per day
• Daily budget per person: 40 euros per day

In total, we stayed in Hikkaduwa for 3 days and spent 243 euros (56660 rupees).

spends. That’s a daily budget of 81 euros. The cost is calculated on the exchange rates during the trip.

What are the costs of eating out in Hikkaduwa

We spent most of the budget on restaurants. We interspersed local restaurants with trendy hot spots. In total, we spent 121.87 euros on food and lots of beers.

What do you pay for activities in Hikkaduwa

Activities and sightseeing in Hikkaduwa cost a total of 58.31 euros (12400 rupees) . We found surf lessons to be quite expensive in Sri Lanka. It is best to book a lesson at the beach, this is often just a little cheaper. If you can already surf a little, you can rent a board for an hour for 2 euros. Tip! Lay down near a class, that way you can occasionally cheat ;p

• Surf lesson 41.86 euros
• Surfboard rental 2.18 euros
• Turtle Farm 4.33 euros
• Tsunami Museum incl. souvenir 9.97 euros

How much does an overnight stay in Hikkaduwa cost?

In Hikkaduwa, we slept at a very nice air-conditioned homestay. It was very hot at the moment and thought that was a must anyway. We also had breakfast here 2x and drank quite a few beers. In total, the accommodation cost 53 euros: 30 euros paid for the night itself and 23 euros for breakfast, beer and water.

How expensive is transportation in Hikkaduwa?

In Hikkaduwa, we used tuktuks and public transportation. In total, this cost 7.02 euros.

• Tuktuk from Galle to HIkkaduwa cost 3.05 euros
• Tuktuk to Turtle Beach and back 1.70 euros
• Tuktuk to Tsunami Museum 1.73 euros
• Local bus from Hikkaduwa to Unawatuna 0.52 euros

Overview of costs Hikkaduwa

Practical information about HIkkaduwa

• You pay with the Sri Lankan rupee (250 rupees is about 1 euro)
• Train tickets and bus tickets can be arranged on site. This does not necessarily have to be done in advance and certainly not online. If you go by bus, you don’t pay until you get on.
• Negotiating the price is very common in Sri Lanka. So do this too!
• For a Tuktuk ride, you pay about 100 – 300 rupees (about 1.50 max). This is for a ride of about 5 – 15 minutes.
• They drive LEFT in Sri Lanka. Don’t forget lol.
• At most restaurants, you pay an additional 10% service charge. It is then still customary to tip 5 – 10% (depending on the food and services). Sounds maybe a lot but on average a dinner with drinks costs less than 10 euros incl. service charges. So that one euro you can well spare ;p
• Want to visit a temple? Then keep your clothes in mind. For both men and women, legs and shoulders are covered. Buy a nice sarong somewhere and make sure you always have it with you.

How to get to Hikkaduwa?

From Colombo, you can take the train to Hikkaduwa. This costs only 75 rp (about 50 cents) and takes about 3 hours. The bus runs a little more frequently and takes about 4 hours to Hikkaduwa. Of course, it is also possible to book a cab, but the cost is often much higher. For a 2-hour ride, you pay about 25 – 50 euros. Personally, we found public very doable and often much more fun and cozy.

• From Negombo by cab about 25 – 50 euros and takes about 2 hours
• By bus from Colombo to Hikkaduwa costs 100 rp (€0.50) p.p and takes about 4 hours
• By train from Colombo to Hikkaduwa costs 200 rp (€0.75) p.p. and takes about 2 hours
• From Galle to hikkaduwa by tuktuk about 4 euros