Travel Guide to Ahangama -The ins and outs for those who seek solitude

Ahangama can be reached within a couple of hours from Colombo if you are taking the Southern expressway. It is quite close to Galle, making the commute quite easy. You can rent a vehicle and drive yourself, hail a cab, or take the intercity air-conditioned bus to Galle, and then go to Ahangama. Alternatively, you can take the train and enjoy gorgeous scenery of the sand kissing the waves during your four-hour train journey.

A key activity to engage in Ahangama is surfing. The breaks cater mostly to learned surfers, while spots for beginners, too, can be found. You need not take your own gear as there are kiosks, shops and even a villa in Galle or two that rent out equipment. In addition to surfing, you can enjoy boat rides on the sea, and if you venture towards Koggala, boat rides on the lake. There are islands to visit, and waves to ride in Ahangama.

There is no point in visiting the Southern region of the country if you do not explore the UNESCO heritage site of Galle Fort. The evening is the ideal time for a walk through narrow streets. Do not forget to visit the maritime museum and see the old lighthouse. This is also a good location for you to do your souvenir shopping, as there are plenty of quirky little shops lining the Dutch-built paths. There are temples in the area that you can visit too. Each of the temples has their own origin story and are often decorated with paintings that belong to different periods in history.

Accommodation options for your visit are a plenty. If you want to be in the centre of busyness, you could stay at Galle, within the Galle Fort even. There are plenty of rooms for rent, and several hotels as well. However, if you wish to stay in Ahangama itself – as it is far enough from Galle to provide you some peace and tranquillity, yet near enough that you can easily be in the centre if things within minutes – you could opt for villas like Mosvold Villa, restaurants, hotels – though not as luxurious as the ones in Galle – or even try hostels.

The key component to your vacation at Ahangama would be the scenery. From stilt fishermen in the dawn to spectacular sunsets at dusk, there is much to arrest your visual sense. Thus, it would not be amiss to bring a DSLR or a camera of high quality, as some scenes deserve to be captured by more than just your camera phone. Ahangama itself is very much an active fishing village. If you can drag yourself out of bed early enough, you will be able to capture some unique shots of the busyness of a fishing village before the sun has properly risen.