In the summer of 2018, our travel advisor Lea and her family visited Sri Lanka. Children aged 3 and 17 were also included in the trip. Below you can read Lean’s personal recommendations for Sri Lankan beach resorts.

If you are traveling during the high season in December-April or July-August:

Choose Negombo if you want the trip from the airport to fold quickly or you want to visit the country’s capital, Colombo, which is about an hour’s drive away. Jetwing Blue **** is a stunning resort located right next to the beach. There are many small shops, restaurants and other resorts on the resort’s home street. Adjacent to the large swimming pool is a small children’s pool with comfortable sun loungers for parents in the middle. While lounging in the lounge chair, it is fun to watch the children play with the water and enjoy the pool bar.

Unfortunately, the beach is not among the best in Sri Lanka, but at the beach restaurant you can at least enjoy lunch or dinner with your toes immersed in the sand! The waves can be quite high from time to time, and during the low season from May to November, they completely prevent bathing. A swimmer should preferably choose Passikudah or Trincomalee at this time.

Hikkaduwa is full of life: shops, restaurants, resorts and even one disco that is open from September to April. On our travels, accommodation takes place at the Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon **** resort, whose magnificent rooms include a terrace with a small sofa and sea views. Just outside the resort is a beach with turtles swimming on the reef from morning to night. I actually saw them during the low season, so are they likely to be there most of the time? Early in the morning, the frogs crawl to the beach, where they can be observed up close.

The reef prevents bathing at this point on Hikkaduwa beach. The swimming area can be found a couple of hundred meters from the left, in addition to which on the right side of the Resort there is a small bay protected from the waves, on the small beach of which you can swim all year round!

Mirissa offers a relaxed beach life from morning to night. Paradise Beach Club ***All rooms at the hotel have a terrace with great sea views. There are a few restaurants on the beach that exude a relaxed backpacker atmosphere, with little tables standing in the sand under the shade of palm trees decorated with light chains. You can apply for a more comfortable place! In Mirissa, you can also see a blue whale with a 90% probability – I saw as many as twenty individuals in two hours! Note that during the low season, the waves are really high, so a whale safari can be a stomach-twisting experience. I learned this through the heel itself. However, whales can still be seen at this time, and if you choose to venture out on a whale safari despite the sea, you can take advantage of the free travel sickness pills distributed by the boat crew.

If you are traveling in May-September:

Passikudah is the perfect destination when you just want to relax and enjoy the long and wonderful beach of paradise. Spending a beach holiday in Passikudah mainly means staying at The Calm Resort & Spa **** resort and on the beach. For example, you should go for a beach walk and eat at the Hotel Amethyst Resort, next to which the resort’s very own “home crocodile” lives on the river. There are also local restaurants in the area, but to find them you need to do a little undercover work. Ask your locals for tips and use support if necessary. If you crave more life around you and a wider range of shops and restaurants, you might want to consider Trincomaleeta instead of Passikudah.

Trincomalee is our newest beach resort and a real gem! Here you will find the luxurious amenities of the Trinco Blue by Cinnamon **** resort and the wonderfully rustic Backpacker atmosphere on the beach and in the streets surrounding the resort. There are really plenty of local restaurants, serving a variety of local specialties, fresh fish and seafood and delicious fresh juices. Pamper yourself by shopping for different colored sarees, go snorkeling on Pigeon Islandor take part in an exciting whale safari – or just enjoy the best sandy beach in all of Sri Lanka. The whale season runs from March to August, and during this time you can spot spectacular blue whales even from the beach. “Swami Rock” is known among international marine scientists as the best place to see whales from the shore.

Pigeon Island , on the other hand, is known as Sri Lanka’s best snorkeling and diving destination, with coral reefs, tropical fish and black shark inviting you to venture under the surface. The place is popular with tourists, which has had an impact on the environment, as many corals have died as a result of the strain caused by the huge number of visitors. If you have a diving certificate, you can visit the less congested parts of the coral reef, where even the biggest black sharks swim!

Note: According to Countryaah, Sri Lanka is one of countries located in southern part of Asian continent.