SEPTEMBER 2026
OVERVIEW
We continue our Sri Lanka Tour.
We have already done:
It is time to move on to Arugam Bay.
ARUGAM BAY
GETTING THERE
You can make your own way from Ella to Arugam Bay on local public busses. You first need to get a bus to Monaragala. To do this, you may need to go via Wellawaya and change bus there. At Monaragala, change to another bus to Pottuvil. Then, find a bus / tuk-tuk / UBER to Aragum Bay. If you have luggage, good luck with that one 🙂
For 6,000r / US$18, I chose the easy 8-seater option which leaves Ella at 9:30am and arrives in Arugam Bay 3 hours later. They drop you off at your Arugam Bay hotel.
ABOUT
WEATHER
THE BEACH
The beach is good. But, it is more of a ‘surfing’ beach than a ‘swimming’ beach (notice how few people are in the water).
If you want to swim (safely) you need to go to the Swimming Place at the southern end of the bay.
ACTIVITIES
Apart from the obvious beachy activities, there are 2 safaris on offer: The Lagoon or Kumana National Park. I chose the latter.
SCOOTER RENTAL
The standard rate is 2,500r per day excluding petrol. I rented mine through my accommodation. It was mechanically fine. I got about 90kms out of it on 1,000r of petrol.
I had a good look around the Pottuvil area just north of Arugam Beach.
I also drove down to Panama but other than the Peanut Farm (who charge 100r for scooter parking) there was not a lot to see other than Panama Lagoon.
EAT & DRINK
You are in a tourist spot paying tourist prices.
Expect to pay about 1,750r for a breakfast. Similar for lunch. Expect to pay 2,000r to 2,500r for dinner excluding drinks.
On the main road, you will find a Beer Shop and a Wine Shop selling liquor at ‘government’ prices.
ACCOMMODATION
WHERE TO STAY
GRANDPAckers will find many hotels within our price range at this time of year.
The main road is fairly busy.
With a good selection of shops and restobars. 
Many of the ‘back streets’ turn to dirt very quickly. I suggest that you stay in the ‘green shaded’ zone closer to the beach.
The ‘yellow shaded’ zone is still OK … especially the area close to the ‘Swimming Place’ at the southern end.
For the less ‘partying’ types, don’t overlook Pottuvil.
There are some lovely ‘chill’ resorts on or near a decent beach … with access to Kottukal Beach if you want to surf.
MY ACCOMMODATION
I used Booking.com to book a Double Room with Garden View and Continental Breakfast at the Nature Garden Resort. I got a last-minute discounted price of 5,435r / US$16.50 per night. It was ‘pay at the hotel’.
I chose this hotel because:
- I liked the reviews;
- I wanted to be away from the ‘late night / early morning’ partying that is said happen around the beach area every night;
- I was mainly there to book a safari in Kumana Nature Reserve;
- and
- I wanted to rent a scooter anyway.
It was more rustic than I expected. Tucked away down unpaved lanes. Just 3 chalets. The place was a building site … as they were adding more chalets.
KUMANA NATIONAL PARK
There are 2 options for Kumana: 6am to Noon or 1pm to 7pm. There is not much difference between the two … choose the one that suits you best.
I booked an afternoon safari through my hotel. The price is 12,000r including all transport and entrance fees. Pick up was from my hotel (tucked away down the side streets).
We arrived at the park at 2pm. By 2:15pm we had ‘cleared the queue’ of Jeeps and entered the park.
The park closes at 6pm … You are back at your hotel by 7pm.
CONCLUSION
Arugam Bay is another ‘party’ town. As a result, you will find many Luxury Bus and Shared Minivan Taxi options to get you there.
The more expensive hotels have beach access but there are many good options within 100m of the beach. The ‘southern end’ near the Swimming Place looked nice and had many hotel options ‘tucked away’ down decent side streets. If you want a ‘quieter’ existence, the coastal area of Pottuvil is definitely worth a look.
Our next stop is Batticaloa … the post will be up soon … keep posted.
TTFN
