The south coast beyond Galle is a different Sri Lanka. The resorts thin out, the roads slow down, and the bays — Tangalle's wide lagoon arc, the horseshoe of Hiriketiya, the moonlit turtle beach at Rekawa — feel genuinely undiscovered. This six-day loop is built for two people who want to do nothing in particular, very well.
Mornings are for the beach. Afternoons stretch into boat rides through mangroves and temple climbs through boulders. Evenings end with a table on sand and whatever came off the boat that day.
Rekawa turtle nesting beach
Hiriketiya horseshoe bay
Tangalle lagoon boat safari
Mulkirigala Rock Temple
Hummanaya blowhole
Surf lessons for beginners
Rekawa mangrove boat ride
Private beach dinners
Day by day
Your 6-day itinerary
Tap any day to expand. Accommodation shown is a sample — we'll match your stay to your budget and style.
🚐 Journey
Drive south from Colombo on the Southern Expressway — Sri Lanka's fastest road. Exit at Hambantota and follow the coast road west into Tangalle.
⏱ Duration
Approximately 3.5 hours
👁 Afternoon
- Arrive Tangalle — check in and breathe out
- Late afternoon walk along Tangalle's curved main beach 🏖️
- Tangalle lagoon at sunset — egrets, small fishing boats, still water
- Dinner at a beachside restaurant — fresh cuttlefish and king prawns
🌙 Overnight
Tangalle
Sample accommodation
Amanwella
🌅 Morning
Slow breakfast. Tangalle main beach for swimming — the bay is sheltered and calm, unlike the exposed surf beaches further west.
🌊 Afternoon
- Drive east to Medilla beach — a long, quiet arc rarely visited by tourists
- Hummanaya Blowhole (~30 min east of Tangalle) — one of the largest in Asia, best at high tide 💦
🐢 Evening
- Rekawa turtle nesting beach — guided night watch with the Rekawa Conservation Project
- Five species of marine turtle nest here: green, leatherback, olive ridley, hawksbill, loggerhead
- Strict no-flash protocol; lanterns only — an extraordinary, intimate experience
- Seasonal: Oct–Apr peak nesting months
🌙 Overnight
Tangalle
Sample accommodation
Amanwella
🛶 Morning
- Early morning boat safari on Rekawa lagoon — best light and calmest water before 8am
- Glide through dense mangrove channels with a local boatman
- Mugger crocodiles on sandbanks, water monitors, kingfishers, painted storks 🐊
- A profoundly quiet, slow experience — no engines after 500m into the lagoon
🍛 Afternoon
- Optional: hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class with a local family in Tangalle town
- Or simply: beach, hammock, novel
🌙 Overnight
Tangalle
Sample accommodation
Amanwella
🚐 Journey
Short drive west (~30 min) to Hiriketiya — a deep, horseshoe-shaped bay that wraps around a consistent left-hand wave. The most photogenic bay on the south coast.
🏄 Activity
- Surf lesson with a local instructor — Hiriketiya's mellow wave is perfect for beginners 🏄
- The bay is small enough that you can watch each other from the sand
- Snorkelling on the rocky headlands at either end of the bay
- Afternoon: explore Dickwella town — local market, juice stalls, the real south coast
🌙 Overnight
Hiriketiya
Sample accommodation
Dots Bay House
🌅 Morning
Second morning in the water — surf or snorkel. The bay faces south-west so morning light is soft and golden on the sand.
🛕 Afternoon
- Mulkirigala Rock Temple — a dramatic Buddhist cave monastery carved into a granite boulder 200m above the plains (~20 min inland)
- Five levels of painted cave temples, resident monks, panoramic views across the dry zone 🏔️
- Far less visited than Dambulla — you may have it almost to yourselves
🌇 Evening
- Talalla beach (~10 min west) for sunset — a long empty arc facing directly into the setting sun
- Dinner back at Hiriketiya — the bay has several excellent small restaurants on the sand
🌙 Overnight
Hiriketiya
Sample accommodation
Dots Bay House
🌅 Morning
Last swim. Breakfast at the bay. No rush — we'll time the departure to your flight.
🐢 Optional stop
Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery (on the coastal road north, ~2.5 hrs from Hiriketiya) — watch hatchlings being released into the surf at dusk. Worth the timing if your flight allows.
🚐 Transfer
Private transfer to Bandaranaike International Airport. Approximately 4 hours from Hiriketiya, or 3.5 hours via the Southern Expressway from Matara.
What's included
- All accommodation (5 nights)
- Private air-conditioned vehicle throughout
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All transfers including airport
- Rekawa lagoon boat safari
- Rekawa turtle watch (with conservation guide)
- Surf lesson at Hiriketiya
- Daily breakfast
- 24/7 support from Kandy studio
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches and dinners (unless noted)
- Travel insurance
- Optional activities (cookery class, snorkelling gear hire)
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Sri Lanka visa fee (currently $20 USD)