After an hour’s taxi ride, we arrived at our final destination in Sri Lanka—Weligama, another beach town. Surprisingly, even though it’s only an hour further along the same coast, it feels much hotter here. The weather app claims it’s 29°C with a ‘feels like’ temperature of 33°C, but my personal ‘feels like’ is closer to 40°C. We tried to cool off with a shower when we arrived, but the humidity is so intense that we didn’t even dry properly.
After our unsuccessful attempt to cool off in the shower, we headed out for lunch before quickly retreating back to the shade and fans of the hostel. Unfortunately, the air conditioning is only turned on between 5 PM and 9 AM—probably a wise decision, or I might never leave the dorm again.
We made good use of the rest of our afternoon staying in the shade by planning our route through the Philippines. Then, at 5 PM, we joined the hostel’s evening activity—a walk to Coconut Hill for sunset. Getting there involved taking the local bus, which is always an experience. It feels like a nightclub on wheels, driven by a getaway driver, but at only 26p a ride, it’s hard to complain!
The sunset itself was brief, lasting only a few minutes. Unfortunately, Grace was at the bar grabbing us cocktails at that exact moment, but she didn’t miss much—it was still lovely to watch the horizon as the sun faded while chatting with others from the hostel.
Once it was dark, we took the same route back and grabbed some takeaway noodles & rice on the way. We all sat eating and chatting on the balcony, enjoying the warm evening. Around 11 PM, most of the group headed out clubbing, but Grace had an early morning dive, and I… well, I didn’t have an excuse—I’m just old and boring. Instead, we stayed back at the hostel with the other over-28s, having a nice evening complaining about Zoomers and how backpacking isn’t what it used to be. Fully embracing our old-age energy!
The next two days followed a similar pattern—beach during the day, then relaxing and socializing at the hostel in the evening. We spent time watching the surfers ride the waves and the crabs meticulously rolling their little balls of sand, just enjoying the laid-back vibe.
We also ventured into town in search of sunscreen but had no luck. The Western brands were ridiculously priced at £30-40 for a 250ml bottle, while the more affordable local options all contained skin-whitening ingredients—not exactly ideal. So, for now, we’ll just be sticking to the shade!
Weligama has a lot of Western food options, so we took a break from rice and curry and treated ourselves to some shawarma and tacos. The tacos turned out to be more of a fun fusion—made with a roti instead of a tortilla, spiced Sri Lankan-style but topped with pico de gallo and a squeeze of lemon juice. Bloody delicious.
Although all our food experimentation was going well, it backfired—quite literally—on Grace when she let out a fart on the beach and, well… it turned into a shart.
We had made it so close to the end of our time in Sri Lanka without getting sick and thought we were in the clear. Should’ve known tacos would be our downfall… especially when bought from a beachside truck in 33°C heat!
Thankfully, Grace was feeling better the next morning. It was overcast and cloudy, which you might think is a shame, but honestly, it was great news—it meant we weren’t melting in the heat. So, we took full advantage of the cooler weather and hopped on the hour-long bus to Galle.
Galle is a town nestled inside a massive old Dutch fort—beautiful, quaint, and completely different from anywhere else we had been in Sri Lanka. The colonial architecture gave it a unique charm, so we decided to hire a guide to show us around and share the history.
He was fantastic, pointing out details we would’ve never noticed on our own—like how the locks on the windows were built for Dutch heights rather than Sri Lankan, how the original wood still looks brand new thanks to the oils used to maintain it, and how the fort walls are made of porous coral, which acts as a natural insulator.
Beyond the fort itself, he also shared fascinating insights about Sri Lanka’s history, including the origins of its name—”Sri Lanka” means “Resplendent Island.” He spoke about his own life growing up in the country, his experiences during the civil war, and Sri Lanka’s relationship with India. He even told us about witnessing the devastation of the 2004 tsunami.
One of the most eye-opening parts of the tour was his honesty about the country’s struggles, like the treatment of elephants and ongoing efforts to improve it. He also shared a shocking statistic—eight people die in traffic accidents here every day! Apparently, the government has been cracking down on drunk driving, but this has led to an unintended consequence: an increase in bus drivers using meth, since it’s not detectable in breath tests and helps them stay awake to drive longer and earn more money. A pretty terrifying thought as we were going to be taking the bus back!
Honestly, it was such a lovely morning just strolling around and soaking in the town’s charm. After our guided tour wrapped up, we kept exploring on our own, taking our time to wander the streets. We picked up some postcards, wrote them out, and hoped to send them from Sri Lanka’s first-ever post office—only to find out it was closed for repairs.
Instead, we had to use the “temporary” post office, which, as it turns out, has been in use for over seven years… so maybe not so temporary after all.
After posting our letters, we decided to browse some of the many jewelry shops in town—just for a bit of window shopping, of course. But, as expected, I didn’t leave empty-handed! I ended up with a whole new set of jewelry—two rings, a necklace, and a pair of earrings. They were all so beautiful and surprisingly affordable, so how could I resist? Now I just have to hope they make it back to the UK with me and don’t end up lost or stolen along the way!
It was a lovely day and a perfect way to spend our last day in Sri Lanka. My only regret was being fooled by the clouds and slightly cooler temperatures—I ended up a little sunburnt. In the evening, we treated ourselves to one final rice and curry meal, a delicious way to end our time in Sri Lanka.
We’re definitely going to miss Sri Lanka—with its nightclub buses, bread vans blasting Für Elise, and incredibly friendly locals. But we’re also super excited to explore country number three of our trip: the Philippines! I’ll tell you all about it soon.
Love Alice x