Top 5 Things in South Sri Lanka this Season

• Galle Literary Festival (and Gourmet Galle) 

• February 6th — 9th 2025

Launched in 2007, the Galle Literary Festival bounced back last year (after a covid hiatus) to bring incredible international writers and chefs to south Sri Lanka from 6th to 9th February to give talks, host debates and offer masterclasses. All hosted in a variety of fantastic hotels, villas and spaces around the Galle area. We hosted an event last season with our pal Sam Bleakley.

The current organisers also run the best bookshop in the area, Wild & The Sage, with a great cafe and regular arts events like weekend Pottery Workshops.

• Ecstatic Dance at Senses 

• Every Friday — 5pm

A stone cold sober rave every week. This would have been an anathema to me when I was mining the disco-coal face back in the 90s. But the no phones, no substances, freedom of expression and unashamed abandonment happening every week, just down the road from us, has really created a vibe. Go and see what all the fuss is about.

• The Good Parties 

• Weekly

There’s a lot of parties around this once sleepy area. It’s all a bit much for us, although we are still a little bit partial to a good one. These are the one’s worth checking if you are good at staying up past 9 o’clock:

1. Trax, Ahangama. Friday & Saturday. Beautiful indoor/outdoor venue. Properly curated DJs, bands, food & cocktails. The only place with a real ‘club’ feel to it.
2. The Doctors House, Madiya - Wednesday & Saturday. Wildly, popular, festival atmosphere with a young crowd in a beautiful old doctor's house. 
3. Saturday Socials at Hotel De Uncles, Ahangama. A Colombo institution, Hotel de Uncles moved to the beach a few years ago. Authentic Sri Lankan regional food with a twist and a real community feel.
4. Ceylon Sliders, Ahangama. Ahangama’s Saturday evening hotspot, before you head either home or out for some late night business.
5. Sunday Sessions at Canteen by Soul & Surf. We’re mixing our relaxed sunday afternoon/evening sessions up a bit this year, adding a Caribbean BBQ & tunes night, a family and local community gathering alongside our regular Sunday balearic, disco, soulful sunday vibes.

• Turtles Nesting

• From Jan — March.

Not exactly an event. By all accounts the turtles would be doing it even if tourists were not captivated by it.

The miles of almost empty beaches from Koggala up to Galle with reef-enclosed lagoons make the perfect nesting grounds for Green, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, and Leatherback turtles.

There are some turtle sanctuaries that do a good job of protecting the hatchlings. But beware there are some just doing it for a quick buck. So be aware and apply your own moral compass.

The turtles don’t mind just rocking up on any old beach and laying their eggs, even if it smack-bang in the middle of a beach club. But please, keep your distance, let them do their thing and never touch them.

• The Cove Surf Jam at Soul & Surf/Canteen

• February 1st — 2nd 2025

Maybe we shouldn’t include one of our own events, but this one is a real joint community effort so what-the-heck. It was so many local’s and tourist’s highlight of last season.

A non-serious celebration of surf, community and the creative lifestyles that surround it.

Longboard plus Single, Twin & Mids surf jams, expression sessions, music, food, talks & films.

Oh, and we’re adding some specialist retreats either side of the event. Find out more here.