We nearly skipped Hiriketiya. After two months in Sri Lanka it is the place we would spend more time in, and we still call it the most underrated beach town in the country.
It is a tiny horseshoe bay with a surf break, a handful of streets you can walk end to end, and a proper community of surfers, yogis, locals and long termers where everyone seems to know everyone. Tijs called it the most magical place he has been in the last ten years, and said he could live there forever.
We have been twice now, and both times we got a few things wrong. These are the ones worth knowing before you book.
Five things that caught us out
1Four days was nowhere near enough
On our first Sri Lanka trip we gave Hiriketiya four days and Unawatuna ten. Next time we would swap that around. The second time we stayed five days and still felt we had only scratched the surface.
If you are on a two week trip, give it at least three nights, and more if you can. It is the place on the south coast we never wanted to leave.
2You have to book dinner, even in the off season
The restaurants here are small and the good ones book out. We tried to book Raa a week ahead in May, which is not even peak season, and almost missed out. From January to March, book about two weeks ahead.
It is worth the effort. Raa sits right on the cove, so you eat watching the surfers. Ask for the steps and book the sitting just before sunset, and order the pork curry and the pumpkin curry. That pumpkin curry is chef's kiss, and for what you get it is really affordable.
When we priced it in February 2026, a local meal ran about 5 to 8 US dollars and a nice meal out 15 to 25.
3There is no proper gym
This one hurt. There is no good gym in Hiri, and we said so publicly: someone please open one. There are a couple around, including an older one upstairs near Dickwella beach and an outdoor jungle gym where every single weight is made of wood. It is great for calisthenics and not much else.
So we got creative. On the first trip a room with some dumbbells became our gym, and it cost about 2.50 dollars. On the second we did Muay Thai on the beach, and from our villa in the hills we walked into town, an hour and ten minutes each way. That walk netted us about 20,000 steps, which we used to offset all the eating. Go early in the morning. We tried it once in the afternoon heat and never again.
4The wifi will not carry a work day
Wifi is hit and miss everywhere on this coast. On our second trip we worked from Pranaya because it was the only place we found with Starlink, and it was a godsend. If you need to get real work done, plan your days around it.
5We made the masseur too famous
Abbey had the best massage of her life at The Massage Shed, a 60 minute deep tissue with a therapist called Iresh. Tijs went back to him and came out calling it a spiritual experience.
Then we posted about him on Instagram, and now he is booked out. If you want him, book ahead. When we ran into him on the street on our second trip, Tijs did not recognise his face. Only his hands.
The bits we would keep exactly the same
Hoppers for breakfast. On our first trip Abbey met a woman called Lou through TikTok. Lou had travelled to Hiriketiya, fallen for a local called Duni and stayed, and he opened Duni's Hoppers. It started about seven years ago, before the town took off, and it is one of the best meals of our whole month in Sri Lanka. Go early because it fills up, and know it closes for the season from around the end of May until December.
One proper rice and curry. Most of the town leans western, so for a traditional feed we go to Kingsley Hot Kitchen. They bring the fish, the curries and the rice to you, then give you free dessert, roti with Nutella. Book ahead of time.
The gelato. Isle of Gelato is Tijs's favourite ice cream in Sri Lanka, three scoops in a cup, and the Holy Grail flavour is the one. It is also where we were recognised by strangers for the very first time, which was weird.
Watching the surf. The break is a left hander for the bigger waves, with beginners on the right, and nobody fights for waves. We ran out of time to learn, but parking yourself on the beach and watching the surfers all day is one of the best things to do here.
So, is it worth the drive?
Yes. Fly into Colombo and drive down, about four hours. We used a private driver who charged us Uber prices. Once you are there you can walk everywhere, and tuk tuks are on PickMe and Uber for anything further.
On timing, December to April is the busiest season with the best weather and people fighting for sunbeds. We think March to May is the sweet spot, April and May especially. In May we had a couple of rainy days where it poured for an hour, then turned to sunshine. One more thing: we have heard someone is building a five storey nightclub on the main strip. Go before the town changes.
Abbey & Tijs