Activities Sri Lanka - Nature, Wildlife and Yoga

Yoga

At the surf camp in Sri Lanka you can enjoy yoga sessions, every weekday, under the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher. The hour-long classes take you through a variety of different yoga positions, breathing exercises and meditation techniques. Yoga is a great complementary exercise practise to surfing, as well as of course being very beneficial as a stand-alone activity. Yoga classes can be signed up to in camp, and are suitable for everyone, no matter what their previous experience. Improve your flexibility, strength, and balance through regular yoga practise at the camp.

Fitness

If you wish to train out of the water too, there is fitness equipment in camp free to use. The TRX training device allows you to work out your full body, using your body weigh alone. You can also use it to target specific muscle groups and to refine specific surf movements outside of the water.

The camp is also home to a balance board and slackline, which are great for improving your balance.

Massages

At Secret Root Spa, the local spa to the surf camp, you can enjoy both sports massages, to target any surfing-related aches, and traditional Ayurvedic massages. In fact, there’s a wide range of massage and treatments options available. A half hour massage is available from 1500LKR and an hour 25000LKR.

National Parks

Sri Lanka is home to several breath-taking national parks, with a diverse array of wildlife.

Udawalawe National Park is situated a 2.5 hour drive North East of the Surf Camp. It is well-known for the high numbers of elephants it’s home to. Various other species including buffalo, boars, many water birds, and a few leopards too also reside in Udawalawe National Park.

The National Park of Yala is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest national parks and is renowned for the great number of different species that inhabit it. What’s more, Yala National Park has one of the highest leopard densities on Earth. Yala National Park is just over 2.5 hours East along the coast from the Surf Camp.

Sinharaja National Park is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. The park is famed for its immense biodiversity. Sinharaja National Park is around 2.5 hours drive North of the Surf Camp.

Towns

The village of Ella is just under 4 hour’s drive away and is a popular place to visit. Ella is elevated in the mountains, over 1000m above sea level, and is surrounded by tea plantations. Take a walk through the plantations, around the waterfalls and temples, and experience some truly stunning views.

The Sacred City of Kandy, frequently known as Senkadagalapura, was the final capital of the Sinhala Kings of Sri Lanka. The Temple of the Tooth Relic, where one of Buddha’s left canine teeth is situated, is in Kandy. Thus, Kandy is a very important place of Buddhist worship. Kandy is also a UNESCO world heritage site. Kandy can be reached from the Surf Camp in just over 5 hours.

An hour’s drive away from the surf camp is the city of Galle. Galle is also a UNESCO world heritage site, and is home to Galle Fortress, the largest remaining European fortress in Asia.

The city of Matara is around an hour away from the surf camp. Through the city flows the river Nilwala. Matara is well-known for its architecture and forts.

Temples and Pilgrimage Sites

Adam’s Peak, also known as Butterfly Mountain, is a mountain in central Sri Lanka that stands at over 2,000m tall. However, the mountain is famous not for its height but its religious significance. There is a formation of rocks at the peak of the mountain called the Sri Pada. The Sri Pada, or ‘’Sacred footprint’’, in Buddhism is said to be the footprint of Buddha, in Hinduism the footprint of Shiva, and in both the religions of Islam and Christianity, the footprint of Adam.

In closer proximity to the surf camp there are other temples and pilgrimage sites. Several of these are in walking distance of the surf camp.