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Arugam Bay Resort, located near a fishing village 3 km from the small town of Pottouville, is a great place to relax and is also one of the top ten surfing spots in the world. A huge sandy beach, safe even for inexperienced swimmers, extends to the high rock of Crocodile Rock, where you can often see wild elephants.
Arugam Bay is surrounded by jungle, with lakes and wet wetlands nearby, giving it a special microclimate and low rainfall.
Pottouville Point beach is a surfer’s dream. The only downside of the beach is that there are hardly any shelters, so you need to bring plenty of fresh water for drinking and, if necessary, small tents. In April through October, Arugam Bay has a southeasterly wind from morning to noon, making the best waves for surfers.
The amazing mangroves of Pottouville Lagoon, 2 km from the resort, are perfect for canoe excursions. In addition, there are two national parks in the vicinity of Arguam Bay, perfect as a day trip.
The first, Lahugala, is located 12 km from Pottuville and is famous for its huge elephant population. The second, East Yala, lies 25 km from the resort. Here you can see not only elephants but leopards as well, and the Kumana Bird Sanctuary is nestled at its northern end.
Close to Pottuville Point beach, in the jungle, is the ancient Magul Maha Viharaya temple, over two thousand years old.
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- Tap water: No, not drinkable
- Religious government: Non-religious
- Population: 810,000 people
- GDP: $3,910 / year
- Power outlets: 230V50Hz
- Internet: 9 Mbps
- Best wireless: Dialog
- Pay without cash: No, cash only esp. for foreigners
- Tipping: Rs. 200 tip is enough at most upscale restaurants. Small change less than Rs. 100 is fine for smaller cafes and restaurants. Most locals do not tip at restaurants and a 10% (or an amount relative to the total bill) is not expected as such.
- Apartments: Airbnb
- Hotels: Booking.com
- More hotels: Hotels.com
- Best taxi: Pickme
- Best intl air carrier: Sri Lankan Airlines
- Monthly costs for expat: $180
- Monthly costs for family: $360
- Monthly costs for local: $100
- Meal: $1
- Small Cola: $0.1
- Beer 1 Pint: $0.4
- Coffee: $0.3
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