Ahangama - Villa Gaetano is very good for friendly service, great food and cleanliness. The hotel has push-bikes for use by guests which are a great way to explore. It also has a very good position and great sea views. Gamini (to owner) provided us with a special extra service by collecting our surf board from Ngombo at no extra charge. There is a left hand point break in front of Rams Guesthouse close by.

    The Villa Gaetano has been a lovely place to all that the Sri Lankan south coast has to offer. The villa is situated right on the beach with fine swimming and snorkeling in clear water just outside. The place provides a fine vantage point to see the finishing boats heading out at sunset and observe fishing anytime along the surrounding jettys.

Surf conditions can be surveyed from the villa's balconies and several breaks are only a short walk away. Surfing clean, long waves alone or with only one or two other surfers is common. However, the international assemblage of surfers provides pleasant company. The warm, clear water is a treat and breaks are available for all ability levels. Quality surf boards of all shapes are readily and inexpensively available a short walk from the villa as is surf lessons

Buses are readily available just outside to explore the temples, tea factories, markets, beaches, and craft stores that line the south coast. Potential day trip are a challenge to exhaust. A train stop is also nearby for longer trip.

The villa itself is lovely and maintained with care. All the rooms are large and tastefully furnished with Sri Lankan character. The upstairs rooms provide balconies with fine views and sea breeze. The Gaetano family has been welcoming and happy to share information, making the villa all the more pleasant. They speak numerous languages with ease.

Fine food is served under a thatch roof shelter with a view of the sea. A variety of Sri Lankan cuisine is prepared that highlights Sri Lanka 's stunning variety of fruits and vegetables. Most meals incorporate fresh seafood caught by surrounding fisher people. The breakfast, which includes abundant fresh fruit, provides a pleasant start to the day.

It has been wonderful to see how the local communities have industriously recovered from the 2004 tsunami. The foundations of destroyed houses, some temporary houses, and continual carpentry provide reminders of the tsunami's impact. However, to my pleasant surprise, the vegetation seems to have nearly fully recovered and to be as beautiful as ever. The contrast of deep green vegetation and blue sea is lovely. Residents are eager to welcome visitors back to the island and visiting seems to be an ideal way to help complete the tsunami recovery. I highly recommend visiting the Sri Lankan south coast and the Villa Geatano.       

On the surf front Midigama has some quite decent waves in its own right that are within 2km of the guesthouse. You can walk but a tuk-tuk is better and Judy is a laugh when he gets going about the Colombo-Matara bus.

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Plantations is 2km east you can't miss it. Dead easy entry into the water and after a few weeks surfing the 28°C water will start feeling chilly during those dawn sessions. You don't need to be an expert here and it is over a sand rock bottom, the peak hardly shifts.

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You even get a choice of lefts and rights on the main peak and if it looks crowded 100 meters further up the coast is another left which is un-crowded if not un-ridden.

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Just in case you don't like going left there are some rights here as well. The ship is an optional extra and just in case you thought it wasn't crowded his mate wanted to be in the picture as well. Duck diving is not essential but it does help big time.

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Lazy Lefts is at the bridge in Midigama 1km from the guest house. It is beside what is left of Hilton's guest house after the Tsunami. The wave is as it says a lazy wave and can on its day chuck out on the peak but on this occasion I didn't get any pictures of it since I was in there. So here are some empty shots of the wave on a lesser day. It also has a brother which is a right hander 100 yards back towards the guesthouse and can be a long right. One word of note there is a rip at the paddle out which drags you away from the rocks which look the shortest paddle to the peak. Don't worry just don't try to paddle back towards the rocks, head towards the peak and a little to the right of the line up so you stay out of the way during your paddle out.

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Finally Midigama has a wave for the die hard that like fast suck waves that will almost certainly provide cover ups on a daily basis. It has lefts and rights and is known as Rams. Easy access again but gets quite shallow right after the take off. It is a fast wave and does require commitment or you will get nailed by late drops. Probably the least busy of the waves in the area since it is not recommended for beginners.

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A very mellow wave can be found in Welligama and is great for beginners with an easy paddle out even when it gets bigger. On its day will work to double over head but it all depends on the sets. If the set comes in from the left or right as you look out to sea it will work. If it comes into the middle of the bay it will be bigger but tends to close out. This is a beach break and is favoured by long boarders but if you snag any of the bigger waves on a short board well you just can't ask for a more fun wave with long rides to be had. Great place to warm up on your arrival after a long flight and trip down from Colombo . If you drive past the Samura Guest house you have gone too far. It is on the beach side of the guest house.

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Round here crowds are about 10 people; head off to the Rock if you want crowds (behind the Hotel Kabalana which is the other side of Ahangama about 5km away.