Located almost at the southernmost tip of Sri Lanka is Mirissa. This coastal town is full of photogenic beaches, marine life and chilled out vibe. Ofcourse lot of surf places, beautiful mountains to climb and fascinating coastal roads to drive around, this is definitely a place on everyones to do list while in the Island nation.

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Known to be one of the best places in the world for whale watching, the whales start migrating from the Bay of Bengal around the coast of Sri Lanka to the Arabian Sea. Best time to have glimpse of them in Mirissa is from Jan to April.

We did see couple of Sperm whales and a whale shark as well…. also a pod of Dolphins. Ferry left the jetty around 6 am, until afternoon you will be cruising in the ocean looking for these magnificent gentle gaints. This was my first time seeing these gaints and it was indeed an experience.

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Mirissa is not complete without a stroll on the beach, climbing the beautiful Parrot rock set across the tranquil blue waters.  Parrot Rock is a small rock island by itself about 50 feet away. You need to walk a bit in the water and then reach the bottom of this piece of rock from where you can climb up. I went there during sunrise, it was calm and not crowded.

Ahangama is another small town next to Mirissa. The landscapes of Ahangama, along with its fame for surfing make it what it is today. It is far less crowded compared to Mirissa and has a perfect laid back feel. If you want to have a quieter holiday with some amazing landscape then this is your place.

The coastal drive around Ahangama is beautiful with beaches on one side and the village on the other. You can stop by some small local eateries to try some authentic Srilankan food.

Also not to miss the local fishermen in action called doing “Stlit fishing”. Unique to the island stilt fishing is a traditional method of fishing where the fisherman sits on an elevated pole to fish. It’s definitely a sight to see them fishing. You can see them all along this coast fishing.

These waters has decent visibility and attract lots of travellers to do dive and snorkel here. The coral reefs are also good but I preferred Unawatuna personally to Mirissa for diving. Because the dive shops were just on the beach more relaxed although reef diving was same but Unawatuna has some amazing ship wreck dives.

Nightlife in Mirissa is very happening. Starting from cafe, resto and some hippy places as well. I stayed in a hostel called why not backpackers, it’s very happening and there is theme based evenings which is not to be missed…. You will meet a lot of people here for sure if staying around this place…. Street foods you find them in plenty around this area…

I did try surfing here, took up 6 lessons in RDS surf school in Ahangama. They were brilliant with amazing instructors…. after your lessons you get to sit on the deck with a great view of the ocean along with a complimentary tender coconut….