THE WEST COAST

Kalutara and Wadduwa

There is little evidence of tsunami damage along the beaches in Kalutara North and Wadduwa. All the hotels listed in the guide are now fully restored and operational apart from the Golden Sun, where some minor rebuilding work continues, although otherwise the hotel is open for business as usual.

Significant signs of tsunami damage can still be seen at the southern end of Kalutara beach in the fishing village around the Dugong guesthouse (which is still open, but badly in need of a lick of paint). Many of the houses in the surrounding village remain in ruins, meaning that this area is no longer a comfortable option for casual visitors.

There is also considerable evidence of tsunami damage in Kalutara South, although the only hotel in this area, the Kani, has now been almost completely repaired, bar some minor ongoing rebuilding work.

Beruwala

The hotels along the main stretch of Beruwala beach – between the Lanka Princess and the Neptune – were all inundated by the tsunami, but have now been fully repaired apart from the Neptune, where some rooms remain closed (although otherwise the hotel continues to function normally, and remains the most attractive on this strip).

North of the Neptune, the situation is far more chaotic. A string of large resort hotels including the Barberyn Reef Ayurveda Resort (and four or five others not listed in the guide) are currently closed. The Barberyn was due to reopen on November 23, 2005, although the other hotels along this stretch are likely to remain closed for the foreseable future.

The Ypsylon guesthouse has been completely rebuilt, and now offers smart, modern and very reasonably priced rooms (4x). The Okay and Panorama guesthouses were unaffected.

Aluthgama

The Aluthgama guesthouses all suffered flooding and (in one or two cases) minor structural damage, but are all now fully restored and operational. The Tropical Anushka River Inn has been attractively upgraded, and all rooms now come with a/c and hot water (5x).

Bentota

All the hotels and guesthouses listed in the guide are now fully restored and operational apart from Club Bentota, which is scheduled to reopen in December. The adjacent Confifi Marina dive school and watersports centre is also closed until at least December.

The Diving the Snake dive school was completely destroyed and is now operating out of the nearby Ceysands hotel.

The Bentota Sea Turtles Project was also badly affected. The project lost virtually its entire stock of turtles, and suffered major damage to its premises and holding tanks. It receives no government funding, and desperately needs visitors to help re-establish its breeding programme. The entrance fee is now Rs.200, and donations are gratefully accepted.

Samman Villas has been beautifully refurbished and upgraded and now offers top-notch facilities, including a stunning new spa, from around $250 per suite per night.

Induruwa

Induruwa suffered relatively little tsunami damage, and all the hotels and guesthouses listed in the guide remain fully operational. The Emerald Bay Hotel had been given a major overhaul and upgrade, with very smart minimalist rooms (7x).

In addition to the places listed in the guide, two excellent new places to stay have opened along Induruwa beach. The Royal Beach Resort offers pleasant modern rooms in an engagingly kitsch hotel designed by personable English owner Mohammed. A short distance to the south, Shunyata Villa is a beautiful and extremely tranquil new boutique guesthouse with serene white rooms, a homely little ayurveda centre and a small pool – one of the west coast’s best bargains at current rates.

Kosgoda and Ahungalla

The Triton Hotel in Ahungalla is currently closed, but is scheduled to reopen on 15 January 2006.

The Kosgoda Beach Resort was destroyed by the tsunami but has now been rebuilt to more upmarket standards, with accommodation in individual chalets equipped with all mod cons for around $200 per night.

The Kosgoda turtle hatchery, like the one at Bentota, suffered severe tsunami damage and lost most of its stock, and badly needs visitors to help it get back on its feet, since it receives no other funding.

Ambalangoda

Tsunami damage at Ambalangoda was severe, and many houses along the seafront remain in ruins. The three places to stay in Ambalangoda town listed in the guide remain fully operational, however, although the Rest House is showing increasing signs of wear and tear, and is now best avoided.

Hikkaduwa

The coastline north of Hikkaduwa shows the most obvious and catastrophic signs of tsunami damage anywhere along the west coast, with mile after mile of shattered houses dotted with temporary wooden huts in which many of the local people continue to live. A few kilometres north of Hikkaduwa, the village of Peraliya has become famous as the site of the railway accident in which a crowded train, the Queen of the South, was washed away by the tsunami, killing well over a thousand people – the world’s worst-ever railway disaster, and a potent symbol of the tsunami’s terrible destructive power. Three of the train’s shattered carriages have been left in situ and now serve as a kind of memorial to the event; visitors are requested to make a donation (Rs.250 or Rs.500) towards the rebuilding of the surrounding houses – money which is desperately needed, given the apparent obliviousness of the government to the villagers’ plight. Nowhere else in western or southern Sri Lanka will you get as immediate and overwhelming sense of the tsunami’s terrible destructiveness and power.

By contrast, rebuilding in Hikkaduwa itself has been largely swift and thorough – the tsunami has paradoxically led to a general rise in accommodation standards here, as guesthouses and hotels have taken the opportunity to upgrade their properties in a belated attempt to restore the town’s rapidly fading fortunes. Established guesthouses such as Ranmals and Rita’s have now gone more upmarket, while Neela’s has also been given a thorough makeover, though without too much of a price hike – the best budget option in town at present. Other properties have yet to reopen, however. The Ozone guesthouse is now closed, perhaps permanently. Rebuilding work is still underway at The Pearl (some rooms already open) and Sun Beach (scheduled to reopen beginning of December). All the other places to stay listed in the guide are now fully operational.

Hikkaduwa’s new upmarket pretensions are embodied by the attractive new Amaya Reef hotel (091 438 3244, www.amayaresorts.com; 7x), whose sweeping ochre facade and gorgeously appointed rooms offer a touch of style and luxury previously lacking anywhere in town – and at a very reasonable price. There’s a good restaurant too, worth a visit even if you’re not staying at the hotel.

Eating elsewhere in Hikkaduwa remains rather hit and miss, although all the restaurants listed in the guide remain operational apart from Spaghetti & Co., which is currently being rebuilt.

Aqua Tours and Scuba Safaris dive schools are both currently closed.

Hikkaduwa’s Coral Gardens suffered only minor damage in the tsunami as the result of boats being dragged across the coral.

THE SOUTH COAST

Galle

Galle Fort was protected by its old Dutch ramparts from the worst of the tsunami and suffered only minor flooding – the only casualty was the moribund National Maritime Museum, which was inundated by the floodwaters and is unlikely to reopen. All the guesthouses listed in the guide remain fully operational apart from Rampart House and the Royal Dutch House, both of which have now closed permanently (though for business- rather than tsunami-related reasons).

In addition to the places listed in the guide, two outstanding new hotels have recently opened in the Fort. The Amangalla hotel (091 223 3388, www.amanresorts.com) occupies the premises of the former New Oriental, Galle’s most famous colonial hotel, and has remained extremely faithful to that famous old establishment’s decor and style, with sensitively updated rooms and facilities which manage to discretely combine olde-worlde charm with the last word in contemporary luxury – a beautiful place, although with room rates from $550 per night and up, one which sadly few visitors will be able to experience. The equally appealling but rather more affordable Galle Fort Hotel, at 28 Church Street (091 223 2870, www.galleforthotel.com), occupies a spectacularly converted old Dutch warehouse, with twelve enormous rooms, bags of colonial character and superb (mainly Southeast Asian-style) food. Rooms start at around $200 per night.

The new town was much more badly affected by the tsunami, and significant damage can still be seen all along the waterfront, while the cricket ground remains out of use for the foreseable future. All the places to stay listed in the guide were completely unaffected, however, being protected by their setting on a hill above the harbour from the effects of the tsunami.

Unawatuna

Unawatuna was very badly hit by the tsunami, and parts of the village are still a mess, with extensive rebuilding work continuing. Despite the upheaval, however, Unawatuna retains much of its unique charm and is still arguably the most attractive beach destination in Sri Lanka.

All the guesthouses listed in the guide are now fully restored and operational apart from Saffron and Three Fishes, neither of which is likely to reopen for the foreseeable future. The Village (one of several guesthouses along the south coast being rebuilt with funds donated by Rough Guides’ parent company Pearson) is currently being reconstructed and is scheduled to reopen by the end of the year. Two attractive new beachfront establishments have also recently opened – La Tartaruga (091 224 7292, www.latartarugaresort.itgo.com; 4x–5x) and the more reasonably priced Full Moon Resort (077 9095426; 2x–3x) – both Italian owned, with pleasant beachfront restaurants and comfortable rooms in functional, cheerily painted modern blocks.

Blue Fin tours and Vista Travel Agency are now both closed.

Dalawela and Koggala

All the places to stay listed in the guide are now fully operational. Perhaps the best place to stay hereabouts, however, is now the newly revamped Wijaya Beach (091 228 3610, www.wijayabeach.com; 4x), just down the road from Sri Gemunu, a sociable but laid-back beachfront place popular with Galle-based expats which offers comfortable and reasonably priced rooms, sheltered swimming and interesting guided bike rides into the countryside inland.

Midigama

The stretch of coast between Koggala and Midigama shows perhaps the worst signs of tsunami damage of anywhere along the south coast outside Hambantota, with large swathes of ruined houses and many people still living in temporary wooden huts or tents.

Midigama itself suffered severe tsunami damage, though all the places listed in the guide have now reopened. Villa Gaetano remains the nicest hotel along this stretch of coast.

Weligama

Weligama also suffered significant damage, some of which is still visible along the waterfront. Many incongruous modern two-storey houses are now being built along the main road on the east side of town for those who lost their homes in the tsunami. Tsunami damage around the town centre and the western end of the bay has now been largely patched up.

Three of the places to stay listed in the guide are currently closed. Raja’s Guesthouse was destroyed by the tsunami, while Bay View has also closed. Angel guesthouse is currently being converted into an ayurveda resort. All other places listed in the guide are now fully repaired and operational.

Mirissa

Again, suffered significant damage. Partially destroyed houses still dot the village, while considerable amounts of rubble remain scattered along the back of the beach, although despite this the village remains an attractive spot, and one of the nicest places along the south coast.

Two hotels listed in the guide currently remain closed. Girigala Village is currently being rebuilt to more upmarket standards, while Paradise Beach Club remains shut, and may not reopen. All other places listed in the guide are now fully repaired and operational.

Matara

Mayura and the Rest House were both destroyed by the tsunami (though the latter is scheduled to be rebuilt by the end of 2006), meaning that at present the only decent place to stay in the town itself is Brown’s Beach. The tsunami also destroyed many houses in the historic Dutch Fort district – a serious blow to this fascinating area which even before the tsunami was suffering from the effects of long-term neglect and insensitive rebuilding. Siginificant amounts of rubble also still remain scattered along the beachfront.

Polhena

Further severe damage. TK Green Garden has now been completely rebuilt, while reconstruction work continues at Sunil’s Guesthouse (due for completion by the end of 2005). Polhena Reef has also been patched up, with further plans to upgrade to four-star standard by the end of 2006. Sunny Lanka guesthouse was unaffected. The beach itself remains relatively clean and rubble-free.

Tangalla

North of Tangalla, Medilla beach was completely devastated by the tsunami. Nature Resort, Ibis Bungalows and Ganesh Gardens were all destroyed, along with the Let’s Dive dive school.

Further south, Medaketiya beach was less badly affected, and all the places listed in the guide remain fully operational, apart from the Mahashika restaurant, while a number of other places have opened or been upgraded in the last couple of years – try Wavy Ocean Hotel, Kingfisher Guest House or Anila Beach Inn (all 1x–2x), all of which have clean and good-value modern rooms along the main oceanfront road. Tsunami damage along the beach remains considerable, however, and the entire village remains rather forlorn.

South of Tangalla town, all the hotels and guesthouses listed in the guide in Pallikaduwa and Goyambokka remain fully operational, having been protected by their elevation above the beach from the ravages of the tsunami. The more southerly of the two Tourist Guest Houses (letter I on map) has now been renamed the Nugasewana Eden Guest House, but otherwise remains largely unchanged. Calm Garden Cabanas has now become wildly overpriced and can no longer be recommended.

Goyambakka’s Godellawella beach (or "Silent Beach", as it’s generally known), formerly one of the south’s most pristine and beautiful beaches, has now been taken over by the superb new Amanwella hotel (www.amanresorts.com), an utterly captivating creation whose stylishly understated and low-impact design offers a model of how all beach hotels in Sri Lanka should be done – though with rooms rates from $700 per night, it’s sadly likely to be beyond the means of all but a few visitors to the island.

Rekawa

Nightly turtle watches continue on the beach as before.

Hambantota

Hambantota was one of the worst affected towns in the whole of Sri Lanka, and much of the town was flattened. The Peacock hotel is closed, and no reopening date is currently available. Further along the coast, the Oasis hotel is open as usual.

Yala

The Yala Safari Game Lodge was completely destroyed, with substantial loss of life. There are plans to rebuild the hotel on a new site, thought nothing has been finalized as yet.

Yala National Park reopened soon after the tsunami and suffered only very slight damage. Amazingly, hardly a single animal was killed in the park.

THE EAST COAST

Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay was perhaps the tourist destination most affected by the tsunami – no less than five giant waves hit the shore here, destroying most of the village. The good news is that visitors are now returning, and a number of guesthouses in the village have reopened their doors. The three nicest places in the village are all now back in business. The Stardust was more or less destroyed, and its Danish owner, Per Goodman, killed, though his wife has now rebuilt a section of the hotel (6x) and is once again open for business. The Siam View Beach Hotel was also largely destroyed, but has also now been rebuilt. Lying slightly inland, Hideaway escaped with relatively less damage, and stayed open throughout the months following the tsunami.

Uppaveli and Nilaveli

Both beaches were heavily damaged though, as at Arugam Bay, things are slowly getting back to normal. Of the two large resort hotels here, Club Oceanic is currently open, while the Nilaweli Beach Hotel is due to reopen on 5 December 2005. The long-established Pragash French Garden is also now open again – as one would expect of a place which somehow stayed in business through two decades of civil war. The Diving the Snake dive school here is also operational as usual.