Hikkaduwa is Sri Lanka’s best- known beach resort, and is extremely popular with everyone ranging from backpackers to the more sophisticated lot. The town’s got lots of good beaches, cafés and snack bars, so whether you’re interested in just lazing about and gorging yourself on good food, or you’d prefer snorkelling, swimming, scuba diving or surfing- there’s something to do. Hikkaduwa even has a 'Coral Sanctuary’, which you can visit in a glass-bottomed boat. Other than these, there’s not much to see, except a few relatively insignificant temples and monasteries on the outskirts of the town.

Just 98 km south of Colombo, Hikkaduwa can be reached by rented car, bus, train or taxi. Within Hikkaduwa, there’s no problem about transport- there are taxis, and you can also hire a motorbike or a bicycle and get around on your own. Hikkaduwa’s got a pretty wide range of places to stay- and nearly all of them are along the main road, so it’s easy to take your pick.