Weligama with a private driver

Weligama Bay is a wide, gently curving bay about 35 kilometres east of Galle, sheltered enough to produce the consistent, manageable beach breaks that have made it one of the best learn-to-surf destinations in Asia. Dozens of surf schools line the beachfront and rental boards are available from LKR 500 an hour; the crowds are good-natured and the shallow sandy bottom is forgiving. Off the water, Weligama's seafood restaurants along the beach road serve exceptionally fresh tuna, crab and prawn, and the town's fish-market morning bustle is worth an early start. The Mirissa whale-watching harbour is about 10 minutes east by car, making Weligama a practical base for combining surfing with a dawn whale-watching trip in season (November to April).