Surf N Sun - Arugam Bay

The place is as if torn from the middle of the jungle and positioned near the beach.. As soon as you pass the entrance, you enter a world full of stories and spirituality. The place is ideal for meditation, everything around you is made to calm you, both physically and spiritually.. Besides the atmosphere, the cabins are very spacious (we stayed in the Sun Goddess villa), offering enough space for 4 people, arranged on two levels. The beds are comfortable and large, the bathroom is super spacious and there is also a relaxation area upstairs (if you don't want the world to see you) or a terrace in front of the cabin. The food is very very good, made on the spot and even if you wait a little longer for it, I tell you it's worth it. Our congratulations to the chef, but also to the staff. And let's not forget, they have the best coffee I've had in Sri Lanka!!! I recommend it to everyone who wants a quiet and energetic place.

Okay, let's talk about the good bits first. This place is stunning. It's a little oasis in the middle of busy and noisy Arugam Bay. 10/10 for ambience, landscaping and gardens. Likewise, 10/10 for most of the staff who are kind, efficient and aim to please. And our room - Villa Rama – was excellent. But it would want to be at $335 AUD per night. And don't even think about breakfast being included. That’s extra and it’s a lot extra. You can get a cheaper and very basic room at SnS, but it does not come with air-conditioning – and it’s still not cheap by Arugam Bay standards. Food prices are also over the top, so we didn't eat any meals at SnS. And we weren’t the only ones who opted to eat elsewhere. Even though it was a full house, there were very few people eating at SnS at any time of the day or night. It was strangely quiet in a place that should have had a real buzz. Room for improvement: 1) When we arrived, there were tradesmen on our roof installing a solar hot water system. No-one informed us there would be building noise all day other than the tradesmen themselves. 2) Our wardrobe hanging rod was broken by previous guests. We informed front desk, but they didn’t seem interested in fixing it. As were staying for a week, it became annoying to have to hang clothes over furniture. 3) We had two nights of being kept awake by the guests next door who partied all night. Informed the front desk next morning (it is closed at night) that we had very little sleep and asked them to investigate where the noise was coming from. Nothing was done about it. The next night we had to deal with the culprits ourselves. 4) The front desk was often closed if personnel were away or off duty (it's meant to be open from 8.30 am - 10 pm) and when that happened the place seemed to grind to a halt. 5) On the day we checked out as planned at 9am, the office was unmanned, and we were left waiting for at least half an hour while the bar staff frantically made calls to find somebody who could do the paperwork. Ultimately, it was agreed we would pay the balance later because nobody could be found to operate the booking system. 6) Similarly, the day before when the front desk was unmanned, there was a mix-up with payment for a safari tour. The issue could have been resolved in a minute, yet the guests were left waiting for payment clarification for more than an hour with a hungry and tired child in tow. 7) Finally, we were under the impression that there would be a surf guide available or at least some support/advice for surfers from emails with front desk. But there was nothing of the sort. One staff member who appeared to be a sort of surf guide/tour guide kept promising to take my husband to the good surf breaks, but this never eventuated. He seemed completely disinterested. So, we went elsewhere with another surf guide, no thanks to SnS. So, I would describe Surf N Sun as a mixed bag. There is a lot to love about this place, but it does need to lift it

Okay, let's talk about the good bits first. This place is stunning. The well-maintained tropical gardens, rustic architecture and laid-back vibe are wonderful. It's a little oasis in the middle of busy and noisy Arugam Bay and a lovely place to relax in. Most of the staff are also kind and efficient and aim to please. And our room - Villa Rama - was excellent. However, Surf N Sun is expensive. We thought the prices were completely over the top, even for Arugam Bay. But you can get a cheaper room if you can cope without air conditioning in this hot and humid climate (we certainly couldn't). There are two or three cute little bungalows without air-con that seem reasonably priced. Otherwise, expect to pay top dollar for a room with air-con. And don't even think about breakfast being included in this price. That’s extra and it’s a lot extra. In general, the restaurant food prices were over the top so we didn't eat any meals at Surf N Sun. And we weren’t the only ones who opted to eat outside. Even though it was a full house, there were very few people eating at SnS at any time of the day during the week we stayed. It was strangly quiet in a place that should have had a real buzz. The other gripe is the front desk. Most of the time, it was operating well with a friendly, accommodating attitude but if personnel are away or off duty (it's meant to be open from 8.30 am - 10 pm) the place seems to grind to a halt. That can be frustrating - and it was on numerous occasions. On the day we checked out as planned at 9am, the office was closed and we were left waiting for at least half an hour while the bar staff frantically made calls to find somebody who could do the paperwork. Ultimately, we were running so late that it was agreed we would pay the balance later because nobody could be found to operate the booking system. On the day before, there was a small mix-up/confusion with payment for one safari tour that other guests found frustrating. It was booked through SnS, and again, the front desk was off duty that day, so a lot of time was wasted for these guests who attended the tour with us. The issue could have been resolved in a minute, yet they were left waiting for payment clarification for more than an hour after the tour with a hungry and tired child in tow. Finally, we were under the impression that there would be a surf guide available or at least some support/advice for surfers new to the area because that’s indicated on the website. But there was nothing of the sort. One staff member who appeared to be a sort of surf guide/tour guide kept promising to take my husband to the good surf breaks but this never eventuated. He seemed completely disinterested. So, we went elsewhere to find good surf breaks with another guide, no thanks to Surf N Sun. So, I would describe Surf N Sun as a mixed bag. There is a lot to love about this place, but it does need to lift its game in many respects given its hefty price tag.

We went for breakfast. Appalling service, dreadful food and woefully overpriced. Took one hour for avocado toast when we were the only customers there. Poached eggs were 0/10 and the ‘sourdough’ was just regular barely toasted bread. Waiter didn’t seem to care when we said we had waited so long.

We walked in off the street as the environment of the restaurant looked lush and the menu extensive. The vibe is really nice in there and the music vibsey, but the staff working there made this really un-enjoyable. While the food in itself was relatively nice, although extremely pricey for what it is, they messed up our food order drastically twice and it was super delayed without any apology. When we explained we weren’t happy and if they could offer us some money off, we got laughed at, ridiculed and met with sarcasm. They offered us 10% which doesn’t seem sufficient after such an expensive meal but by this point they’d made us feel really stupid so we just wanted to leave. If we weren’t two girls and had our male partners or were travelling with our families, I'm sure we would have been treated very differently. Avoid, so many better and affordable places to eat in Arugam Bay.