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Arugam Bay For information on buses to and from Arugam Bay please see Getting Here. Reserve in Person You can only reserve tickets in advance on some private buses (not the government red buses). Go to the private bus stand in any town or city and ask if it is possible to reserve a ticket …
Cinnamon Air Cinnamon Air fly 8-seater air taxis which in some cases also land on water. Destinations include: Ampara, Arugam Bay, Bandaranaike International Airport (Domestic Terminal), Bentota, Castlereagh, Colombo City – Waters Edge, Dickwella, Hambantota – Mattala, Jaffna, Kalpitiya, Kandy, Koggala, Nuwara Eliya, Pasikudah – Batticaloa, Sigiriya, Trincomalee. Scheduled flights are limited seasonally but charter flights …
The schedule is 8.30am and 4.30pm Mon to Fri and 8.30am Sun, cost 1000LKR. Follow the Facebook link to view more details.
It is now possible to get a massage at the new spa in the Blue Wave hotel. Follow the link to their Facebook page for more info. For other spa options in Arugam Bay see the page Ayurveda and Massage or Luxury Accommodation in Arugam Bay.
Northeast Monsoon (Dec to Feb) The northeast monsoon is also known as the Maha Monsoon and affects the north and east of the island. Heavy rainfall and strong winds are common and it is generally worse as you travel further north. The southwest of the island experiences high season during this time. First Inter-Monsoon (Mar to Apr) …
There is a new safari sharing forum at srilankataxishare.com. This is the ideal place to find people to share the cost of a Kumana safari. Follow this link to the new Safari Shares forum (opens in a new window). Also see our Business Directory for a list of safari tour providers.
For a party town it can be surprisingly difficult at times to buy alcohol in Arugam Bay. This is because there are actually very few places that sell it legally with a licence. During the off-season from November to March it can be even harder as for most places it is not worth the risk …
Extend from 30 Days to 3 Months You can extend the 30 day visit visa by an extra two months at any time after arrival at the Immigration Office in Battaramulla, Colombo. The official website is: www.immigration.gov.lk. Department of Immigration (opens in Google Maps) The visa extension forms can be downloaded here on the official website although it is not …
Costs It is possible to rent a motorbike, scooter or tuk tuk in Arugam Bay but you should be aware that it is not 100% legal. As of now there are no official registered hire providers in the local area. There are however, many locals who will be happy to lend you theirs or a …
Recommended Banks Most banks in Sri Lanka accept foreign debit and credit card withdrawals at ATMs. The most reliable banks for this service are: Sampath Commercial Bank Hatton National Bank (HNB) Withdrawal Charge Almost all banks now impose an ATM charge for withdrawing money. This is normally between 200 and 300LKR per withdrawal. Note that …