Wadduwa Holidays

Wadduwa lives life in slow motion. The town’s part-traditional, part-tourist-ready, and everything revolves around its long sandy beach. A row of palms lines up beside the shoreline, and sunbathers share the seafront with local fishermen. Windsurfers carve a path between the boats heading out to sea, and the sunsets are absolutely top drawer.

The hotels along this stretch of shoreline have super spas, most of which specialise in Ayurvedic treatments. These massages use heated oils, and are said to do wonders for your immune system. If you’d rather spend your holiday cash on souvenirs, you can pick up hand-crafted masks and traditional carvings from local shops.

You don’t have to venture far to change things up – you can catch a train to nearby Kalutara. It takes half an hour, and delivers sights like Richmond Castle – an Edwardian mansion that’s been around for more than a century. Head the other direction, and you can see the temples of Panadura in around 10 minutes. An hour’s journey, meanwhile, gets you to Sri Lanka’s bustling capital, Colombo.