FAQ
Yes, a transfer from Colombo Airport can be booked as an extra at the time of booking, at a cost of $110 USD one way. The service can collect 24 hours a day. The journey time is 2.5 hours from Colombo Airport to Lion’s Rest. The vehicle can take up to six persons and carry surfboards up to 10ft long ( Please inform us if you are carrying surfboard) And please supply us with your flight number, arrival date and time, and we will arrange for a driver to meet you with a name-card upon arrival.
At the time of booking with us a 30% deposit is taken and the balance is paid upon checkout, along with your food and beverages tab and any services, eg. surf and yoga. Bills can be settled with card payments as well as cash: Rupees or Dollars.
Sri Lankan Rupees is the national currency.
Check http://www.xe.com/ucc/ for current conversion rates. Weligama Town has many banks with ATM’s. Avoid changing money at the airport as the rate is usually poor.
Sri Lanka has a tropical climate and is therefore hot all year long. Daytime air temperature ranges from 28º-36º dropping to around 22º-26º overnight. May through to October is the monsoon season with more rain but interspersed with sunshine. The winds are mainly onshore during this period.
The peak tourist season in our area is December, January and February which is the driest period, with the most consistent winds. The pre and post-monsoon months, March, April & October/November have been the best periods for surfing during recent years with bigger swells and waves, averaging head-high or more in places. The weather during this period is usually good with any storms usually during the night-time.
Water temperatures are pretty consistent at 27º-29º so you can surf in board shorts the whole season long. The water quality is usually good except during storms when the river waters wash out into the ocean and can become murky close to the river mouths. This doesn't affect the breaks close to Lion’s Rest.
There are 2 International Hospitals in the nearby cities of Galle and Matara, both approximately 30 minutes drive. For minor issues there is a good clinic with a English speaking doctor in nearby Weligama where we can take you should the need arise. We also can arrange for the local doctor to visit the hotel should you wish.
Generally in Sri Lanka, there are mosquitos, but malaria has all but been eradicated from the country. Mosquitoes in the inland areas can be a nuisance, but we are lucky as we are right on the coast and they don’t bother us, as they avoid the salty air.
WiFi is available free of charge to guests at Lion’s Rest and our coverage is pretty good. Our main lounge, pool and café area has WIFI, it extends to most of the rooms also. It’s fairly reliable but we are in rural, village Sri Lanka so expect some drop outs, and slow downs. We are, of course, working to improve it all the time.
Electricity is at 220v in Sri Lanka. Our sockets are a mix of 3 pin round sockets and 3 pin square, UK-type, sockets. We provide adaptors in the rooms for your convenience.
Local Sim and Micro Sim cards to be used in android phones and iPads etc. can be bought at the airport and locally very cheaply. Data and airtime is super cheap - just make sure your devices are not locked to your overseas networks. Dialog seems to have the best coverage of those networks provided here.
Almost all citizens visiting Sri Lanka for less than a month can get a Visa On Arrival. This can be pre-arranged and you can check prices by visiting this website: /www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa.