A Luxury Guide To Weligama, Sri Lanka

Last week I shared the first stop on our honeymoon adventure in Sri Lanka, and I’m excited to share more recaps of our trip! Following our week in the Maldives, we hopped over to Sri Lanka for the second part of our honeymoon and started our trip at The Wallawwa for a night of R&R before beginning our journey through the southern part of the country.

Charley planned a mix of resorts to get the best of Sri Lanka, and it was absolutely incredible! We had a relaxing (and educational) experience in the Ceylon Tea Trails, planned a glamping safari at the Wild Coast Tented Lodge in Yala National Park, then ended our trip in the coastal beach town of Weligama at Cape Weligama. It was so fun getting to experience so many different sides of Sri Lanka on our honeymoon, and I highly recommend this route if you’re planning a romantic getaway!

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ABOUT WELIGAMA

If you’re unfamiliar with Sri Lanka, Weligama is a charming coastal town along the Southern tip of the country. As once visited by some of the top explorers (including Marco Polo!), Weligama is an amazing beach town famous for its stilt fishermen, surfing, and amazing cuisine. If you’re looking for a lively beach destination to add to your itinerary, Weligama is the perfect spot.

If you’ve ever visited Bali, consider Weligama to be the Sri Lankan version of Seminyak!

WHERE TO STAY: CAPE WELIGAMA

Cape Weligama is one of the three Resplendent Ceylon resorts within the Relais & Chateaux family – and it’s the perfect hotel for a romantic getaway! The hotel’s 12-acre property sits along the cliffs above the Indian Ocean, and the lush garden setting surrounded by palms was a peaceful retreat from the lively beach town. The resort features 39 luxury villas and suites, each named after famous explorers.

The most notable feature of the resort is the expansive crescent-shaped infinity pool that wraps around the cliffside offering some of the most amazing views of the Indian Ocean. It truly was remarkable, and I never wanted to leave!

Cape Weligama offers a few different restaurants and private sunset dining options overlooking the coast, but we loved dining under the palm trees at the Ocean Terrace. While I wouldn’t call myself an adventurous foodie, the local Sri Lankan cuisine was absolutely fantastic – and getting to try so many delicious new meals was incredible.

Tip: I definitely recommend the hoppers for breakfast when you stay here! I’m not usually a big breakfast eater, but the Sri Lankan breakfasts are the BEST. Also, be sure to swing by the cozy Cape Club for unique cocktails created by the hotel’s mixologist to enjoy during sunset.

To bring a taste of Weligama home with you following the stay, book one of the cooking classes at Tableau for a hands-on experience in traditional Sri Lankan cuisine.

As a five-star resort owned by Dilmah Tea, one of the biggest tea families in the world, it’s no surprise the spa is remarkable. All of the spa treatments are infused with the best Sri Lankan teas to add to the local and luxurious sensory experience. Since Charley’s siblings surprised us with an amazing spa treatment in the Tea Trails, we opted out on this during our stay – but I highly recommend checking out the spa when you visit.

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OUR VILLA

During our stay, Charley booked the Ernst Haeckel Ocean Pool Villa – and it was beyond heavenly! Our room had a lap-sized infinity pool that spanned the length of our villa, and we spent most of our time here. In addition to the outdoor terrace, our suite opened directly to the pool so you could hop out the bedroom window directly into the pool – so fun!

My favorite part of hotels are definitely the bathrooms, and Cape Weligama nailed this one. Our bathroom was HUGE, and had a deep-soaking tub, steam room, and a massive walk-in closet. It was a dream!

To add to the luxury of the property, we had our own private butler to assist with all travel requests and reservations, plus we were greeted with treats everyday in our room from champagne to a full chocolate cake (what can we say, we indulged in every bit of it to celebrate our wedding!)

WHAT TO DO IN WELIGAMA

Since Weligama is a coastal town, there’s no shortage of activities to explore while you’re here! Whether you’re interested in diving, surfing, whale watching, fishing, or more, you can definitely find an excursion to add adventure into your stay.

Weligama isn’t too far from Yala, so you can book an outing to Yala National Park for a safari to see elephants, cheetahs, monkeys, and more. (We had plans to stay at the Wild Coast Tented Lodge, but unfortunately the government closed all National Parks. However, if you don’t have time to add Yala as an overnight stay, a day trip would be a great option!)

The town is just a quick 30-minute drive from the charming Galle Fort, where you’ll find some of the chicest shops, amazing restaurants, and unique history of this colonial Dutch city. Be sure to schedule an outing to Galle when you visit Weligama!

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Since our visit was during the start of the pandemic, a lot of the businesses began to close while we were there due to local laws and curfews. However, we had the best time exploring the town, and I wanted to share a few highlights!

Getting to town from Cape Weligama is super easy, and we had the hotel call a tuk-tuk for the short drive. Tuk-tuks are very safe and the local version of a taxi – and they are absolutely adorable too!

Bay-Route Resto & Shisha Bar – One of our favorite spots in Weligama was Bay-Route, and we visited each evening for hummus, Lion Beers, and hookah. The restaurant is owned by a young European guy, and by the end of the trip he was our new friend! The outdoor restaurant had a really cool vibe with swings, tvs that played Burning Man videos, and an overall friendly vibe that made us feel at home.
W15 – Another one of our favorite spots was W15. We had so much fun hanging out on the bean bags by the beach for happy hour and soaking in the surfer vibe of this local spot. It’s very modern and lively, and the pizza was the best! (This would also be a great hotel to consider if you’re looking for a more affordable option)
Shopping – No matter where I go, I love exploring the local shops to find unique souvenirs to bring home with me. The prices in Sri Lanka are great, so we spent one afternoon picking out new wardrobes to debut on our trip – and after two weeks with the same suitcase, this was great! The elephant pants were a must, and they were the best travel outfit for our long journey home.

Check out the local grocery stores, markets, and pharmacies – There’s something so fun about visiting local markets and pharmacies when traveling to different countries, and we stopped by the local grocery every afternoon before heading back to our room for Sri Lankan snacks and beverages to try.
Visit a fish market – The coast is lined with fish markets, and it’s a really unique experience to see the stilt fishermen selling their daily catches each afternoon. Shop the local varieties to bring back to the hotel, and the chefs will prepare and serve your fish for dinner!
Visit Mirissa Beach – While the beaches of Weligama are super fun and lively with surfers and markets, you can easily book a 10-minute tuk-tuk to the white sandy beaches of Mirissa for a quiet and tropical experience as well!

Overall, we had the best time in Weligama and it was one of the highlights of our honeymoon adventure! If you’re mapping out a trip to Sri Lanka, definitely add Cape Weligama to your list. We can’t wait to plan a trip back and relive our honeymoon!

Keep scrolling for more photos from our trip, and let us know you’re favorite spots in Weligama in the comments below!