Surf N Sun - Arugam Bay

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

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 for an impromptu lunch and they made every effort to accommodate us during quiet season. had the most authentic food. We are Sri Lankan background and the food was astounding! Cooked from the heart, beautiful authentic dishes served with true Sri Lankan hospitality! We’d be back every day if we could be! The grounds alone are a tranquil lush haven , growing so much of their own produce. Highly recommend!