Unawatuna is one of Sri Lanka’s most famous areas in the country. The southern Sri Lanka beaches are beautiful and only an hour drive from the airport. Unawatuna has plenty of trendy restaurants and great shopping which makes it perfect to visit for a couple of days. The best time to visit Unawatuna is from December to April. In this guide to Unawatuna, you’ll find some insight into our lodging, restaurant recommendations and things to do in the area!
We stayed at The Waves during our time in Unawatuna. We only stayed for one night before our flight to Kuala Lumpur and since we also came during the rainy season, we unfortunately didn’t get to enjoy the beach. The room was excellent with beach and ocean views. It close to restaurants and beach bars.
If you’re looking for other budget friendly options, check out:
- Epic Unawatuna – $52 per night, excellent reviews, close to the beach
- Sam’s Guest House – $40 per night, excellent reviews, close to the beach
- Sleepy Head Guest House – $35 per night, excellent reviews, close to the beach
If you love the beach, Unawatuna is the perfect place to be a sun bum! The vibes are just right. Here are some things to do during your time in Unawatuna:
Unawatuna Beach – This is the main beach at Unawatuna where you can swim and also rent sun beds. There are also tons of little restaurants and bars. You definitely should check out sunset here.
Dalawella Beach – This is where the famous beach swing is located. Since its Instagram fame, be prepared that there will most likely be a ton of tourists waiting to get a shot during golden hour!
Take a day trip to Galle – Galle Fort is something special and very different than the rest of Sri Lanka. It’s a great place to walk around, buy a few souvenirs, and take a photo at the lighthouse. If you’re looking for a treat, make sure to stop by at Isle of Gelato. It has to be our favorite gelato spot ever!
If you’re traveling anywhere in Asia, TripAdvisor is without a doubt the best place to check out restaurant reviews. Dan’s TripAdvisor page has a more robust amount of reviews and pictures of our meals.
The Hideout Unawatuna – Located at the top of the hotel, this restaurant serves some delicious Mexican cuisine and the vibes are just right.
Bedspace Kitchen – We heard great things about this place and we weren’t able to check it out but the reviews speak volumes!
If you love animals especially doggos, you can reach out to Ceylon Paws in Weligama. They are a local passion project dedicated to helping the street dogs in Sri Lanka. You can reach out to them directly for short or long term volunteer opportunities on Instagram (@ceylonpaws).
If you know of any volunteer opportunities in the Unawatuna area, we would love to feature it on our page. Reach out to us via email at jetsetforgood@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram (@jetsetforgood).
That’s our guide to Unawatuna but like always, all opinions are entirely our own. Above all, enjoy Sri Lanka!
Disclaimer: We have no financial incentive to promote lodging or any other services. This recommendation comes solely from personal experience.
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