9 days of sun, surf and good times.
Photography: Alexander Knorr.
Sri Lanka has been the center of almost every travel conversation this year, with epic surf and endless sun it quickly soared to the top of our adventure list. And with a rad bunch of friends already booked ready
to go, we finally had an excuse to explore its magic. Coming from the intensity of our trip to Africa we were ready for some well deserved respite with good mates, awesome waves, and adventures.
The essentials stacked and ready to go. A morning of swell searching ahead. - Jasper.
After spending our first day in Colombo doing unplanned/coincidental work, we were stoked to have found another factory to produce our new line of straw hats! With business out of theway our next stop was a quick overnight visit to Mirissa, a place so colourful and talked about we were so excited to finally see it for ourselves. Here we met up with Laura & Marty making us four the first lot of the crew. After a magical night of watching the sunset and catching up on stories of untold travels we got our things together and headed for Jasper House, Nilwella.
Situated amongst a field of palm trees, on the edge of a coastal cove, our luxurious shak awaited us. We spent the rest of the day exploring the local streets, tasting traditional foods and getting to know the kind-hearted humans that made up the ‘locals’. Our first morning we hopped out onto the street, hailed a tuk-tuk and made friends with the driver. In search of waves, we strapped our boards to the roof and followed the swell. This quickly became part of our daily routine. After our morning fix of good waves, we’d make our way back for a lavish breakfast filled with local fresh fruit, eggs, bread and everything in between.
Breakfast also became the perfect time to craft a rough outline for the day ahead and smiles were shared during the post-surf buzz. One day in particular, friend Marley took us out to a hidden island off the coast where the waves were clean and glassy, waiting tobe surfed! We came back in disbelief for the hours we had just spent on our boards and became the center of every conversation that night. A highlight for sure. After four days of what seemed like a total dream, it was time to move on and spend the last leg of our trip at Talalla Retreat.
As the sun rises the local men go to work out at sea bringing back what will be dinner. - Tallala.
Just meters away from the most heavenly stretch of beach, in another little cove of tropical paradise, we had arrived at Talalla Retreat. As the sun would rise over the turquoise water, locals were up preparing the boats for a morning of fishing to supply the village with fresh fish. With only 2 days here we made it our priority to fill our time with a simple routine: Breakfast, yoga, surf, repeat. Operating Will & Bear through conscious decisions for the bigger picture on what we think matters in the world today is something shared between fellow Aussie, Laurie Rose; owner of Talalla Retreat. To be in her sanctuary of yoga and sublime surf whilst supporting local employment and having sustainable ways of growing, supplying and disposing of food are just a few of the many ways Talalla stole our hearts. And in ultimate relax mode, we treated ourselves to what we think was the best massages we’ve ever had and added that to highlight reel of the trip.
When the days are filled doing anything you want, barefoot and stoked. - Hidden Island.
Spending this time getting back to basics, doing simple things that make us happy with humans that we love is indescribable. With the perfect balance of rest, adventure and spontaneous exploring, the trip served us with inspiration and a new found respect for slowing down.And to experience the magic of Sri Lanka with friends who share the same love for travel and chasing the sun makes it all the more worthwhile.
Surf breaks like never before, Sri Lanka was nothing short of amazing.
Sri Lanka was more than just sun-filled days, surf, and good company. It was an impromptu trip that exceeded any expectations and created a pure disbelief for the life we get to live and the adventures we seek. And having the chance to digest and enjoy the slow way of island life left us only scratching the surface of the land and left us with a yearning to go back for more.
