Sri Lanka Southern Coast

Sri Lanka is a fairly large island, well, not quite huge, but getting around can be kind of a chore. Buses and trains only go about 30 km/hour, believe it or not. So, if you plan to go to the beach, it's best to stay in a restricted area such as the southern coast. Between Galle and Tangalle, there are a lot of small towns that have charming names, such as Unawatuna, Mirissa, Matara, Weligama. There are very quiet fishing villages with paradisaical beaches, but don't feel like you need to go to them all. Find a good pension and a beach that you like, and just stay a few days. Because transportation is super slow.