It's not very often that you find the "PERFECT" guesthouse. 
A place that just works on every conceivable level.
We found that at Beach Hut.
Whilst we loved it the first time we stayed, after a further 10 days there over SriLankan new years,  it is now more like home to us than just a guesthouse. 

Roh didn't want me to write this blog, but I feel it is important for others planning to drive a tuk-tuk or even a scooter around SriLanka to be aware of.
In different parts of SriLanka, different "laws" exist.

One such example is in Arugam Bay - famous for surfing. 
The locals have created a "law," even enforced by some local police (with a little monetary encouragement I'm sure) that says you are not allowed to have more than 2 surfboards on the roof of any tuk-tuk, even though, including the driver there is room for 4 passengers.
The local tuk-tuk drivers explicitly forbid us from putting 3 boards on and even went as far as to block us from leaving the guesthouse whilst calling the police on their mobile phones when we objected to it being ridiculous. They then openly admitted it was so they could make more money. In other places, Midigama for example, we saw tuk-tuks with 4 or even more boards on their roofs on a daily basis. 
But not in Arugam bay. 
You see, the best surf spots are about a 1000 rupee tuk-tuk ride away. And when you can also rent and drive your own tuk-tuk for the same price, and take 3 friends and their boards, that means that they are losing money in their minds. Instead, even if you have your own tuk-tuk, for 4 people and their boards to go surfing you now, by "law" need 2 tuk-tuks. 
The local tuk-tuk drivers literally got together and decided that the new local "law" was 2 boards maximum.
Also, in Hikkaduwa for example, you see many tourists driving scooters with a surfboard side rack. These, in Arugam Bay, are also "illegal." I don't know how they would stop you from entering or leaving the area, but we were told they were not allowed there. 

Just a friendly word of warning for those planning a tuk-tuk trip with surfboards.

When most people think of Arugam Bay, they think of the beach and the surf... Not us.
Sure, the beach is lovely! Actually, it was more than lovely - it was beautiful. And I shouldn't say "it" because there are SOOO many beaches, most of them completely deserted, but all equally beautiful. 

Hikkaduwa is yet another surfing mecca. But to us, it was all about the shopping!!

We found some amazing stuff! We even got some pants tailor made for both Roh and Gypsy. The quality and materials were fantastic, and the prices were amazing...  It was almost wrong, NOT to buy things!! Roh's pants were about US$6 each tailor-made, and $2 for Gypsy's. It was wonderful!

Hikkaduwa town itself was a mass of shops, overpriced cafes and restaurants (there was a burger shop selling burgers for the equivalent of AUD$14!!) and accommodation. The beach was hidden away behind the shops, and unless you were looking for it, you would probably drive through town without even knowing you were near the beach... It was an okay beach. Good for surfing beginners with a couple of cute cafes that you could tell would be pumping full of energy and atmosphere after night. 

We chose to stay outside of Hikkaduwa. First north at Akurala, and then south in Dodanduwa for a couple of days. Having our own tuktuk meant we were able to stay in nicer, cheaper places on the beach and commute into town, rather than be forced to pay expensive prices for not so nice rooms alongside a busy road.  

Dodanduwa was nice. We had a lovely little cabana on the beach, with cute sunbeds, and a sunset to die for! A very pleasant reprieve from the craziness of Hikkaduwa. And a perfect place to ponder the shopping... 

The day after Roh's birthday we woke up and set about actually exploring Mirissa!
Mirissa is a little different in that the beach is pretty hard to get to, unless you are staying in a really expensive beach front place. It's back off of crazily noisy Galle Road which is nice though.  

Once you do find the beach, you find tourist land. Beach front cafe after cafe. Umbrella after beach chair. If you don't want to pay for shade, then you won't find any.. Luckily we visited early in the morning, so we were able to stop and take shelter without having to pay 300 rupees for a juice.. (Normally 150)

In the afternoon we visited nearby Weligama so our friends could surf. The beach was really beautiful, with lots of shady areas. Gypsy made a new friend and built her first cubby house! Be careful you don't get hungry though! A fried rice from the restaurant on the beach was going for 900 rupees!!!! (Normally 150)

Both Mirissa and Weligama, and even Midigama for that matter were quite nice. They are very much surfing areas though, so unless you like swimming in crashing waves, there's no real place to swim. And unless you are a surfer, the other surfers might not want to talk to you.. It's cliche, but unfortunately often true..
The beaches are clean. and especially in Mirissa, there is a good variety of accommodation available. We were able to find an awesome cabana for a really good price. Food however, was much harder. If you are nearing the end of your travels, or you have a more flexible budget than we do, than the fresh seafood and meals in the beachfront restaurants are probably delicious! For backpackers on a budget like we are, paying 3 times the normal price even for a cup of tea wore our budget very thin. We did find some nice, cheap and delicious local restaurants in Weligama, and one not-so-expensive place on the main road in Mirissa though, which was a great relief. 
It was nice, but not what we would call beach-paradise.. But that's just us.

All of this hanging out with surfers seems to have had an influence on Gypsy!!
Not only does she still love the sand, but she insists on crawling all over and standing on every surf board she finds, AND she's no longer afraid of waves!!!