12-2024 – 03-2025 : Midigama and Gurubebila – two villages on the South Coast of Sri Lanka. Known for tropic temperatures, mellow surf, great food and people.
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I never really planned to come here. But after the sudden loss of my dog Susi, I needed to change my original travel route Grief follows you wherever you go, but trading a rainy Portuguese winter and an empty-feeling motorhome for three months of living in the jungle, surfing almost every day in warm waters, and being surrounded by chaotic traffic, good food, and warm people became the kind of healing space I needed.
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And even though I only stayed in these two villages for the whole 3 months, there was so much to discover.
MIDIGAMA &
GURUBEBILA
Sri Lanka
B1–D2 MIDIGAMA & GURUBEBILA
B1–C4 MERMAIDS
D1 THE OLD TEMPLE
E1–E2 LAZY RIGHT & LAZY LEFT​​​
E3–E5 PLANTATIONS & COCONUTS​
E3–E5 JUNGLE BEACH​
E3–E5 FISHERMAN'S​
E3–E5 TRABONE ISLAND​
E3–E5 WELIGAMA​
E3–E5 TRABONE ISLAND​
E3–E5 ELEPHANT EARS​
E3–E5 INDIAN OCEAN​
E3–E5 STATUE​
E3–E5 LOTUS​
E3–E5 LAND MONITOR​
E3–E5 SNAKE​
E3–E5 TRAFFIC​
E3–E5 BUDDHISM​
E3–E5 BREAD TRUCKS
E3–E5 CROCODILES
E3–E5 BUDDHISM​
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A1
Uncle Jack on a post stamp.
The reason Sri Lanka is home to millions of JACKFRUIT trees goes back to the brilliant vision of one man and the year 1915:

As a member of Sri Lanka’s independence movement Arthur V Dias had been sentenced to death by the British. But when freed, he dedicated his life not only to the fight against colonial rule but also to securing the island’s future – by launching a mission to plant 1.000.000 jackfruit trees to fight future food shortages.
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Known as Kos Mama (Uncle Jack), Dias distributed seeds across the island, creating backyard food security that still feeds families these days but also through WWII, the 1970s droughts, and even the 2020 pandemic.
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Today, Dias is still a national hero — and cutting down a jackfruit tree is illegal, even if it grows on your own land.​​
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SOURCES
https://vidanewspaper.com/2020/10/17/remembering-sri-lankas-beloved-uncle-jak/https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200916-jackfruit-the-vegan-sensation-that-saved-sri-lanka
Pictures: Wikicommons
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Vintage poster for the Festas de Sao Joao with drawings of Wild Leek.
A1
STILT FISHING is one of Sri Lanka’s most well-known crafts and began along the southern coast, mainly between Galle and Weligama.
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Originally, it was a practical and affordable alternative to boat fishing, which was not widely accessible. Fishermen would perch on slender bamboo poles anchored between rocks or coral reefs, casting their lines from above the water.
Typically fishing for a few hours at dawn and dusk, sitting just beyond the breaking waves, several meters out to sea.
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In 2004, a tsunami destroyed most of the rich reef in the southern part of Sri Lanka. With the loss of the reef the fish's dissappeared and many fishermen lost not only their livelihood, but also their homes and access to the sea.
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As a result, stilt fishing largely disappeared as a working practice. Today, most former stilt fishermen have turned to other professions. A small number continue the tradition mainly for visitors—demonstrating the technique rather than relying on it for survival. While often seen as a performance, it also serves as a way to preserve and pass on a fading craft.
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It took me some time to witness stilt fishing done for fishing rather than for photographs.
But if you visit the stilts opposite Rockvin, between Gurubebila and Midigama, you may still see fishermen there—continuing a tradition that once was essential for this area.
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SOURCES
https://www.picturetheworld.co/post/stilt-fisherman-sri-lanka
https://imkiran.com/the-stilt-fisherman-of-sri-lanka/
Picture
Mstyslav Chernov, Stick fishermen of
Sri Lanka, 2011. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Video
private
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A1
STILT FISHING is one of Sri Lanka’s most well-known crafts and began along the southern coast, mainly between Galle and Weligama.
​
Originally, it was a practical and affordable alternative to boat fishing, which was not widely accessible. Fishermen would perch on slender bamboo poles anchored between rocks or coral reefs, casting their lines from above the water.
Typically fishing for a few hours at dawn and dusk, sitting just beyond the breaking waves, several meters out to sea.
​
In 2004, a tsunami destroyed most of the rich reef in the southern part of Sri Lanka. With the loss of the reef the fish's dissappeared and many fishermen lost not only their livelihood, but also their homes and access to the sea.
​
As a result, stilt fishing largely disappeared as a working practice. Today, most former stilt fishermen have turned to other professions. A small number continue the tradition mainly for visitors—demonstrating the technique rather than relying on it for survival. While often seen as a performance, it also serves as a way to preserve and pass on a fading craft.
​
It took me some time to witness stilt fishing done for fishing rather than for photographs.
But if you visit the stilts opposite Rockvin, between Gurubebila and Midigama, you may still see fishermen there—continuing a tradition that once was essential for this area.
​​
SOURCES
https://www.picturetheworld.co/post/stilt-fisherman-sri-lanka
https://imkiran.com/the-stilt-fisherman-of-sri-lanka/
Picture
Mstyslav Chernov, Stick fishermen of
Sri Lanka, 2011. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Video
private
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