Article By: Gigs Cilliers  - www.SurfZone.co.za

I have just returned from a stint in Sri lanka and had a great time,relaxed under the palm trees and generally escaped the cape.....

i strongly recomend gettin out of your regular pattern and go explore the world,and it takes the same spirit to simply strap your SUP to the roof and just go surf another part of our South african coastline......

After being completely destroyed by the tsumami in dec 2004 the sleepy fishing village of Aurugam Bay on the east coast of Sri lanka is rebuilding itself,and just happens to be a fantastic corner of the planet to go stand up paddle boarding in. Lagoons and water ways open up to sweeping beaches and defined point breaks, with most breaks offering fun and smooth right hand breaking waves over sand and coral bottomed line ups.

A place where the ocean once took everything away,is now having the ocean give it all back as the discovery of the perfect surf of Sri Lanka is being exposed to the wave riding world...and fast becoming a choice destination to get some wave riding done.

The waves themselves are tailored for SUP, perfectly shaped, warm and enough power to offer clean rides without ripping your head off. Locals are friendly and food is cheap, and beers are downed easily at roadside bars in the evening. There are more backpacker girls traveling than i ever expected and more fun and perfect waves than I imagined. Throw in some elephants, a garden of eden landscape and i found myself stand up paddling in a place lost in time. Temples, smells, colours and smiles, all adding to my fun as i wizzed down another perfect, warm point break wave,all the time giggling to myself.......trailing my paddle along a smooth wave face.....and wondering.....why arent all my mates here sharin this with me.......