Kalpitiya is in North Western Province, in Sri Lanka.
Understand
Kalpitiya is a small fishing village that started to develop into a tourist center a few years ago. Now it's famous as a place for kitesurfing.
Get in
Kalpitiya is 165 km north from Colombo. You can get here by bus/car for about 3½ hours drive. Public transport is available from Colombo to Puttalam, after you can take a tricycle. Also you can hire a van with driver for Rs 7000-8000 from airport.
Get around
Public transport is cheap, but very slow and may not be readily available. You could also use the omnipresent three-wheelers (tuk-tuks). Always agree on the price before you get in. Prices vary and it is best you get advice from your hotel about prices before you hail one.
Renting a car/van/bike could be a big problem in Kalpitiya/Puttalam area. If you plan to get around with our own transport (which is good idea), it's much easier to rent one in the airport, Negombo beach area or Colombo area.
See
- Boat trip to see dolphins and whales
- Wilpattu national park
Do
- Kitesurfing. Huge empty lagoons with flat water and some waves. Seasons starts in May and lasts till September. There are a few excellent kite trip destinations, but you will need a boat to reach them.
- Diving. There are no diving operators in Kalpitiya, but you can arrange dive trip with help of Colombo operators. Diving season here is December to April.
There are tree kitesurfing schools operating:
- Kitesurfing lanka, ☏ 94 773 686 235. Kite school with accommodation, prices from €35.
- Valampuri kite resort (valampuri resort), ☏ 94 776314144, ✉[email protected]. Kite school accommodation, lessons, trips and rentals prices from €30.
- Kitekuda kite camp, ☏ 94 722232952. Kite camp, accommodation starts from €40.
- Wind4Love Kite center Sri Lanka, ☏ 94 71 554 0305. Kite school with accommodation, prices from €29.
Buy
The best souvenir from Kalpitiya is a bottle of arrack — local liquor 33° from coconut, feels like something between rum and whiskey. You can buy it from wine shops, price starts from 900 LKR. Locals are recommending DCSL brand.
Drink
There are no bars, but you can buy arrack/wine/beer from wine stores. Shops are closed by 9PM, so plan early.
Eat
There are very few restaurants in the Kalpitiya town area. Do not expect high standards and quality.
Don't miss local street food egg roti, you can find it on every corner.
If you want to cook for yourself (which is the only option to have good food), Carghill Food City supermarket is in Puttalam near the hospital.
Sleep
Compared to the very tourist friendly Negombo and the down south, Kalpitiya is relatively under developed for tourism and finding comfortable accommodation could be a challenge.
- Resthouse in the centre of Kalpitiya, Rs 2000 for 3-bed dorm. Restaurant with ok food. Near police station.
- Dolphin Eco View Lodge. Nice bungalow style resort on the Dutch Bay lagoon, price starts from US$35 double.
- Ruwala Nature & Aventure Park Resort ([email protected]), Kalpitiya Road, Thihaliya, Eththale, Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka (on the way from Pulatam to Kalpitiya), ☏ 94 777 345 531, 94 777 530 542. The resort is a fusion of a rustic eco-retreat and adventure-park on the banks of the scenic Puttlam lagoon. US$80 to 120.
- 1 Kalpitiya Guest House, Muhathuwaram Road, ☏ 94 71 836 3984. Lots of hammocks and opportunities to laze around. Dining area and cozy environment. Rs 1117.
- 2 Kite Bay Resort Kalpitiya, Sethawadiya, ☏ 94 76 540 4707. Kite lessons, island tours, snorkelling, dolphin watching available at this hostel-type place. Rs 3164.