South Coast of Sri Lanka

I found a place I long to return to when daily life becomes overwhelming. Our accommodation in Tangalle (Ibisbird Beach Bungalows) with Angelika was just perfect! We spontaneously extended our stay for an extra night, rented a scooter, and truly enjoyed our time there.

Nevertheless, we decided to continue traveling along the South Coast. Ultimately, we ended up at the Talalla Bay Beach Hotel in a wonderful room with a view of the sea. The accommodation was also very nice, and we felt very comfortable there. We spent the whole day at the beach, having fun bodyboarding in the waves. It was incredibly enjoyable to let the waves carry us back to the shore.

As for swimming, the sea in Sri Lanka is not always suitable. Often, the waves are very strong, and one must be quite careful. However, we discovered some fantastic beaches where swimming was quite possible.

After two nights in Talalla, we took the bus towards Galle on Day 15. We booked accommodation in Unawatuna. And what can I say? We were both very glad that we spent most of our time on the eastern part of the South Coast. Have you ever experienced half of Russia on a beach? Yes, we did. The Russians apparently love to vacation in Sri Lanka. I’ve read a lot about it online, and yes, it was true. They were everywhere. Suddenly, Sri Lanka was no longer the Sri Lanka we had experienced before. The places in the southwest are extremely catered to Russian tourists and surfers. The menus are in Russian, Russian music is played, the food offerings had changed, and there they all were, lounging together with their beers in hand by 10 AM. That’s fine, but it just wasn’t our thing. We didn’t really feel comfortable there. Once again, tourism has changed a lot. Well, as always: a curse and at the same time a blessing. I have absolutely nothing against the nation, but we were struck by this altered Sri Lanka.

Anyway, we were glad we had only spent one night there. Still, we took a look at Galle. A small, beautiful old town.

Day 16 was unfortunately our departure day. However, it was only in the evening since our flight was early Sunday morning at 4:30 AM.

So we made the most of the day and visited the Dog Care Clinic near Galle. Here, a woman from Germany runs a support station for street dogs. What she has set up here is amazing. There is indeed a significant problem with dogs in Sri Lanka. We saw every day how much suffering the animals endure. The locals lack knowledge about animals; they are afraid of them or abandon them because they can’t afford to care for them. The Buddhist faith also contributes to this, as many believe that neutering leads to bad karma.

The dogs multiply, starve, get sick, and are run over. They are often in a catastrophic state. And every day, their numbers continue to grow.

Marina Möbius and her team do incredible work here every day. They rescue more than 50 dogs daily and neuter them. Often, vaccinations are also given, especially since the rabies rate is high in Sri Lanka. Afterward, the dogs are released back into the wild. Injured dogs receive care. Dogs that cannot fend for themselves are kept at her station. Locals can bring dogs in and have them examined, cared for, and vaccinated for a small fee. Neutering is free of charge. The staff go out daily to feed over 1000 dogs. Additionally, they help locals and with the integration of the dogs. If a poor family takes in a dog and cares for it well (with regular check-ups), they receive money for their efforts.

We were lucky to get a tour of the station. It was very interesting and touched me deeply.

You can’t even imagine in what condition some dogs are.

The entire effort is financed 30-40% by Marina herself. The rest comes from donations. You can make a one-time donation or even adopt a dog. The money goes directly to the dogs.

The dogs are not relocated to other countries because they have tropical diseases that, for instance, no one wants in Germany, and they cannot be treated as well here.

This woman is truly a significant asset to the country and especially to the animals.

In the evening, we took a bus from Galle directly to the airport. It was a 'luxury bus,' meaning everyone had a seat, it bounced less, and it was air-conditioned.

And then it was time to say hello to cold Germany.

We really liked Sri Lanka. The people are friendly and open, and the food is delicious. The country left us with a very diverse impression, and the distances were not really large.

We are sure of one thing: we will be back!