Rankwinz

Top 5 budget beach hotels and guesthouses in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has some of Asia's loveliest, most surf-able beaches – and plenty of affordable places to stay. Here are 5 of the best hotels and guesthouses, starting at just £5 a night

Beach Hut, Arugam Bay

This simple collection of rooms has been around for almost 25 years, and the atmosphere is pure surfer-casual – which is appropriate, given that Arugam Bay is Sri Lanka's surf hotspot. Seven rustic treehouses on stilts have views and cool breezes, and there are six more rooms on the ground (some have shared bathrooms, ask before you book). The popular restaurant turns out set lunches of fresh Sri Lankan seafood and hosts barbecues on Friday nights – grab a seat at the long communal table and strike up a chat with some of the surfers who have been coming to stay with legendary owner Ranga for decades. A loosely fenced-in outdoor area has tables and hammocks interspersed with scrubby trees just a few metres from the sea – the perfect place to hang loose with a lassi. 
• +94 773 179 594, Facebook page, double rooms from £10

Meedum Villa, Unawatuna

Popular with European travellers, the beach resort of Unawatuna is jam-packed with hotels that range from bare-bones to eco-chic but good value is thin on the ground. A few minutes' walk from the sea, Meedum Villa is a smart choice. The guesthouse offers large en suite rooms (those on the top floor are enormous) with hot showers, four-poster beds and good (ie hole-free) mosquito nets. Ask friendly owner Janath to book you a whale-watching tour in nearby Mirissa (at a rate much lower than you'd get by booking it yourself), and he'll give you a discount on the room rate as well if you stay more than a couple of nights. The open-air common spaces on each floor have refrigerators and drinks, and are the perfect place to meet other backpackers. The short walk to the beach takes you past trees full of monkeys. 
• +94 77 716 3674, meedumvilla.com, double rooms from US$35 a night B&B

Siesta, Tangalle

Husband-and-wife owned Siesta is one of the friendliest and cheapest places to stay in Tangalle. Plain, impeccably neat rooms come with oversized bathrooms and mosquito nets, and the 30-second walk to a wide and uncrowded beach makes this an outright bargain. Harshani turns out excellent Sri Lankan food while husband Tharindu is voluble and accommodating. Bright paintings add to the cheerful, homey atmosphere (there was a giant wedding photo on display as well on a recent visit) and there are thoughtful touches throughout, like the drying racks in each room that are perfect for beach-damp towels.
• +94 714 190 885, Facebook page, doubles from 1,000 Sri Lankan rupees (around £5) a night, breakfast £1.50

The Green Rooms, Weligama

Local and sustainable aren't just trendy words at the Green Rooms – they're part of an ethos that means that electricity comes from a renewable source, the guesthouse doesn't have a negative impact on the local fishing village, and that as much of the furniture and fixtures as possible are made nearby. Currently there are five spacious, en suite cabanas, with five more due to be ready in September. Several have open-air showers and balconies with seas views. The Green Rooms offers one-week packages that include accommodation, breakfast, lunch and three hours of instruction in surfing and yoga per day from £450pp.
• no phone, thegreenroomssrilanka.com, doubles from £28.75 B&B

Aqua Hotel, Trincomalee

A sprawling place on under-populated Uppevelli beach – one of Sri Lanka's best – Aqua is a party zone in the high season. The fan-only rooms are a bit musty, but the more expensive, air-conditioned ones are good value, and the elevated restaurant (an open-air platform populated with cosy sofas and tables) offers unbeatable views right over the sea and in the quieter months is a relaxing spot to settle in for an evening meal and drinks. Aqua rents motorbikes and helmets if you want to ride into nearby "Trinco" or explore beaches further up the coast.
• +94 712 519 749, aquahoteltrincomalee.com, fan-only doubles from £22 B&B