Siam View Hotel, Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Siam View Hotel carries one of the more remarkable stories on the Sri Lankan coast. It began in the 1980s when a co-operative of friends from different continents arrived on the then-desolate beaches of Arugam Bay in search of peace and tranquillity. What they built together became one of the original guest houses in this small and out-of-the-way beach village — a place that quietly earned its place as a local landmark long before the area attracted wider attention.

The devastating Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 badly damaged the property, destroying most of its original rooms and buildings. Recovery has been difficult, but the spirit of the place endures under the vision of one of its original owners, Fred, and his Thai fiancée, who now run it as a Thai restaurant and guest house with just four air-conditioned rooms. A Thai-style timber roof and an old English red telephone booth standing in front of the property make Siam View immediately recognisable in the small town of Arugam Bay.

Food, Drink and Atmosphere

The Thai food served here is authentic, and the restaurant comes alive each night with music and bright lights. Fred's own home-brewed beer is served on tap, and surf movies play on a large screen — an atmosphere that reflects the easy, unhurried character that first drew travellers to Arugam Bay decades ago.

Location and Surroundings

Siam View sits on the beach, close to one of the popular surf points in Arugam Bay. The bay itself lies in the remote south-east of Sri Lanka, close to Pottuvil, in an area that offers high-class surfing — widely regarded as the best on the island — alongside deserted beaches and an astonishing range of flora and birdlife in the wetlands and jungles of the nearby Lahugala national park.

Keen surfers typically make the roughly eight-hour journey along the A4 route directly from Colombo. The bay is also accessible from the southern highlands — including Badulla, Ella and Haputale — the central hills around Kandy, the Buttala foothills near Uda Walawe, Yala and Tissa, and the South Coast, making it a natural addition to a broader tour of the island.