Incredible People, Amazing Stay at Surf Gangs in Arugam Bay Our stay at Surf Gangs in Arugam Bay was truly made special by the people who run it. From the moment we arrived, Ryan, the owner, went above and beyond to ensure we had an unforgettable experience. His passion for the area and best restaurants completely transformed our trip. His genuine care and enthusiasm set the tone for the entire stay. Another standout was Deen, our tuk-tuk driver, who really made a difference in our visit. Every day, Deen greeted us with a warm smile and friendly conversation. His dedication to service was unmatched—whether it was taking us to local spots, recommending must-see sights, or giving us advice we didn’t even know we needed. He consistently went above and beyond, always ready with helpful suggestions and insights that truly enhanced our time in Arugam Bay. The staff at Surf Gangs were equally wonderful, treating us with the utmost care and attention. The rooms were meticulously cleaned daily and they happily accommodated our requests. Their attentiveness made us feel so welcomed and comfortable throughout our stay. And of course, the location is unbeatable—just 50 meters from the beach, which made it incredibly easy to catch the perfect waves or simply enjoy the stunning ocean views. If you’re looking for more than just a place to stay—if you’re looking for a genuine connection and exceptional service—Surf Gangs is the place to be. Highly recommended!

Surf Gangs is located on the main road close to all the restaurants and the beach so it is extremely convenient. The rooms are built around the pool so it is very quiet in the rooms and you don’t notice you are on the main road which is very nice. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful in getting us a scooter and taxi. The room gets cleaned every day which is also a bonus. Highly recommend to anyone looking to stay here - we will be back!!!

It’s the end of January. Arugambay is still sleeping. Lucky Surf Gang is waking up and getting ready. We had the whole place to ourselves but I can only imagine at the end of the afternoon when everybody gets back from the beach to wash the sand off and get ready for the night. Staff very warm en welcoming. Rooms spacious en clean. Big shout out to the fan bathroom to push out that funk 😀 AC top notch. Beautiful garden with lots of shade and a clean pool. And Lucy is a sweet dog but you have to be sweet at well. As always, everybody gets five stars

We spent two weeks at this hotel and had a wonderful time. The room was beautiful, clean, and spacious. A special highlight is the well-maintained, stunning garden with many beautiful plants and a large pool. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Everything was perfectly organized – from surf lessons and safari trips to airport transfers and laundry service. We felt very comfortable and would come back anytime. Thank you very much!

This place is really levels above the normal in arugam bay! Perfect rooms with AC + fan and great shower, awesome pool, friendly stuff and free water which is really nice. The area is really quiet, and easy getting tuktuk as some of them are parking right outside the hotel.

The place is at the end of the main street, so its a bit far from the main beach area and not many coffee shops near the place. Everything is still only 5-15 minutes away as arugam bay is a small place, but compared to other places it felt a little far, but for the pool its totally worth staying here for few days.

Very nice staff members, big rooms, room cleaning every day, very very clean, nice shower, hot water, nice big pool, great restaurant, it felt safe sleeping there. Very kind people

The pool was often dirty and filled woth bugs and mosquitoes. Pretty expensive for the area- but doesnt have refrigeratior or kettle in the rooms, very very minimalist

The hotel was modern, very clean, and had a lovely pool with lounge chairs to hang out on. The location was also perfect as it was right in the middle of the main beach area, and was walking distance to a ton of restaurants and bars. We met one of the co-owners named Ryan and he was super friendly and willing to offer suggestions for what to do in the area.

Nothing! We would highly recommend staying here!

This place is just solid, big rooms, comfy bed, it’s quiet back from the road, the room is cleaned daily and the bed sheets every two days, there’s some good fun travellers here that are a bit more mature and just easy to hang with, the owners cool we had many good chats with Ryan. Also the best showers, warm and good water pressure, such a luxury in Sri Lanka haha. I remote worked the entire time and surfed very good couple of weeks. Of the 4 places we stayed in Arugam bay this is definitely the best.

Fibre internet for remote work would have made it perfect, but I’m being picky.

The female dorm was spacious and very clean. The beds were comfy. Location was great! And the pool and garden is very beautiful. It is very calm at night which was prefect for me. If you look for a more communicative hostel where you can meet other travellers I would advise another one though.

The crew did not explain much eg opening hours of cafe, free drinking water and more Infos about surfing. I was a little surprised when it was private lessons instead of group lessons.

Big, comfortable and impeccably clean rooms. The accomodation was in a great location just across the road from the beach. Quiet at night and welcoming to all types of travelers from backpackers to families. The cleaning staff went above and beyond to make our room comfortable. I always rate accom very high when they provide water, and these guys did. Helps with the massive issue of plastic pollution- especially at the beach. Thanks for a wonderful stay!

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