Its a daunting idea to move to a new country as a volunteer. Animal sanctuaries are often located in remote areas, which may not be on the usual tourist trail. Potential volunteers may feel uncertain about what the environment will be like, especially if they travel alone like I do.
I faced all these uncertainties when I traveled to Animal SOS on the southern Sri Lankan coast to volunteer in 2018. However, I soon found Midigama to be a welcoming village with a heap if interesting things to do and see on my days off.
I want to demonstrate that volunteering isn’t all hard work- its possible to explore a new region and relax a little at the same time! So I’ve compiled a list of things I loved- including the food, activities and experiences I undertook while living in Midigama for a month. I hope this list will inspire you, and if you have other suggestions to add, please let me know in the comments!
Top 3 Things to Do
1/ Feel the Rescue-Dog Love
My favourite thing in Midigama, of course, has to be the overwhelming experience of meeting hundreds of rescued animals at Animal SOS. The sanctuary allows volunteers to visit for as little as a few hours through to many months. One of the tasks they always need help with is giving attention to the many friendly residents!
So, take a tuktuk from Weligama or Midigama, and ask for “The Dog Hospital”. It will be an experience you will never forget!
2/ Learn to Surf at Sion
Sion Surf is more that a surf school- its a hub for ex-pats, a yoga studio and a welcoming community for surfers of all experience levels. You can surf at their own break right outside the front doors, or for beginners, they’ll transport you and your equipment via tuk-tuk to an appropriate learner beach. The Sion Surf team has a lot of personal connections with the staff of Animal SOS. They may even offer discount lessons to long-term volunteers- so you have no excuse not to give surfing a go!
And on surf comp days, they throw a great beach party too!
3/ Relax at the Beautiful Local Beaches
Midigama is a little known gem of Southern Sri Lanka. Unlike its more populated neighbours. Weligama and Mirissa, you’re much more likely to get an entire tropical beach to yourself! Where I stayed in Midigama, there was multiple beaches just a short walk away- many of them attended by local fruit juice sellers and surfers. So, grab your towel and a good book, and make the most of relaxing in tropical paradise.
Top 3 Things to Eat
1/ Grab a smoothie at a secret beach cafe
Wild Beach Bar is a tiny cafe that’s run by a local Sri Lankan family. A friendly lady cooks all the meals in a small kiosk, while her children enjoy run giggling between the palms. But the best part was the location. The cafe was so well hidden amongst the tropical trees that I didn’t even find it until two weeks into my stay! This meant that I often had the entire place to myself! I watched many an amazing sunset from the wooden lounges on the beach-front.
The food was simple and an excellent price. Make sure you visit this cafe for the ultimate taste of secluded paradise.
2/ Try a home-cooked meal at a quiet family restaurant.
There was a lot going for this little family-run restaurant. Cafe Pleasure had very reasonable prices, and the food was local, home-made and filling! The cafe was great for simple, filling, western-style breakfasts, fresh fruit smoothies and traditional Sri Lankan dinners.
I had some great times meeting new friends at this little place. And I found that it had the most consistent good quality of meals in Midigama.
On the other hand, I recommend avoiding the flashy tourist restaurants on the beach front. You’ll end up paying a lot more, and the food tends to be a lot less authentic.
3/ Take a lucky-dip of treats from the Bread Van
You know how some western countries have icecream vans? Well, Midigama has a bread van! It’s a converted Tuk-tuk that passes through the town a couple of times a day, blaring Christmas music and selling Sri Lankan bread, savories and pastries to the locals.
If you can catch the van, you’ll get to select from dozens of different pastry covered treats and breads. Some are sweet, some savoury, and some even contain boiled eggs or cooked meat- but as the drivers don’t often speak English, it’s anyone’s guess which pastry you might end up with! So if you’re keen to add a little variety to your diet, try something new and give the bread van a go!
Top 3 things to See
Have a day off from volunteering? Here’s a few things worth seeing within a day-trip of Midigama.
1/ The Fort at Galle
The old military town of Galle is a must-see on your stay in southern Sri Lanka. Inside the walls of the old city are beautiful cobblestone streets and ivy-covered alley ways, in a style that channels Havana, Cuba. There are plenty of antique and pottery shops to peruse before you grab some gelato and take a stroll around the scenic city walls.
The town is located on the train line and the bus route from Midigama, so is easily accessible for a day-trip. And you may find the journey down to be an experience in itself!
2/ The Tsunami Museum at Hikkaduwa
Just along the coast from Galle is the village of Hikkaduwa. While the town itself is a little too touristy for my taste, just a short tuk-tuk ride away are two points of interest.
The Tsunami Museum takes visitors on an emotional journey of the tragic events on Boxing Day 2004. There’s some great explanations of the geological events that caused the disaster, as well as many photographs of the devastation. The museum is a moving tribute to the victims of the natural disaster, and raises funds for the education of the children that were affected by it. Its definitely worth a visit.
Also nearby is a small family-run sea turtle sanctuary, where you can meet the juvenile and hospitalised turtles, and learn a heap of turtle facts. Its a small operation, and there is an entry fee, but overall I enjoyed my visit.
3/ See Sri Lankan Wildlife on an Ethical Safari
There is a lot of information out there already about Sri Lankan safaris, so there’s no need for me to overwhelm you with details here.
What you need to know is that the main parks that are reachable from Midigama are Yala (famous for leopards) and Udawalawe (great for spotting elephants). Safaris take place in the early morning (as animals are more active around dawn), so you’ll need to book your safari at least the day before. Its really important that you do your research in advance to ensure you choose a company that is ethical and respectful of the animals- as unfortunately, some drivers are not.
To reach the parks, you’ll either need to book a driver for the journey, hire a car or motorbike yourself, or take a local bus from the hub at Mirissa.
If you do visit Udawalawe National Park like I did, make sure you visit the Elephant Transit Home in town. This charity takes on orphaned calves, raises them in a natural environment, then releases them once they’re old enough to fend for themselves. If you visit at feeding time, you’ll get front-row seats to see the bottle feeding of the young calves. Its an initiative well worth supporting.
So be reassured, that even as a volunteer, you can still have a wonderful holiday break in Sri Lanka! To learn more about volunteering with Animal SOS Sri Lanka, read more about the charity here!
Ever wondered what its like to be a veterinarian in Sri Lanka? Check-out my interview with Achini.
Don’t agree with my top things to do in Midigama? Leave a comment, and tell me what you love about living in this fantastic place!
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