Arugam Bay complete guide - surf, food, getting there, and what to do if you don't surf?

I teach surf and I've lived in A-Bay for 8 years. Let me answer both sides of this properly.

The surf: A-Bay's main break (The Point) is a long right-hand point break that can produce rides of 200-300 metres in good conditions. For your experienced partner, this is a serious surf destination. Consistent offshore winds May through October, swells from the Indian Ocean that arrive clean and organised. Other nearby breaks: Crocodile Rock (heavier, barrelling, experienced surfers), Baby Point (smaller, slower, perfect for beginners and intermediates), Whiskey Point (20 minutes north, less crowded, consistent).

For the non-surfer: A-Bay is genuinely pleasant even if you don't surf. The town is small, flat, and easy to navigate by bicycle. Things to do:
- Hire a scooter and explore the lagoon road and surrounding villages
- Elephant Rock and the surrounding bays to the south - 20 minutes by tuk-tuk, very beautiful
- Kumana National Park is about 45 minutes south and has birds and elephants
- Pottuvil lagoon safari (crocodiles, water birds, peace)
- Drink cheap cold Lion beer at a shack on the beach watching your partner surf
- The food scene has improved dramatically - decent restaurants now beyond the old beach shack standard

Food: Hideaway, El Punto, and Mambo's are worth finding. Fresh tuna and barracuda caught by local fishermen, eaten the same day.

Getting there: from Colombo it's about 7-8 hours by bus or 4-5 hours by private car. From Ella it's about 3 hours. Most people take the overnight bus from Colombo (departs evening, arrives morning) to save a night's accommodation.

Accommodation: still mostly budget guesthouses and surf camps, LKR 2,500-5,000 per night for a decent room. Book ahead for May-September as it fills up fast.

Overcrowded: busier than it was 5 years ago but still genuinely low-key compared to Bali. Nothing like Canggu.