All-inclusive weeks of surfing, yoga, home-cooked food and mini adventures, tucked into the jungle on Sri Lanka's south coast. Sunday to Sunday, year-round.
It’s the combination that makes Sunshine Stories. A lifestyle retreat built around surfing, yoga, good food, nature and the simple joy of slowing down.
Sunshine Stories started as a lifestyle blog and grew into a real-life version of the life we were writing about — tucked away under the palm trees and jungle of southern Sri Lanka.
A place where you can step away from everyday life, meet good people, spend time in the ocean, move your body, eat well and simply be.
Come live your own Sunshine Story.
The Retreat
In the water, under the palms
It was love at first sight when we found this old walawa building, a true hidden gem, tucked away from the noise of the busy Galle Road.
Our hundred-year-old Dutch colonial villa has been lovingly renovated with open verandas, traditional details and a few nods to Geoffrey Bawa. Six bedrooms surround a spacious courtyard built around a frangipani tree, with a long pool tucked into the jungle.
The courtyard is the heart of Sunshine Stories — where we share meals, surf stories, hang out and let the days unfold.
Just a five-minute walk from the ocean and the heart of Ahangama, we live right in the middle of a lively Sri Lankan beach village. We buy our fruit, vegetables and fish locally and have been warmly welcomed into the community. We hope you will feel welcomed here too.
Galle and Mirissa are both just 20 minutes away, making Sunshine Stories a peaceful base from which to explore the south coast.
The Surf
Surfing is meant to be fun
We believe people learn best when they’re having fun. Surfing can be challenging, frustrating, exhilarating and slightly ridiculous — sometimes all in the same session. Our job is to make sure you leave the water smiling, while quietly helping you become a much better surfer along the way.
That philosophy sits at the heart of our surf camp in Ahangama. Whether it’s your first time standing on a surfboard or you’ve travelled to Sri Lanka with a board bag full of favourites, we want every session to feel like something you’re excited to paddle out for.
Our approach to surf coaching is built around positive sports coaching. We focus on encouragement, confidence and progression rather than pressure. We celebrate the first whitewater ride just as much as the first proper turn, and mistakes are simply part of learning to surf. We want you to feel comfortable trying, falling, laughing, asking questions and paddling back out for another wave.
We keep our surf coaching groups small, with a maximum 5:1 surfer-to-coach ratio. This allows our coaches to get to know you, your surfing and what you're working towards. Throughout your stay at our Ahangama surf camp, we adapt the coaching to your individual progression so you get as much as possible from every surf session — even when you're surfing as part of a group.
Every surf session has a purpose. You’ll work on a particular skill — from paddling, positioning and reading waves to generating speed, trimming down the line or refining your turns — but just as importantly, your coach will help you understand why you’re working on it. The goal isn't simply to surf better during your week with us. We want you to leave Sri Lanka with the knowledge and confidence to continue progressing wherever you surf next.
And we surf together. Our coaches aren't standing on the beach shouting instructions all morning. They're in the water with you, sharing waves, giving feedback and creating the kind of atmosphere where a coaching session feels like going surfing with a group of friends who happen to be very good surf coaches.
We're especially proud that our coaching team is Sri Lankan. Our coaches grew up surfing the waves around Ahangama and Sri Lanka's south coast, bringing years of local knowledge to every session. They know these breaks, reefs, winds, tides and changing conditions intimately.
Kavi, our Head Surf Coach, is a multiple longboard competition winner, while our senior coaches Mathi and Situ are members of the Sri Lankan national surfing team and regularly place among the country's top surfers. Beyond their achievements, they're passionate coaches who love sharing their home waves, knowledge and Sri Lankan surf culture with our guests.
Surfing at Sunshine Stories goes beyond the time you spend in the water. Daily surf coaching is combined with video analysis, surf theory and surf-yoga, giving you different ways to understand your surfing. Sometimes one small observation during video analysis makes something click that you've been struggling with in the water all week.
Our surf camp welcomes three different levels. Level 1 is for complete beginners and those taking their first steps into surfing. Level 2 is for surfers who have surfed before and want to become more confident and independent. Level 3 is for experienced surfers looking to take their surfing further, with both shortboard and longboard coaching.
One of the best things about surfing in Ahangama is the variety of waves on our doorstep. There is no fixed surf spot at Sunshine Stories. Every day our coaching team checks the swell, wind, tides and crowds at different surf breaks around Ahangama and chooses the conditions that give each group the best opportunity to learn, progress and — most importantly — have fun.
The same philosophy applies to surfboards. Our quiver of more than 40 surfboards allows your coach to match the board to your level, style and progression. You'll find everything from forgiving beginner surfboards to performance shapes, alternative boards and single-fin longboards — and as your surfing develops during the week, your board can develop with you.
Because ultimately, a great surf camp isn't about taking surfing more seriously.
It’s about having even more fun doing it.
The Yoga
Find your flow, on and off the water
Yoga is woven into every day here — morning practice before the first surf, and a slower restorative session in the afternoon once the salt has dried. Ten sessions across the week, all included.
In the shala we welcome first-timers with open arms as well as avid yogis who want to break a sweat. Our surf-yoga is built around what your body actually does in the water: mobility for paddling, breath for hold-downs, and the balance that makes pop-ups effortless.
The package
All-inclusive Surf & Yoga week
Sunday to Sunday, year-round · 7 nights
€975
per person / week
Starting from 975 euro per week for the all-inclusive surf & yoga package. Any room can be made private for an extra €300 per week. Stay two weeks and get 20% off the additional week(s).
—Your own surf video & weekly fun reel to take home
—Free use of surfboards
—Transport to the surf lessons
—A Sri Lankan cooking class with our chef
—Sri Lankan tea & freshly ground coffee all day
—Free sundown drinks at the beach after our weekly beach clean
—Guided meditation with the monks from our local temple
—Welcome gift on arrival
—Complimentary postcard including postage, to send to someone loved
—Friends for life and lifelong memories when you depart
—Free high-speed fiber WiFi in all rooms
—Walking distance to the town and the beach
—Toiletries, towels & beach towels
—And of course, unlimited fresh coconuts
Rooms & Prices
The rooms
At the heart of Sunshine Stories is a charming old Dutch colonial building, designed in the traditional Walawwa style and inspired by the timeless architecture of Geoffrey Bawa.
The building features rooms arranged around a central courtyard, each with its own unique character and all with private en-suite bathrooms. In our lush garden, we also offer four bungalows with private en-suite bathrooms.
All the rooms roam in Sunshine Stories style which combines authentic Sri Lankan heritage with thoughtful modern touches to create an unforgettable stay. All the rooms feature Air-Conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, comfortable mattresses, premium bed linen, toiletries and in-room safes.
Frangi Pani — Female Dorm
This dorm room is for women only, has four beds and a maximum occupancy of 4 people. The bathroom is en-suite and beautifully set outdoors with a private courtyard and a double shower.
Our male dormitory in the old part of the building, newly renovated while keeping its original charm. Typically arranged with four separate single beds, it is a comfortable, social shared stay ideal for solo travellers or friends.
Air conditioning
En-suite bathroom
Outdoor toilet
Authentic character
Sunshine Shoebox
Our smallest and cosiest room. There is not much space inside, but you have a big and airy private outdoor en-suite bathroom — watch the monkeys swing between the palm trees while you shower. Beds can be arranged as singles or as a king size double.
The jungalow is our favourite honeymoon room: a private bungalow in the garden, with a spacious outdoor en-suite bathroom and a small front porch to soak in the sounds of the jungle.
Double or twin beds, hot water, air conditioning and a private veranda overlooking the pool. Thoughtfully crafted with tropical luxury in mind — an elegant, serene escape for friends or couples.
Pool view
Air conditioning
En-suite bathroom
Outdoor toilet
Desk
Private terrace
Pool-view Bungalow (large)
The spacious bungalows feature double or twin beds, a large convertible daybed and the option to add a fourth bed at a discounted rate — ideal for families or groups, or a couple wanting extra space, with a private veranda over the pool.
Pool view
Air conditioning
En-suite bathroom
Outdoor toilet
Desk
Private terrace
Lazy Lefts — Single Room
A small room for single occupancy with a private en-suite outdoor bathroom. Perfect for the solo traveller who wants their own space.
The experience we have tailored at the retreat is how we love to live. Our small family of staff is dedicated to making it unforgettable in each aspect — from the surf coaching to the yoga, the hospitality and the other experiences. Our all-inclusive weeks run Sunday to Sunday, year-round, which has given us plenty of time to perfect our service. Not just surfing, not just yoga. It's a combination, it's a lifestyle retreat.
Life here
Slow mornings, salty afternoons, pizza on the beach
Between the surfs and the yoga there is a whole week of small things: coffee in bed with the palms rustling outside, the train rolling past the village, beach clean-ups at sunrise and long dinners with people who arrived as strangers.
Pushing the boat out at dawnWe love single finsReady to jump inWaiting on the setStraight inHome before the surf
Slow morningsOur home beachPizza on the sandThe village train lineSunset beach clean-upsOff to the wavesWax up, paddle outTurtle seasonLittle luxuriesThe lineupSalt in everythingBoat trips at dawnMid-session dipSunset circlesCannonballs welcomeEvening wandersGarden treasuresPushing the boat out at dawnWe love single finsReady to jump inBoards up, all smilesWaiting on the setBoat chatsPool laps on a longboardLaunching with the fishermenStraight inWaiting for the tideWhen the rains comeSlow afternoonsFrangipani afternoonsBooks and coffeeHome before the surfThe reading cornerGetting the board readySunset stilt fishermanPoolside shadeBoards on the tuk-tukWeek 42 trimBetween wavesThe quiverMarket morningsBreathe inLocal flavoursRoom with a viewPop-up practiceBreakfast is servedTrain track surf checksSri Lankan commute
Our Story
It started as a travel blog
Sunshinestories started as a travel blog by founders Petter & Linn, documenting their three year long journey around the world searching for waves and the next adventure. The people they met turned into short stories — sunshinestories — of inspiring people living by the sea and following their dreams.
Six years later the blog grew into something else: a lifestyle retreat under the palm trees in the Sri Lankan jungle, where everyone is welcome to create their own Sunshine Story. Nowadays Sunshinestories is so much more than just the two of us — it's a whole family.
We got lost a lot of times. And we found the essence of life more times. Keep on dreaming, surfing and adventuring, and remember to follow your own Sunshine Story.
