Sunshinestories Surf and Yoga Retreat

Once a travel blog, now, tucked away under the palm trees in south Sri Lanka, a surf & yoga retreat. It’s always been about the people, about sharing surf or yoga sessions, experiences or meals around a big table. Sunshinestories is not only a surf camp, not only a yoga retreat but a whole experience. Together, we are a family dedicated to living a good life in the sunshine.

We’re not only going teach you how to surf, we're going to have fun sharing waves while giving you the tools to become a great surfer

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A day at Sunshinestories

6am yoga as we hear the awakening of the jungle
7am a big healthy breakfast sets the foundation of the day
8am let's load the tuk tuks, time to find the best surf spot of the day and surf your brains out
12pm healthy lunch made fresh by our amazing chef
1pm one to one video analysis with your coach
2pm surf theory is where you'll learn a lot of the more technical aspects behind surfing
3pm let's head out on a mini adventure! bike around the paddy fields or maybe a beach party
7pm time to enjoy a big communal meal around the long dinner table

Repeat for as many times as needed until your
whole body and mind is filled with sunshine & waves

  • If you didn’t think paradise existed

    Thank you, Sunshine Stories, for one of the happiest weeks I’ve ever experienced. Everything was perfectly organized with such care and effort, and I can’t thank enough the whole staff who took care of us and spoiled us, made our bellies and minds happy and created a space that enabled everybody to just be themselves and completely relax. I can’t single out one thing that I would be remotely unhappy with and I can’t wait until I come back again. Over the entire week, I have found a connection with my Sri Lankan family, nature and most surprisingly (but equally essential), surfing. Special thanks to Adri, Zoe, and the whole mindblowing surfing team for making us feel at home while pushing our limits one step further. I feel truly blessed.
    – From Zung, on TripAdvisor
  • Amazing Retreat!

    Just an amazing experience! Everyone here is so welcoming, from the kitchen staff to the surf instructors, its simply all good! The food is amazing and healthy, yoga is spectacular with an excellent instructor, and surfing is great whatever level you are at. You get an instructor dedicated to your own level and work on your own improvement with film recording of your waves! Thanks sunshine stories for an incredible week!
    – From Nixon, on TripAdvisor
  • An amazing little sunshine story

    I spent my first week of my three week sri lanka travel at sunshinestories and it was simply amazing.  The whole staff is super friendly, warm hearted and very welcoming, and keeps always a smile on their faces! The colonial villa is located in the middle of „the jungle“ – really quiet and a perfect place if you want to wake up to singing birds in the morning. My highlight was the yoga shala, which was open and surrounded by complete nature. During the week I improved my surf skills more than I have ever in any other surf camp/retreat I‘ve been to. The surf coaches take their time to work on your technique individually! Moreover, the combination of yoga and surf was simply perfect! I will definitely come back someday!! Can‘t wait!
    – From Alessandra S, on TripAdvisor
  • Grateful I booked sunshine stories! – 100% worth the extra $

    My goal was to switch off, relax and improve my surfing. I’ve never known surf coaches to truly care about your progress or learning! They really run through the foundations with you, even if you’ve surfed before – so that they become muscle memory. I learnt skills I can use out there on my own.. my confidence and ocean reading ability has definitely improved. Besides that the yoga was just beautiful and was suited perfectly for those sore surfing muscles. The staff are all very kind, considerate and thoughtful – you can tell a lot of effort is put into making sure the guests are comfortable and enjoying their holiday. Everything was just super easy – beyond my expectations. If I go back to Sri Lanka (likely) I’ll be definitely coming back here! Thank you to all at Sunshine Stories X
    – From Stephanie W, on Tripadvisor
  • Best holiday ever!

    This is one very special place! We (my husband and I) came to Sunshine Stories for the adventure of learning to surf and discovering yoga whilst relaxing and switching off from our busy lives in the UK. We have never felt so relaxed, re-charged and rejuvenated as We do now after a week in paradise. The surf coaching went way beyond our expectations and we achieved so much more in the water than we expected – Steve and the team are incredible teachers and their passion and enthusiasm is infectious. Yoga with Michelle in the jungle shala is absolute bliss and her teaching style and dedication to helping guests get the most from the experience is excellent. Ella looked after us and the other guests with meticulous detail making sure our every need was catered for. We mustn’t forget to mention the food, it’s amazing! And the dogs, we loved them! We’ll most definitely be back, hopefully next year!
    – From Jkironside, on TripAdvisor
  • One of the best trips of my life!

    Sunshine stories all I can is WOW! I learned so much about surfing and how to improve my surfing! I’ve been surfing for almost 15 years and learned so much more in just 1 week! The surf coaches and staff there were incredible. The colonial villa is just perfect. The town is just perfect. The food incredible! I made friends and memories that will last a lifetime!
    – From Taryn, on Tripadvisor
  • With a beautiful heart and soul, Sunshinestories is the retreat you are looking for

    Tucked away in a quiet pocket of Ahangama, the heart of Sunshinestories is a beautiful old, traditional Sri Lankan house…and the soul is the people who call it home and welcome guests with their kind eyes and huge smiles… Thank you Steve, Michelle, Ella, Lachy, Oscar, Petter and co for making Soph and I feel so super welcome, and for sharing your love and passion for the good life. Steve and Oscar – your surf coaching was the best I have had to date, and I look forward to attempting more waves around the world filled with your wisdom. Michelle, your yoga classes are so gentle and filled with such beautiful spirit – thank you. And for the rest of the crew – thank you for everything. We loved our time with you.
    – From Gigi, on Tripadvisor
  • The essence of happiness

    My stay at Sunshinestories can be summarized in one word: Happiness. From the first minute I arrived at this beautiful Villa I felt at home. The location is perfect, nestled in an area full of palm trees, with the nicest and most smiling neighbors and just a walk away from the beach – you can even spot some monkeys on the way home after surf. The program is amazing, the perfect combination of surf and yoga and delicious food to help you progress and most important of all to enjoy every minute of it and have fun ! And the secret ingredient to the magic of Sunshinestories is the people. The whole team is just amazing, they have so much passion for what they do, so much kindness and love to give, so many good vibes and endless smiles !! I have never smiled so much and felt so happy (I liked it so much that I stayed for a 2nd week) and it is all thanks to you team
    – From Laura Serrano, on TripAdvisor
  • Come for the surf, stay for the people

    This place is the best. I stayed for two weeks and had the time of my life. The surf coaching by Occy, Kavi and Varuna is excellent. I learned so much and getting to see video of what I’m actually doing on a wave was a game changer. The villa is beautiful, there’s such a relaxed family atmosphere there and Adri the social host is the best. She made everyone feel welcome and at ease, suggested fun outings and helped us get organized for any excursions we wanted to take. The Easter attacks took place right in the middle of my stay, but I never felt unsafe where we were at. I was also so impressed with the way the camp (specifically Adri) handled everything. There were a couple people left in limbo since their stay had ended but their next plan became uncertain with the state of things. Adri helped two of them get to the airport, and hosted one of the girls until she found her bearings. That’s what I mean when I say that this place felt like home, and that is entirely because of the staff. They treat you like family
    – From Danyelle, on TripAdvisor