Top Travel and Surf Holidays Around the World
From Costa Rica to Bali – hit the water and ride the waves on these surfing experiences across the globe with Culture Trip.
The ocean isn’t always a crucial ingredient when it comes to travel. Yet for surfers or would-be surfers, there’s no compromise. If there’s no ocean, there’s no fun. That’s why you can now find – and book – dedicated surfing trips and holidays in some of the world’s best surfing spots. Often this also means the chance to dabble in other water sports like sailing, snorkelling and stand-up paddleboarding – not to mention fire-lit beach parties and fresh seafood served up every day. So pack your swimwear and book on to one of these water-centric Culture Trip adventures.
Bali, Indonesia
Surrounded by warm water and rolling waves, Bali is a hotspot for combining travel and surf to great effect. On our trip, you’ll have the chance to surf at Echo Beach and Batu Bolong – and get to snorkel with sea turtles along Gili Meno’s west coast. When you’re ready to come out of the water, there will be picture-perfect beaches waiting, both on Bali and the smaller island of Gili Trawangan. If you can handle bigger waves, your knowledgeable Local Insider will be on hand to give you top tips on where to find the island’s best surfing spots.
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Island nations naturally tend to offer lots of surf, and that’s certainly the case in Sri Lanka. This is a year-round wave-riding destination, with the east coast best from May to October and the west coast offering perfect conditions from November to April. The southwest region within Southern Province is our favourite stretch of coastline in the country, with the seaside town of Hikkaduwa proving to be one of the most popular surf spots. Our 10-day Rail Trip through Sri Lanka takes a while to hit the coast – scenic train rides, ancient fortresses and luscious tea plantations are on the cards first – but we round off the trip in the spectacular coastal fort city of Galle. This area is surrounded by beautiful beaches and you’ll have a full day to explore them. For the very best surf we recommend taking the 30-minute train to Unawatuna or the hour-long train to Hikkaduwa.
Josh Taylor and Gethin Morgan contributed additional reporting to this article.