Hikkaduwa

Province

Hikkaduwa ( singh. හික්කඩුව, Hikkaḍuva ) is a small coastal town in south-west Sri Lanka, about 100 km south of the capital Colombo and 20 km north- west of the provincial capital Galle. The village stretches along the coast and the main road and the railway line Colombo - Galle.

Until the 70s Hikkaduwa was a " sleepy " fishing village. It was then discovered by young individual tourists who enjoyed there as hippies or surfers the beauty of the beach life. Numerous simple guesthouses, restaurants and pubs emerged. In the 80s, the first major hotels were built and the package tourism developed. Today, there is a colorful juxtaposition of individual and package travelers with the associated wide range of entertainment and shopping. The coral reef is a popular spot for divers and snorkelers.

On 26 December 2004 Hikkaduwa was hit very hard by the earthquake in the Indian Ocean. Near the front with just under 2,000 persons express train was detected by the tsunami at the site Seenigama. In this disaster, it is estimated that around 1,700 people were killed. Several mostly private German aid organizations have engaged very successfully since the tsunami disaster in Hikkaduwa.