Review Author: Lily G

Review Date: 06 Apr 2018

Review Body: I stayed for 3 weeks in the Freedom villa on the surf package. Freedom also organised and booked a 10-day tour for my Dad and I before arriving in Weligama (Negombo, Pinnawala, Sigirya, Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Nurawa Eliya, Ella). Leomi was absolutely amazing. She answered every question we had, dealt with all our requests promptly, and was so accommodating of any budget query, suggestion or change of heart we had along the way. We felt free to do our own thing and also very well looked out for. Leomi also arranged for Suren to drive us from place to place, who was professional, lots of fun and full of recommendations - we were always stopping off at food stalls or unexpected places, hearing about Sri Lankan history, culture, religion, and so on. He was an amazing tour guide! My Dad even got to play a bit of cricket with him at the bottom of Little Adam’s Peak (a real highlight for him so I thought it deserved a mention…) All in all we had an incredible time and it was really all down to Freedom’s careful planning and recommendations - very grateful to Leomi for making it happen! I also had a great few weeks staying with Freedom in Weligama. The teachers are fun and encouraging - the school is really accommodating in terms of how fast you want to progress, how regularly you want lessons etc. The villa is ideally placed and very relaxing - it's light and breezy, and so nice to come back to in the afternoons if you’re a bit knackered from the surf. It’s also a great place to meet people if you’re a solo traveller. Leomi and Rowan both go out of their way to make sure every one of their guests has the best time possible - from delicious breakfasts, to sorting laundry service and bike hire, to lifts to the local doctor if you’re a bit clumsy and manage to cut yourself on your own surfboard fin... They’re also full of recommendations for restaurants or nearby day-trips for days when you feel like exploring. I felt seriously lucky to find them and whole-heartedly recommend Freedom as a school and accommodation to anyone visiting Weligama - such a special place!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: haakonaa, Denmark

Review Date: 17 Jan 2018

Review Body: Hi, My brother (22), my friend (girl-25) and I (girl-25) stayed at the Freedom Surf villa for one week over Christmas. My brother and I had two surf lessons a day while my friend have been sightseeing and chilling at the beach. Leomi, who’s the owner of the Villa have been amazing and made our stay here very comfortable and fun. Rooms Big rooms with own bathrooms. Only thing you should know is that at night there is not hot water in the shower. We stayed in the rooms with A/C, something we recommend because it can get very hot and humid. Breakfast All local and fresh food. Leomi made us breakfast every morning. She made smoothie bowls which were amazing! One day she prepared a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast. She is vegan and also caters for anyone with gluten and dairy sensitivities as well as she serves more of a traditional western diet with bread, jam and eggs etc if that’s what you prefer. Atmosphere Leomi is an amazing host. She is very friendly, helpful, funny and wants the best for her guests. There is only five rooms in the villa something that makes it easy to get to know the other people staying there. At the same time it is not like a hostel; you get your private time and it is peaceful and quiet. Location 10 minuets walk from the beach and to the town centre. 2 min in a tuk tuk (200lkr). Surfing We had Benja as our surf instructor. In only 6 days we went from surfing on a soft board surfing white waves to a 6,10 board surfing green waves. We’ve both been surfing before but having a personal instructor every day really improved our technique. We recommend either Jack or Benja, they’re both really good!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: irwdubai, Vietnam

Review Date: 24 Feb 2019

Review Body: I stayed for five days in Weligama and booked in advance to stay in the Freedom Surf Villa - having my accommodation and lessons all with one company made life simple and therefore more enjoyable. A very warm welcome, great directions and refreshingly cold drinks made my arrival perfect after being met by the owners. Lessons were flexible and planned day by day with my individual instructor, Gayan and the instruction consisted of much more technical and analytical coaching rather than just shouting "get up" as each wave arrived. The boards and rash-vests were of a good standard and the school appeared to be one of the busiest, most professional and best branded on the beach with still being very good value. I did find it enjoyable although hard work and managing to progress to standing on to a hard board was satisfying. I would recommend you bring suitable gear (to cover upper legs and forearms) to minimise rash and discomfort as experienced by other learners. The Villa was set in a quiet part of town which was only 10 minutes walk from the beach/school and had a nice communal atmosphere without feeling like a hostel. En-suite bathrooms and private outside area were appreciated as was the well made and user-friendly mosquito nets over the bed. Daily breakfast consisted of smoothie bowls freshly prepared each morning. Everything was clean - towels and laundry service available..Bottled water available from a dispenser so bring a water bottle with you to save on plastic.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: T9899AStimb, United Kingdom

Review Date: 23 Feb 2019

Review Body: I came to Weligama hoping to get away from it all and had a great time! I stayed for three weeks at the Freedom Surf Villa and went out with the surf school every day. Leomi and Ruwan couldn't have been more welcoming and the villa felt like a home away from home. The guys took me out a few times to some great bars and restaurants and introduced me to their friends, which as a solo traveller is always much appreciated. The villa is in a quiet spot a short walk out of town and I loved walking down to the beach as the sun was coming up. The view along the river from the bridge is stunning. I always liked to stop for a few moments to take in the sounds of buddhists chanting or the muslim call to prayer, it's very atmospheric. When I was there (October/November) it was fairly quiet with the season just starting so there were enough waves in Weligama bay for everyone without it getting too busy. A big advantage here is it's cheap enough that I could afford one to one tuition/guiding and so was able to visit some other nearby breaks along the coast. I'd thoroughly recommend doing this, whizzing along in a tuk tuk with your board strapped to the roof is a pretty fun way to dry off after the beach. I found the locals super friendly, pretty much everyone would greet me with a smile as a wandered around. If you ever get the chance to visit, in my humble opinion, it's well worth it!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Journey745714, Switzerland

Review Date: 13 Mar 2018

Review Body: Where to start...? Long story short - I booked 6 nights and stayed 10. I actually got there by accident. Someone I met on the beach in Tangalle recommended this place to me as I was still uncertain what to do. Luckily, Leomi also had free space in the villa. The villa is such a lovely place with a great atmosphere. I met a really nice group of people’s and there was always someone around for dinner or other social activities. As a solo traveller this is essential. Leomi also invited us to join gatherings with her friends, which I think shows how much she cares about her guests. Oh... and those smoothie bowls she prepares for breakfast - the best start to a morning full of surfing!!! The surf school is fantastic as well. Didn’t expect to get up and catch some waves as a total beginner during my first lesson. I had Lanith aka Popper as an instructor. He is a great teacher, funny and very encouraging. I went from a 8‘10“ soft board to a 7‘10“ hard board in 10 days. I also had a couple of lessons with Lesitha as Lanith was out and he was also great. I got a lot out of his sessions. The surf school is also a great place to hang out and talk to other travelers. I stayed for one month in Sri Lanka and i have to say that these 10 days are my favorite memory. I will surely come back one day.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: MarthaGoudie

Review Date: 21 Mar 2018

Review Body: Me and my boyfriend stayed at Freedom Surf Villa doing a package of 10 surf lessons and 6 nights at the villa. Their value for money was just fantastic, but particularly given the lovely villa and the quality surf teaching. Leomi our host couldn’t have made us feel more welcome and at home for the whole week. The villa is just a short walk from the beach in a nice neighbourhood, has a light, open and friendly feel - you can snooze in your bedroom after some intense surfing or chat with other Freedomers in the communal area over a cup of coffee or one of Leomi’s yummy breakfast smoothie bowls. And for the surf lessons - we were taught by the National Champion of Sri Lanka! Leista was patient and made lessons fun. We felt like we’d cracked it (as beginners) at the end of the week and are well and truly hooked on surfing now. There are a number of surf shops on Weligama beach front but if you want quality teaching whether beginner/advanced and friendly instructors at a surf school I’d thoroughly recommend Freedom.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Lisa W, United Kingdom

Review Date: 21 Jan 2018

Review Body: This is the second time I have visited Freedom surf school, I had such a great experience in 2015 I returned over a year later. In that time it was great to see the team have expanded and the surf school now has a great place to chill on the beach with bean bags and a roof - I could spend all day hanging out there and we did! Even better, I stayed at the Freedom Villa - and it was just lovely. My room was so clean, light & spacious and it was in a beautiful spot a 10 minute walk in from the beach - surrounded by jungle and birds. As a female solo traveller, it was perfect. Everyone made amazing friends with other solo travellers passing through, some people stayed longer than planned just because it was so nice and homely. Leomi who runs it made us feel completely welcome, made us amazing breakfasts and took us out to show us the best places to eat/shop/dance around the area. I was so sad to leave, but cant wait to plan a third visit.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: AmyMBH, United Kingdom

Review Date: 10 Feb 2019

Review Body: Came to Weligama with my two kids (15 and 10) - they had 7 lessons between them over 2 days. Super-impressed with instructors Anju and Kire. Calm, patient, knowledgeable and safety-conscious. The kids loved it. They've done a bit of surfing before but really built on their skills here. The waves are not huge but pretty consistent making it a great beach for beginners but still fun for those with more experience. If you're not surfing, there's a great little area with sun loungers and bean bags where you can hang out all day and watch. Bonus is that just next door is a beach bar serving, according to the kids, "the best chocolate milk shakes in Sri Lanka" and plenty of food to keep you fuelled up for the day. Also great to see that Freedom Surf hosts a weekly beach clean-up morning every Friday, with volunteers pitching up to pick up any rubbish they find, keeping Weligama Bay a beautiful clean spot to enjoy the ocean.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: OlgaM3170, Iceland

Review Date: 22 Nov 2019

Review Body: I had the best time during my stay at the Freedom Surf Villa and during my 3 lessons at Freedom Surf School! Leomi is super profesional and helpful. We had a great communication via e-mail and agreed on everything in just 2 messages. The villa is very close to the beach, rooms are very nice and spacious. And the breakfast! The smoothie bowls are amazing! Everyone are super nice and welcoming. I had also scheduled 2 lessons with Gayan but I have booked one more cause I did not have enough! Gayan is one of the best surf teachers I have ever met. He explains everything very well and he is very patient. I can be a stubborn student but he manage to improve me skills! Ruwan - the owner of the surf school is super nice, helpful and profesional. During my short stay everything went perfect! Now I have to come back for a longer stay :) I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: l0vinglife71, Singapore

Review Date: 10 Jul 2019

Review Body: My family, 2 adults and 2 kids ages 14 and 11, had a great time at Freedom Surf School. We stayed at their accommodation which was perfect. It was clean and laid back and an easy walk to the beach. We booked the surf intense package which consisted of 2 lessons in one day 3 days in a row. We had never surfed before and though 6 lessons was indeed intense, it was exactly what we needed so we could fit in a lot of practice. Our instructors (Sahan, Gayan, Madu & Benja) were super patient and very helpful. I was happy each lesson we all had our own instructor (except for the very last one because one of our instructors was injured.) I never felt nervous about our safety in the surf and by the end we were all able to get up and ride the surf in. Weligama is a perfect place for beginning (and more advanced) surfers. Gorgeous beach.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Trang294

Review Date: 23 Nov 2019

Review Body: There are so many surfing school along the beach and make me so confused where to choose. Freedom surfing seem have higher price than others place. 2000 rupee for 1 hour when the other place offer 2h from 1500 - 2000 rupee but i have great experience with Madu - my trainer. Even i told him I'm dont know how to swim and never surf before, he teach me slowly and remind me safety first. And he also really patient, encourage me and never get mad with me when I failed so many time and make he feel tired. After 2 lesson I feel confident to stand up in the surf and could able to do it so many times and it's was the great experience ever.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: LotemZ2

Review Date: 23 Mar 2019

Review Body: I had such a wonderful time with freedom surfing school, that I stayed much longer than I expected. My instructor Sahan was a great teacher,very professional and patient and thanks to him I gain so much confidence in surfing. You can tell that these guys really care that you'll learn to surf properly, and they take their job very seriously. If you're looking for a place where you could get the proper tools and really learn how to surf by yourself in the end, this is the place for you. Besides that, the atmosphere is just lovely and this place really felt like home. Highly recommended !!! Thank you so much guys :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Lucyinthesky17

Review Date: 04 Oct 2017

Review Body: Had such a lovely stay with Freedom Surf thanks to the welcoming, warm and friendly staff. The rooms were clean and well presented. A/c was a huge bonus. The breakfast included was delicious and refreshing. Overall it’s a relaxing place to stay and for the price it’s unbeatable. My friend and I had never done surfing before but the guys down at Freedom Surf Villa were excellent and so encouraging. Sunrise yoga is quite breathtaking and gives you a buzz all day long. I will most definitely be returning and would highly recommend this as your place to stay for your holiday in Sri Lanka. - Lucy

Review rating: 5

Review Author: mataysha

Review Date: 15 Nov 2019

Review Body: We spent 2 weeks in Weligama at Freedom, the place is great! Super quiet but close to the center, the room is very spacious and clean and the common area are perfect to chill, cook and have fun with the host/staff and the other guest. You can also enjoy outside area in the terrace and rooftop (up coming). Surfing wise we had the best time, surfing one or two times a day with a very nice and professional teacher! We improved a lot in such a short time. I do recommend to go there! You won’t regret it :) thanks a lot for everything, I hope to see you soon ❤️

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Aippee

Review Date: 06 Feb 2019

Review Body: Surfing with Freedom Surf school was a really good experience. Both of my teachers Kiri and Niro were really nice and helpful and thnaks to them my surfing got so much better during the week I spent in Weligama. Also had good tips on how to improve my surfing and choose the right board. Also really enjoyed my stay in the Freedom Villa! Leomi was super helpful and made my stay in the Villa very comfortable. I would highly recommend both Freedom Surf school and Freedom Villa to anyone staying in Weligama!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: BackPackAis

Review Date: 12 Apr 2019

Review Body: I returned to freedom this year to take more lessons after my first visit in 2017.. my instructor this time was Kiri. He was so patient with me and got me back on the board in no time at all. I always had lots of fun on my lessons. The Villa is so comfortable and has a really nice area to chill and socialize in. The host Leomi is super friendly and helpful and makes you feel right at home in her villa. I will definitely continue to come back to freedom for a long time :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ozek, Sweden

Review Date: 31 Jan 2019

Review Body: Stayed here over New Years 2018 and it was great. Calm and relaxed feeling in the villa with Leo and Lily catering to you needs. Stayed in a AC-room and it was excellent. Unfortunately I got I’ll a day before coming here and could not go to surf as much as I wanted but the few times I managed was great. Instructors really pushed me to become better which was great. Sometimes you need extra motivation and these guys bring it - smiling!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: _B1459OJ

Review Date: 15 Nov 2019

Review Body: I've been to Freedom Surf School twice: in April and October 2019. And I will come here again if I go back to Sri Lanka! Madu is an amazing coach! He explains everything, what and how to do during the lesson, how the waves work and so on. He watches you surf and then explains your mistakes, what you need to change to succeed. I am very happy that in April I came to Freedom surf school and Madu trained me. Thanks a lot!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ebba Ö

Review Date: 13 Apr 2018

Review Body: Lesitha, Ashan, Niroush and Lani were the best instructors that we had in Weligama. Unlike many other surf-instructors on the beach, freedom surf school actually provides teachers that are professional surfers who are great at teaching. We really made progress in a couple of lessons and had the best time. You should definitely surf with Freedom, would recommend 5/5!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Pawel Ż, Poland

Review Date: 17 Dec 2018

Review Body: This was my second time with Freedom surf school. I spent with them together 25h of individual surfing lessons. I am very satisfied. I could recomend trully two instructors: Niro and Kiri - both were very patient and interested in mine and my wife’s developement. Next year we will also choose them. Some of theor boards have GoPro mount and I could record my ride :)

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Surfing lessons and practice.

Itinerary Description: Sample Itinerary (actual itinerary will vary depending on weather and tides of the day) 9:00 AM Morning surf lesson 10:00 AM Independent Practice 12:00 PM Lunch with coaches and other surfers 2:30 PM Independent Practice 4:00 PM Afternoon surf lesson 5:00 PM Review of the day with instructors