Camp Poe

We stayed there for a week in December 2018 for surfing and yoga. My boyfriend is quite an advanced surfer while I am a beginner. The vibe around the guests was great however the manager Ben did not really get involved with us. You can chill by the pool and take any surf board without a rental fee so if you want to surf by yourself you can just grab a board and go. We chose to stay in one of the bungalows which was quite humid, shabby chic but didn't have mosquito nets (they have tons of mosquitos), so we hunted every night before going to bed to avoid being eaten alive :) Since we came there after traveling Sri Lanka we focused solely on yoga and surfing unfortunately the times for yoga and surfing are often not coordinated so you need to chose either one. Another downer was that the surf times are not decided upon tide but just set and stay the same every day while it's just once a day and every third day is a day off. Beginners leave at 7:30am Intermediate leaves at 7:00 am Advanced leaves at 6:30am Since these times never change it can happen that you have no waves and since it's the only time to surf you might not get a good surf for the day unless you get your own tuk tuk and find a beach. This was a bit unfortunate especially if surfing was the main reason for your stay. As the surf groups did not all return at the same time for breakfast and often the fruit or meal of the day was already finished when the beginners returned and we had no real breakfast except toast with jelly. As many of the guests were disappointed by price for value we tried to engage in an open discussion with Ben. We were quite surprised that his response in the question around price to value was "I know it's expensive for what you get but seriously as long as people are willing to pay I don't really care". This was all we needed to hear and checked out early and all went to a hotel down the road and surfed on our own then. We have met some great people there but I would not recommend this place if you are looking for a great time to surf. That seems not to be the main focus there anymore. I know back in the days things were really cool but since Til (the former partner of Ben) left Camp Poe seems to have turned their focus.

I cannot express enough how good this camp was. I did the one week surf and yoga package and found it was the perfect combo of keeping active and chilling out. The vibes at this camp are so chilled and welcoming and you honestly feel like part of a big family from the minute you walk in ☺️ I was almost skeptic all when I saw no bad reviews for the place at first but I quickly understood why! Loved watching the monkeys play in the afternoons all around the camp and had the best time joining in on one of the paddle boarding activities too. I managed to improve my surfing heaps within a week too as the instructors are really knowledgeable and give easy to understand feedback. I will definitely be back!

Epic surf and yoga camp. All your needs are catered for and the staff are exceptionally helpful! Anything you need they can organise. There is always activities to do or you can just relax and do nothing by the pool. The food is delicious, made by locals. Lots of waves available for all abilities right on your door step or a short tuk tuk ride away. Big selection of boards. Great local and international surf teachers. Loads of monkeys and wildlife around for your viewing pleasure, but careful leaving clothes and toiletries lying around as monkeys love to play hide and seek with them. Thanks for a chilled holiday. Churrr

Starting our Sri Lankan adventure at camp Poe allowed us to reset, relax and rejuvenate our mind and body. The camp itself is peaceful jungle which allows you to switch off from the world and immerse yourself in nature. The staff are extremely helpful, friendly and caring and Ben and the team have done a fantastic job in creating a wonderful culture for this camp. We stayed for 7 days and had the yoga and surf package which was a perfect combination of activity and relaxing. Although we are beginners at surfing, our surf in structure was very helpful and patient and we both managed to learn a few tricks which we hope to continue on our surfing Adventures. The yoga classes with Ben were everyday unexpected and allowed for a different adventure. The camp has a different vibe! It’s welcoming without judgement and everyone there is keen to get to know each other. I do miss camp Poe every day and can’t wait to have a drum session again one day. Thank everyone!!

I came here with my wife in August for surfing, yoga and relaxing. Before we booked we weren‘t sure if we should come during low-season but we enjoyed our stay very much. During the daily surf lessons the weather was perfect, in the afternoon there was often a bit of rain but this actually made a nice atmosphere :) No wet suit is needed for surfing, the water is super-warm! As we usually travel around a lot during our holidays we decided on staying at one location this time and on being lazy. Although offering a lot of activities, Camp Poe was just perfect for us. We enjoyed dinner in the camp which was prepared by local staff and tasted excellent. At the Info board there were also recommendations for restaurants in town and the hosts Peter and Miri showed us very nice places to have lunch/dinner. They were very nice and caring, when we needed something (Tuk-Tuk ride, beer, food, whatever) it took Peter only a few seconds to organize it. He also scheduled us a trip to the rain forest and to a tea factory which was great. There is a beautiful pool at the camp and sometimes you can watch the monkeys climbing there up in the trees! Ben taught us Quantum Yoga which includes Ayurveda and was just perfect for us to start with yoga. Ben also considered our individual needs and requests to make our yoga classes even better. The surf instructor Asela was extremely helpful and taught me how to do turtle rolls and to surf green waves. He always had good advices for us to improve our performance. The surfing spot Weligama was perfect for beginning with adequate swell every day and an unbelievably small lineup - one day we were only four guys out there! Breakfast was very good always with fresh fruits, scrambled eggs/omelette and pancakes or coconut roti. We stayed in the luxury tent which was very comfortable. Thanks for everything, we are looking forward to coming back soon!