A world away from busy Colombo, sandy, slow-moving Mirissa off the Sri Lankan south shore is a land of swinging hammocks, swaying coconut palms, sun-kissed beaches and bamboo guesthouses. Visitors come to kick-back between the lapping waves of the Indian Ocean and the makeshift coffee bars that linger in the shade of the mangroves and verdant canopies behind. There’s surf here too, divided between two left to righters on either side of Mirissa’s crescent of sand, while the silhouettes of snorkelers can often be seen drifting through the coral reefs, as bobbing fishing boats provide the backdrop on the horizon. Mirissa tour guides also offer travellers the opportunity to spy out some of Sri Lanka’s more massive of seasonal inhabitants, whales, viewable just off the shores between the months of December and April.