The Salty Pelican Yoga & Surf Retreat Sri Lanka

Me an my girlfriend stopped at the Salty Pelican for 3 nights in February 2020 and stayed in a double bedroom. Our room and the facilities in general are simply amazing - all new, clean and stylish. All people working there as well as the guests were extremely kind which made the atmosphere so unique. Further, the combination of yoga and surfing is perfect and the teachers doing a great job! Not to forget the food that was delicious and varied.

We had the best time here! The location, architecture, surf&yoga classes, people, beaches. We would come and stay here again. Everything is how it is on the photos, just beautiful! We stayed in the female dorm (which is more like a luxury version of a dorm with USB access, light and shelves by the bed, comfi mattress and a big locker. ) and met such amazing people that we loved spending time with and it was hard to say bye to. Food was lovely as well and the breakfast was incredible, including the coffee! Thanks for this lovely time!

This brand new surf and yoga retreat is gorgeous. I booked the 8 day wellbeing and yoga package. I had a search for a yoga retreat and most places up and down the coast only offer one yoga class a day. Here is unlimited which gives you 3 classes a day. Plus even with this package you can also take out a surf board whenever you please. Hiriketiya is my favourite beach of about 10 I’ve been to in Sri Lanka. And the retreat is only a 6 minute walk to the stunning beach with lots of places to eat out. And a 2 minute walk the other direction to the. I’m pearly different Dikwella beach. The team here are the friendliest happiest group you could wish to meet. From the amazing yoga teachers to the managers and the bar staff remembering your names! I’m not used to dorm life but rooms are lovely, the beds are super comfortable and the lockers are huge! The only thing I half expected (from researching others) was that retreats would be booked as set dates, creating slightly less flow & movement of guests. and even more relaxation . If that’s possible! Amazing place.

Gorgeous looking place with nice pool, great vibes and amazing people! The Yogashala and teachers are amazing, we even had monkeys around. You can buy a dropin class for 2000 lkr and start your day with a energizing Vinyasa Class. Tip: Order the mango and shrimp salad for a delicious lunch. Also loved the ginger cooler as a refreshment!

Arrived at this retreat just after their opening day and didn’t want to leave. Perfect location within walking distance to beaches / restaurants with the super scenic Hiriketiya horseshoe bay one side and the long sandy Dickwella beach on the other, both just a few minutes walk away. The premises themselves were amazing, super modern feel, and the owners have obviously put a lot of thought into the layout and finer details (e.g. bedside usb ports, cold water dispensers, wrist-band door keys, poolside lounges / bean bags, etc.), which make this place a step above other similar places I’ve stayed in. Another cool part of my stay was the way everyone would join up tables at breakfast / dinner and socialise. Ended up meeting people from all around the world and it really felt like one big family by the end.

What a wonderful place with amazing people in a beautiful surounding, we love The Salty Pelican in Hiriketiya. Monika, Gareth, Tiago and the rest of the crew are sooo service minded and made our week the best! The location is perfect, if you want to surf in the bay its only a few minutes walk down the hill and if you want more chill and sunset beach its a few mintes walk to the other beach. We are defintly coming back. Love Victor and Lisa

(Translated by Google) I had a wonderful stay at the Salty Pelican with my 2 children! The place is magnificent! The adorable team! Excellent food! I enjoyed yoga classes and massages, the children were able to surf with the equipment available on the beach. Children keep great memories of their holidays! We hope to return soon! Thanks again Zanda, Sunny and Monika! (Original) J'ai passé un séjour magnifique au Salty Pelican avec mes 2 enfants ! Le lieu est magnifique ! L'équipe adorable ! La nourriture excellente ! J'ai apprécié les cours de yoga et les massages, les enfants eux ont pu surfer avec le matériel mis à disposition sur la plage. Les enfants gardent un excellent souvenir de leurs vacances ! On espère y retourner bientôt ! Merci encore Zanda, Sunny et Monika !

I spent few days in this place. Firstly, the staff is really cool & fun! The are really caring about guests that gives comfort. Secondly, the organization if you do Hike/Paddle/Surf is well managed. Yoga classes are great as well. Thus, it is to me a nice place in a peaceful atmosphere with a staff you can trust with a good palet of activities to take a relaxing time. Massages are good! If they put a pool in the coming months, they will deserve a 10/10 :))) Guilhem

We went to the Salty Pelican in the beginning of January 2020. The place had just opened. Everything was perfect! First of all we had the pleasure of being welcomed by Monika. A smiling, cheerful woman whose energy is contagious. She was always around to help us and to make sure our stay was as pleasant as possible. Then we discovered the place: the swimming pool is perfect for relaxing, the rooms are exceptional (well decorated, large, with a nice little balcony), the yoga shala, the dining room, the room near the entrance... everything is perfectly arranged. The atmosphere is young, calm and invites a sense of well-being. The yoga classes are just perfect! The teachers are attentive and all different in their approach. We were particularly moved during a class with Lily. I normally have a lot of trouble meditating but Natasha managed to give me the chance to practice it. The food is exceptional and all the staff is worthy of mention! Especially D. who was always happy to make us delicious cocktails. The surf spot was also great! We were also pleasantly surprised by the surroundings and the small restaurants nearby with a similar vibe! The place will always remain magical for us since we got engaged here! In short, a simply perfect place with dedicated staff whose qualities superseded our expectations! Thank you to the whole Salty team for these incredible moments! Thanks for everything Monika! Coralie & Colt

Me an my girlfriend stopped at the Salty Pelican for 3 nights and stayed in a double bedroom. Our room and the facilities in general are simply amazing - all new, clean and stylish. All people working there as well as the guests were extremely kind which made the atmosphere so unique. Further, the combination of yoga and surfing is perfect and the teachers doing a great job! Not to forget the food that was delicious and varied. I can fully recommend this retreat. Stay there and you will love it! Thanks a lot to the team of the Salty Pelican for having us!

I stayed 8 days at Salty Pelican and did not want to say goodbye. It felt like family as soon as I arrived. I loved the yoga teachers and the staff. I met friends for a lifetime and enjoyed the strong connections I was able to make. The rooms are clean and cozy and I felt super safe and taken care of :) I will be back!

I absolutely loved my time at Salty and can only recommend it to anyone looking for a yoga retreat or simply a beautiful place to stay in Hiriketiya. The facilities are amazing and you're just a short walk away from stunning beaches. The best part by far is the incredible staff though, from reception to management to bar everyone is just so friendly and attentive and really tries to make sure you have a great stay. 100% recommend!

Had the most amazing experience here at salty, the staff were unbelievable, so friendly really took care of us all, as for the actual hostel it was the cleanest place I stayed in my whole trip of Sri Lanka which makes such a difference to your experience, as well the yoga and surf were some of the best classes I had ever done. I met the most amazing group of people at salty it was a complete vibe, I highly recommend and cannot wait to go back!

Beutiful decor, very clean without insects, very friendly people. Yoga shala amazing and a wonderful pool. The shared rooms are very good with good lockers to keep your personal stuff. Near hirikita beach perfect to learn surf, initiated and intermediate. The food isn't amazing but it's good and a hight quality.

I was after a place where I could sleep soundly, enjoy a clean shower (with a hairdryer), and meet some great people: the Salty Pelican offered all of that. The location is perfect as it sits between Dickwella and Hiriketiya beach. The breakfast is divine, the staff (Sonny & Zander) are amazing, and the kitchen staff always have a smile. People here may complain about airconditioning going off at 3am for a few hours, but honestly, you just pop on the fan and you are good. Remember: you are in Sri Lanka, it's such a blessing to have air con anyway. It's better to live a little. Totally recommend.

The Salty Pelican is a lovely place for people who wants a mix of retreat and hostel. You can take your time to calm down, do Yoga with amazing view and jungle voices and nice yoga teachers, surf with instructor or by yourself at a beach nearby, chill at the pool or go to the beaches around (Dickwella and Hiriketiya, both just 200 meters). But you can also meet nice people from all around the world, eat together, talk, go out or just chill. Every night there is a dinner come together which you can join if you want, if not its fine, too. At the end, it's a retreat so there is no night program which I totally understand, but if you are in the mood to go and have a drink or eat something there are plenty places around you can just walk by. I would recommend this place for everyone who needs a bit time to calm down, for single travellers or friends or couples as well. If I have the chance, I will definitly come again one day! I wish you guys all the best and congrats to such a nice retreat with amazing interior, nice food and more than friendly staff.

We had the best time here! The location, architecture, surf&yoga classes, people, beaches. We would come and stay here again. Everything is how it is on the photos, just beautiful! We stayed in the female dorm (which is more like a luxury version of a dorm with USB access, light and shelves by the bed, comfi mattress and a big locker. ) and met such amazing people that we loved spending time with and it was hard to say bye to. Food was lovely as well and the breakfast was incredible, including the coffee! I loved the view from the Yoga-area with all the trees and monkeys in it. Thanks for this lovely time!

We stayed in one of the gorgeous private room for 3 days - my boyfriend going surfing and me yoga/relaxing at the pool. We had such a wonderful time that we came back a few days later to stay in the dorms. The whole place is kitted out to such a high spec, the yoga deck is beautiful, the staff lovely. The private rooms are great with a little balcony and really comfy bed. The dorms are also brilliant - with lots of space to store backpacks. The rest of the hotel and the communal spaces are even better though with plenty of space to chill with a book, sun loungers, a pool and even a restaurant with excellent snacks. Everything is made by the people though - this is a social place where you can make friends with like minded people.

Such a great place!! Usually yoga retreats are too expensive for the quality you get - with the Salty Pelican it was the exact opposite! Everything is brand new and a details have been thought through. Great yoga, great surf, very welcoming staff. The location is also amazing!!

It's so beautiful and full of details. As soon as you arrive you feel welcome and relaxed. I am already working out when to go back to this wonderful place. Yoga in the morning and afternoon helps with shutting down and enjoying the vacation to its fullest.

Loooved the wonderful staff at this retreat! everyone i met, whether owner or employee was extremely kind! i did not only feel instantly welcome, but also very much at home. the yoga classes with natascha and kat were perfect; soulful, loving and with great supervision. i recommend this retreat for anyone; whether travelling alone or with others. a lovely vibe & people with hearts of gold!

This was my first solo trip ever in Sri Lanka. I was looking for a place where I would be comfortable and where I can meet people at the same time. The Salty Pelican was defenitly that place! The location is just between 2 beaches and there is plenty of restaurants nearby. I tried yoga for the first time ever. That was SO amazing! The teacher was really professional and there is absolutely no judgment in this class. I really enjoyed it. The rest of the time, I was either chilling at the beach or at the pool with a delicious cocktail. The dorms are clean, well designed and comfortable. What about the bathrooms with view on the jungle: WOW. Really, I want to say something for them to be even better, but I don't fin anything! This place is perfect. It is open since December 2019 and they are doing very well! The service is awesome, and the team is truly amazing :) They make you feel as if you were staying at a friends house! Really, DO NOT HESITATE and BOOK! You will enjoy it for sure :D BEST HOSTEL EVER. I met nice people there and will keep perfect memories :)

Wonderful place to learn to surf and practice yoga. I booked this hotel specifically for the yoga but also ended up surfing not once but twice - because Sunny is so amazing! The beginner beach they took us to was a lovely place to discover and felt like a hidden gem that you had to be in the know to find. The yoga classes are excellent and Natasha is a very skilled teacher. We also appreciated the vibe and how easy it was to meet other guests. The hotel is brand new which means there are some kinks that need to be worked out (and this is absolutely normal!). Monika was very understanding of the problem we experienced with the air conditioner which made sleeping difficult. She kindly moved us to another room where our sleep was less disturbed and this meant a lot to us. The pool is lush and a fabulous place to relax and chill out. I think the breakfast could use a bit of work and would benefit from a little more variety such as the addition of roti and dahl, for example. The one dinner we had was very disappointing but I think it was just an off night for the kitchen so would give them the benefit of the doubt here. The Salty Pelican has definitely put together a winning team that make a stay here extra special and I would definitely recommend coming here for their personal touch.

This place is just amazing! I stayed here for 10 days and would definitely go back! Rooms were spacious and the swimming pool area is the perfect place to relax after having a-ma-zing surf classes with sunny. The whole salty team is just amazing and always happy to help! Thank you guys, you are doing an amazing job! Thanks for making my stay unforgettable!

Cool place, amazing pool! Very spaceous rooms and great food at the bar and the best surfclasses with Sunny! Everyone is super friendly and helpfull. It’s paradise. Can’t describe it as anything else and definitely can’t wait to go back.

Cool place, amazing pool.. very spacious rooms, great food at the bar and had the best time in my surfclass with sunny! Monika and zanda are great hosts ..always there to give you some great tips! Thank you for the great stay! ??

My friend and I had an amazing stay in Salty Pelicans. Beautiful hostel with a great pool and chill area. We really enjoyed the yoga and surfing classes, latter being from the super nice instructor Sunny. In general, all the staff was super nice and happy and the food was really good and quite fancy.

Gorgeous looking place with nice pool, great vibes and amazing people! The Yogashala and teachers are amazing, we even had monkeys around. You can buy a dropin class for 2000 lkr and start your day with a energizing Vinyasa Class. Tip: Order the mango and shrimp salad for a delicious lunch. Also loved the ginger cooler as a refreshment!

First of all when i arrived in hiriketiya after traveling around on the island, it felt like I had found paradise. And it only got better when I arrived @ The Salty Pelican. This place is magical, the rooms are amazing. I always stay in dorms and often its really small with no space for your lugage but here at The Salty Pelican i felt like a queen in a castle. I got a big closet all for myself with an easy system to lock it. The room is very spacious and just wait till you see the 5star bathrooms! I just loved the pool and the people that work behind the bar. So friendly & happy. And wait till you try their food! I think it was the best food i had in my life! Really, if you stay here you HAVE to try the restaurant! The yoga is amazing, you can see the monkey's from the beautiful wooden shala. But the surf is even better! Perfect spots for all levels! Sometimes you even see big turtles while riding a wave! Big thanks to all the staff, this place made my trip complete! Next stop : Salty Pelican Portugal ;)

I enjoyed my time in salty pelican a lot. The house & garden are very luxurious and new (the retreat opened only in Dec 2019). The location is perfect between 2 beaches. You have lots of restaurants/ cafes and bars around. And the city is in walkind distance if you need the ATM or some fresh fruits from the market. The Yoga was 3 times per day, the Yoga Shala is amazing (literally in the jungle). The oweners and staff very super nice and helpful (Shout out to lovely Monika!).

Had an absolutely lovely time at the Salty Pelican Sri Lanka to start off the new year! Staff is amazing, helpful and generous. Lots of daily activities to keep you busy and an amazing pool to help relaxing. Definitely recommend it if looking for a fantastic week in paradise! Going back soon! Thanks Salty team ????

Great location & super friendly staff. These guys have really created a perfect surf & yoga retreat! The combination of location & great weather ..added to the fantastic yoga sessions and surf classes just made my the time here fly! For sure will be back again but for longer! Thanks to all the Salty Team! ?????????????????????????

Stayed here over new year 19/20 (Their opening weeks). Even though they just opened, it felt spot on from the get go! ??Truly amazing people running the place. ??Warm hearted and compotent yoga instructors. ??Fresh and clean fascilities. ??Perfectly located in the calm heart of Hiriketiya. (still a 4min walk to the more buzzing areas) ??A perfect mix between casual and luxury. This place feels SO genuin and warm. I highly recommend it! /Max

This is my fourth time in Sri Lanka and this time was the best by far! The Salty Pelican is the best hostel i've ever been not only in this island but in all of my travels around the world. Great staff, super kind and always available to take care of my needs. The building its just awesome, really nice facilities with an amazing pool and a terrace perfect for the morning yoga sessions. Once again thanks to Tiago, Monika, Gareth and all the staff for making this my best stay in Sri Lanka. I'll be back.

The Salty Pelican is definitely the best place we stayed in Sri Lanka. We had previously visited their hostel in Portugal and absolutely loved it so we knew we were in good hands! Our stay was perfect! The retreat is brand new, very modern compared to all the places around. The food was delicious and prepared by local chefs, the cocktails were amazing and very affordable. We enjoyed our afternoons by the pool and did some very relaxing massages! Salty Pelican is located a short walk from the beach, location is ideal! But what made this trip really special was the staff, the great vibe and all the great friends we made! We had a blast! Thank you for everything!!