Verse Collective

Dikwella, Sri Lanka

As we shuffled our way along the Sri Lankan Southern coast, we sunk into a slower way of life, falling asleep just after dusk and waking up to catch sunrise unfolding. With each day we found it easier to abandon our phones and our evening routine became simpler (finding a sweet spot on the beach, a few local beers, watching sunset surfers dance along waves). We stopped noticing the sand collecting at the bottom of bags, and books became dog eared and a little bit sticky from using them to balance coconuts on. We didn’t expect to find any metropolitan hustle along the coast, so when we made our way down the hill to Verse Collective, we were surprised to discover a bustling, buzzing hotel hybrid. 

Owned by South African couple Peni Wick and Jeremy Klynsmith, Verse Collective multitasks as a hotel, co-working space, cafe, surf shop and hostel. By day, beach go-ers hide in the shade with oversized cans of Lion beer and tempura prawn burgers (highly recommend this combination) whilst in the lobby, creatives balance work and island life, watching the resident cat tiptoe around their coconut latte and keyboard. There’s a half-pipe outside for the restless, you can reach the beach in a few steps and you’ll know most of the songs on the playlist (Teenage Dirtbag is hidden in there). 

The location of Verse Collective couldn’t be dreamier. Dikwella beach is the less crowded alternative to Hiriketiya Bay, with fewer surfers and more sand. We spent a full day scuttling from Verse, to the beach, and back to make the most of beers under breezy palms and the warm ocean. It’s easy enough to grab a tuktuk to Hiriketiya Bay and Silent Beach in Tangalle was less than a 30 minute drive away. Everyone in the area (locals and tourists alike) knew Verse Collective, and we saw familiar faces return for dinner, drinks and nightcaps throughout our stay. 

Verse Collective can be booked through Airbnb, and the rates are cheerful enough to justify a long stint. The rooms were simple but in all honestly, we preferred to spend most of our time in the outdoor spaces. We cut our stay short to fast track a stint in the mountains but if you’re after a fuss-free place to rest your head, this is it. 

Just before we checked out, we wanted to say farewell to our favourite beach, so we ran across the road and jumped straight into the ocean. Hopped up on two coffees each and Sum 41 ringing in our ears (told you the playlist was good), we were glad for the second wave of excitement that Verse had reintroduced to our adventure. 

Verse Collective, from £65 per night.