May is where the island swaps sides. The south-west monsoon sets in, which puts wind and rain on the south and west and turns the same airflow into an offshore on the east. Arugam Bay, Whiskey Point, Peanut Farm and Elephant Rock come alive over a few weeks.
It is a genuinely different trip from the one people book in January, and worth understanding before you fly: a long drive across the island, a smaller and more concentrated scene, and a run of long right-hand points instead of a chain of reefs. The season is just starting so the size is still building, and the water is at 29°C on both coasts.
