Things to do in Trincomalee
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Trincomalee
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Core east coast season: dry, calm seas, Pigeon Island and whale trips running, everything on the strip open.
Shoulder opening: whale trips restart from March, seas settle unevenly and jellyfish reports are more common.
Northeast monsoon: rain and rough seas, boats stop, swimming unsafe and many beach businesses close.
Unsettled tail of the monsoon: rain eases but the sea is unreliable and boats restart on local schedules.
What's on
- Thai Pongal mid January
Tamil harvest festival widely celebrated in Trincomalee, in the middle of the wet season.
- Maha Shivaratri February or March, date varies by lunar calendar
The biggest night of the year at Thirukoneswaram Kovil, with devotees keeping vigil at the temple.
- Deepavali October or November, date varies by lunar calendar
Festival of lights across the Tamil community, again in the wet season on this coast.
Best things to do in Trincomalee
Thirukoneswaram Kovil
A sacred Shiva temple on Swami Rock above the sea, free to enter, with the Lover's Leap cliff behind it.
Fort Frederick
A colonial fort still held by the army, with tame spotted deer on the road up to the temple headland.
Maritime and Naval History Museum
A small navy museum in a Dutch era building that explains why this harbour mattered to every empire in the region.
Trincomalee War Cemetery
A beautifully kept Commonwealth war cemetery, including graves from the 1942 air raid on Trincomalee.
Uppuveli Beach
The liveliest swimming beach in Trinco, with cafes, guesthouses and dive shops in the lanes behind the sand.
Nilaveli Beach
The quieter, wider beach north of town, and the departure point for boats to Pigeon Island.
Where to stay in Trincomalee
Uppuveli
social beach base, cafes and boats
Walkable lanes behind the liveliest beach, with the strip's cafes, dive shops and guesthouses close together.
Nilaveli
quiet beach and Pigeon Island
Wider, calmer sand and the Pigeon Island boats, with long distances between hotels and almost no nightlife.
Trincomalee town
transport, temples and harbour
Station, bus stand, Fort Frederick and town restaurants, but no swimming beach you should use.
Think twice about
- Trincomalee town as a beach base
The town shore is a working harbour, not a swimming beach. Stay in Uppuveli or Nilaveli for the sea.
- Uncleared scrub and off-track land inland
Landmines remain in parts of the north and east. Stay on well used roads and paths and obey warning signs.
- Dutch Bay for swimming
A harbour shore with boat traffic in Trinco town. Look at the view, swim at Uppuveli, Nilaveli or Marble Beach.
Best restaurants in Trincomalee
Cafe on the 18th
The cafe of Uppuveli, with the best coffee in Trinco, brunch and Japanese influenced dishes in an air conditioned room.
Dutch Bank Cafe
A cafe restaurant in the old Dutch Bank building, with a rooftop over the harbour and the best lunch in town.
Fernando's Bar
The beach bar of Uppuveli, for cold drinks and grilled seafood at sunset on the sand at Alles Garden.
Rice 'n' Curry
The most loved cheap kitchen in Uppuveli, serving rice with a spread of curries and king prawns near the beach.
Ubay Seafood Restaurant
A tiny dinner only seafood place in Alles Garden, cooking the same day catch in Sri Lankan style at local prices.
Be Cool Juice Bar and Sea Food Restaurant
A beach lane staple for fresh juices and cheap seafood plates, the place you fall into after a swim.
Outdoor things to do in Trincomalee
Pigeon Island National Park
Sri Lanka's best easy snorkelling, with reef, turtles and blacktip reef sharks a short boat ride off Nilaveli.
Whale Watching Trincomalee
Dawn boats to a deep offshore canyon where blue whales, sperm whales and spinner dolphins feed in season.
Marble Beach
An Air Force run cove south of town with unusually clear, calm water, lifeguards and the cleanest sand nearby.
Kanniya Hot Water Springs
Seven square hot wells at different temperatures, linked by tradition to Ravana and still used for rituals.
Velgam Vehera
Ancient Buddhist ruins in jungle that Tamil rulers also patronised, with a living temple and almost no visitors.
Seruwawila Mangala Raja Maha Viharaya
One of Sri Lanka's sixteen most sacred Buddhist sites, a pilgrimage temple in open country south of Trincomalee.
Best hotels in Trincomalee
Trinco Blu by Cinnamon
The full service resort heart of Uppuveli beach, with pool, spa and its own dive centre on the sand.
Amaranthe Bay Resort & Spa
A polished boutique resort on the lagoon at Alles Garden, a few minutes walk from Uppuveli beach.
Lobster Inn
A long running family guesthouse 100 metres from Uppuveli beach, with a garden, shared kitchen and helpful owners.
Uga Jungle Beach
Cabins and villas in coastal jungle on a near empty beach north of Nilaveli, the true luxury stay of the area.
Nilaveli Beach Hotel
The established mid-range hotel on Nilaveli beach, with a big pool and the Pigeon Island boats close by.
Nilaveli Beach Rooms
Simple, well liked budget rooms 300 metres from Nilaveli beach, with home cooked food and bikes to borrow.
JKAB Park Hotel
A practical town hotel with a pool near the station, best for temple visits and early trains, not beach walks.
Green Park Beach Hotel
A town hotel on the bay whose plain annexe fan rooms are the budget pick, with a terrace over the fishing beach.
Is Trincomalee expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | LKR 15,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | LKR 35,000 a person |
| Splurge | LKR 85,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Pigeon Island National Park: a few days ahead
- Whale Watching Trincomalee: a few days ahead
- Trinco Blu by Cinnamon: weeks ahead
- Amaranthe Bay Resort & Spa: a few days ahead
- Uga Jungle Beach: weeks ahead
- Nilaveli Beach Hotel: a few days ahead
- Nilaveli Beach Rooms: a few days ahead
- Book Uppuveli and Nilaveli hotels ahead for July and August, when the east coast fills.
- Book Pigeon Island boats and whale trips a few days ahead in core season and go on the first boats.
- Resort restaurant dinners at Trinco Blu and Uga Jungle Beach should be booked through the hotel if you are not staying there.
Is Trincomalee safe?
- Attacks cannot be ruled out, so avoid demonstrations and be alert in crowded places.
- Stay on well used roads and paths and never wander into scrub, because landmines remain in parts of the north and east.
- Carry photo ID for the Fort Frederick checkpoint and Marble Beach, and never photograph military bases or personnel.
- Ask locally about jellyfish and sea conditions each morning, and do not swim on this coast in the northeast monsoon.
Trincomalee travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Confirm whether a quoted Pigeon Island price includes the park ticket, which is most of the cost.
- Agree boat prices in a message before boarding, including gear, guide and ticket.
- Do not book a Trinco beach holiday in the northeast monsoon months for a discount. The boats stop and swimming is unsafe.
Getting around Trincomalee: public transport and more
- Tuk-tuks are the default, with fares agreed before you ride.
- Buses run the coast road between town, Uppuveli and Nilaveli cheaply and slowly.
- Police checkpoints are frequent, so scooter riders need their licence, international permit and passport copy.
- There are no ATMs and no fuel stations in Uppuveli or Nilaveli. Cash and fuel are in Trinco town.
Who Trincomalee suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Trincomalee your trip
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