ROUND TRIP SRI LANKA WITH EAST COAST
Information about the beaches on the East Coast of Sri Lanka.
Best time to travel: May to the end of September.
The East Coast of Sri Lanka
Trincomalee, Passikudah or Arugam Bay – from May to the end of September you are spoiled for choice. Tours in these months can be easily combined with a beach holiday on the beautiful east coast of Sri Lanka. Here we introduce you to the most beautiful beaches on the east coast of Sri Lanka. At the end you will have all the information you need to tell us which beach or beaches you would like to visit as part of your individual Sri Lanka trip in the summer months.
Best time to travel to the east coast of Sri Lanka: May to the end of September (more information about the best time to travel to Sri Lanka).
Trincomalee: Uppuveli, Nilaveli & Kuchchaveli
The Trincomalee area offers three beautiful beaches for an idyllic beach holiday in Sri Lanka: Nilaveli, Uppuveli and Kuchchaveli. They are very popular due to their proximity to some of Sri Lanka’s best diving and snorkeling spots. Whale and dolphin watching tours are also available from Trincomalee’s beaches. To get one of the few good hotels in Trincomalee and the surrounding area during the summer holidays, you have to book very early.
Tip: Since there is not a lot of traffic in this area of Sri Lanka, you can rent a scooter to explore the surrounding area.
Nilaveli Beach
Nilaveli Beach in Trincomalee is a very long, almost white sandy beach. You’ve come to the right place if you ‘re looking for peace and relaxation. It is advisable to book a hotel with half board as there are only a few restaurants outside the hotels. It takes around 20 minutes by bus or tuk-tuk to the neighboring Uppuveli Beach. When it comes to accommodation on Nilaveli Beach, you will mainly find small hotels and boutique guesthouses, but also some fairly simple budget guesthouses. Our hotel tip for Nilaveli: Nilaveli Beach Resort.
Uppuveli Beach
Uppuveli Beach is the busiest beach in Trincomalee. In contrast to Nilaveli Beach, Uppuveli also has a number of restaurants, cafes and bars that can be easily reached on foot from the accommodation. Uppuveli Beach is not a party beach, but still offers peace and relaxation. It is therefore very suitable (but not only) for families with children.
Tip: You should be a little careful when choosing accommodation in Uppuveli. There are mainly cheap budget guesthouses/hotels on this beach, most of which do not offer a particularly good standard.
Kuchchaveli Beach
Kuchchaveli Beach is the last and most remote of the beaches around Trincomalee. It is essentially the private beach of the fantastic Jungle Beach by Uga Resorts . At Kuchchaveli Beach, the beach has a unique coloring. Here you will find places with very soft, black sand, which is created due to a mineral that occurs specifically in this area. It takes around 10 minutes to get to Nilaveli Beach by tuk-tuk or bus, and it takes around 30 minutes to get to Uppuveli Beach.
The Jungle Beach Hotel and Kuchchaveli Beach are the right places for you if you are looking for peace and relaxation (or if you want to use the beautiful hotel as a starting point for excursions in the area).
Passikudah/Kalkudah
The long beach of Passikudah is characterized by larger hotel complexes in the classic deluxe segment (e.g. the Hotel Uga Bay by Uga Escapes , the Hotel Malu Malu or the Hotel Anantaya Passikudah ). This is the right place for you if you are looking for a beach holiday on a beautiful beach and in a comfortable hotel. Tip: Book at least half board here, as you will find little to no eating options outside of the hotels.
There is a water sports center on Passikudah Beach that offers snorkeling and diving trips as well as various water sports activities (e.g. jet ski, banana boat). Passikudah offers great swimming opportunities in season (May-September) and is therefore the perfect choice for families with children.
For anyone who wants to spend a holiday completely secluded from the outside world, the beautiful Hotel Karpaha Sands on Kalkudah Beach is ideal.
Arugam Bay
From May to September, Arugam Bay is THE hotspot for all surfers and those who want to become one. There are a number of surf spots in the area for every level of ability.
The entire place is geared towards the needs of surfers. There are many bars, restaurants and shops and always cool beach parties. Surfboard rentals and surf schools can be found on virtually every corner, as well as bike and scooter rentals. Accommodation ranges from very basic and uncomfortable budget hotels to charming boutique-style guesthouses (which are usually not located directly on the beach). For a pure beach holiday, Trincomalee and Passikudah are the best places to go, but if you feel like partying and want to try your hand at surfing, Arugam Bay is the beach for you.
Tip: There are also some other beautiful beaches in the area around Arugam Bay that offer more secluded, quieter accommodation options (e.g. Pottuvil or Whiskey Point Beach).
Combination tour Sri Lanka & east coast
There are many options to combine a tour of Sri Lanka with a stay at one or more beaches on the east coast (→ request an individual offer).
If you would like to spend a few bathing days on the east coast as part of a trip to Sri Lanka, it is recommended to integrate these bathing days into the tour (interrupting the tour for the bathing days). The bathing days are therefore not at the end of the trip, but somewhere in between. This way you can avoid a long transfer time from the east coast back to the airport at the end of the trip (from the east coast of Sri Lanka to the airport it takes around 7-8 hours by car).
Good to know: Flight with Cinnamon Air
The Sri Lankan domestic airline Cinnamon Air flies daily (often several times a day) from Trincomalee and Batticaloa (Passikudah) to Colombo from March to the end of September. Prices for domestic flights with Cinnamon Air are around 200-300 euros per person. The flights take place in small aircraft (Cesnas) or seaplanes and only last about 1 hour (often with a stopover in Kandy or Sigiriya).
In addition to the quick transfer from the east coast to the west coast, you can also expect great views of Sri Lanka from above on Cinnamon Air flights. But be careful: Strict baggage restrictions apply and flights may be canceled due to weather (in which case the transfer will take place overland). You should therefore never plan a Cinnamon Air flight on the day you leave Sri Lanka (the day you start your journey home).
Book a Sri Lanka tour with the east coast
You can combine almost all of our round trip offers – with a slightly adjusted itinerary – with days at the beach on the east coast. We also have many other route suggestions for you, which we can tailor perfectly to your travel duration and your interests. Request an individual travel offer now and we will be happy to send you an offer for your personal dream trip in Sri Lanka within just 48 hours.
Do you have questions?
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