Trincomalee – East Coast Sri Lanka

Trincomalee, often just called Trinco, is a city in North Eastern Sri Lanka. The city saw a lot of fighting during the civil war but has recently been moving beyond that, quickly growing into an interesting tourist location with decent beaches and sights. Trinco is famous for its nice beaches in the nearby Uppuveli (6km) and Nilaveli (12km) north of the city.

What to See?

• Fort Fredrick is an old Dutch fort located on a peninsula east of the town centre. It still has a strong military presence from the war – the whole peninsula is basically a military base – but it is quite friendly and a nice place to explore. There is a nice Hindu temple atop the cliff at the end of the peninsula with spectacular views.

• Uppuveli beach is about 6km north of the town and is a wonderful nearly pristine beach. To reach the beach take the bus north and get of at the church on the west side of the road 5-6km north of Trincomalee (watch the Kilometre Posts along the road). 

• Nilaveli, slightly farther north, is similar to Uppuveli but less crowded. There is a big military base right in the middle of Nilaveli, but the nice beaches make up for it.

• Pigeon Island national park, 1km offshore, is preferred for its white sand, rock pigeon breeding grounds and shark sights. 

• Marble Beach

• Some interesting Temples can be found in Trincomalee. The latter temple is famous for its giant phallus symbol.

• Deer are a very distinct and local attraction in Trincomalee. They were brought in by Europeans and are visible everywhere on the Fort peninsula and close to the bus station.

What to Do?

• A snorkelling trip to Pigeon Island is an interesting way of spending time in Trincomalee. There are local boats that will take you to this island for a fee of about USD30 (return). You can see the abundant sea life – sadly the coral is not respected much by the locals. The snorkelling should be done with great caution as some areas here are very deep, up to a thousand metres in depth.

• There is also dolphin and whale watching available from most of the guest houses on Uppuveli beach.
• Diving, Uppuveli, Nilaveli. Several dive centres in Uppuveli and Nilaveli can arrange diving tours, PADI dive courses, and they also provide water sports gear. Diving season here is around Mai to October (according to the weather). Great diving around Dutch Bay, underwater walls and caves.