Nilaveli
Nilaveli is a village 14 km north of Trincomalee in northeastern Sri Lanka.
Understand
Get in
Get around
Map of Nilaveli
There is a military base separating the village from the area around the Nivali Beach Hotel. To get from one side to the other you have to take a rickshaw or walk along the main road to Trincomalee (beachside is restricted too).
See
Do
- 1 Pigeon Island. A snorkelling trip to Pigeon Island is a must. There are local boats that will take you to this island for a fee of about US$30 (return). Snorkelling is a great way to see the abundant sea life. Sadly the coral is not respected by all the locals.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Nilaveli Beach Hotel. Great 4-star hotel nestled right in front of Nilaveli Beach.
- H&U Guesthouse. budget guesthouse next to Anilana and Nilaveli Beach Hotel with very nice owners. You can stay there and walk to Anilana's great beach area, buy something at the bar (when you walk in from the beach the bar is to your right just before you enter the pool area) and enjoy their nice atmosphere all day long. Pigeon Island trips start right at the beach (Rs.2100 entry fee, Rs.600 equipment, Rs.1800 per boat). The fan rooms are Rs.4000 with breakfast which will seem too much when you see them, but bang for the buck is quite low in Nilaveli.
- 2 Shahira Hotel, 10th Milepost, ☏ +94 76 804 7291. Decent prices for clean rooms. Nice owner who tells you all about the tsunami in 2004.