Trincomalee is a city in northeastern Sri Lanka. Trincomalee has a very nice beaches even during the summer. The city saw a lot of fighting during the war but has recently been moving beyond that and is quickly growing into a premier tourist location because of its wonderful beaches in Nilaveli and Uppiveli.

Get in

The bus station is located across the street from the clock tower and the market. The train station is about one kilometer north of town.

Get around

Trincomalee is a very compact town so walking is a suitable way to see the town. For longer trips rickshaws are available at nearly every corner.

See

• Pigeon Island

• Fort Frederick. Fort Fredrick is an old Dutch fort located on a peninsula North East of the town center. It still has a strong military presence from the war but 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. 

Beaches

• 1 Uppuveli beach. Uppuveli beach is about 6 km north of the town and is a wonderful nearly pristine beach. 

• 2 Marble Beach. 

• 3 Nilaveli beach. The sleepy village of Nilaveli is located 14 km north of Trincomalee. Because of the beautiful beach there are many hotels there. 

Do

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 the locals. Snorkelling should be done with great caution as some areas 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 Uppaveli beach.

• 1 Snorkelling. 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 the locals. Snorkelling should be done with great caution as some areas 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 Uppaveli beach. 
• Dolphin and whale watching. There is also dolphin and whale watching available from most of the guest houses on Uppaveli beach. 

Eat

Most guesthouses will make meals for you if you talk to them.

Aside from that there is an overpriced North Indian food restaurant at Green Park Beach Hotel to the south of the city center on the beach.

Sleep

• Nilaveli Beach Hotel. Great hotel nestled right in front of Nilaveli Beach. 

• 1 Methodist Church Nilaveli, 9th Milepost, Nilaveli. Absolute cheapest. Abandoned orphanage on the church grounds, outside shower and toilet. Very basic but good value for money. Rotating fans. Beach nearby. LKR 250 per person. 

• Pigeon Island Beach Resort, 11th Milepost, Nilaveli, ☏ +94 26 49 20 633. It offers 36 rooms (some of them have A/C), all of which have Internet, and there are satellite TV facilities as further entertainment. Some of its amenities include a yoga centre and spa and fitness centre for adults, and play room, reading corner, and a secure outdoor playground for children. Best rates on official website start at USD 68.00. 

There are tons of guesthouses along the beach at Uppaveli and Nilaveli. Shop around as the prices vary greatly.

There are also an increasingly large number of guesthouses to the South of Fort Fredrick on the beach. Once again shop around as prices vary greatly.