Understand
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Trincomalee, once known as Gokarna, has been a key center of Tamil culture for centuries. The Koneswaram Temple, dating back to at least the 7th century, is a major landmark. Thanks to its natural harbor, traders from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia have been stopping by for generations.
Trincomalee has one of the largest natural deepwater harbours in the world, which has led to it being fought over as a strategic place for the projection of naval power. When the Portuguese invaded in the 17th century, they destroyed the Koneswaram Temple and used its materials to build a fort. Over the years, the city changed hands between Dutch, French, Danish and British forces, with the latter taking control in 1795. During World War II, Trincomalee was bombed by the Japanese in 1942 because of its naval importance.
After Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948, the British held onto the harbor until 1957. The city was the site of heavy fighting during the Sri Lankan Civil War. In December 2004, Trincomalee suffered further damage when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit, and hundreds of lives were lost.
Today, Trinco (as it is often called) is being developed as a tourist destination thanks to its incredible history and beaches.
Get in
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By plane
[edit]- Cinnamon Air, a domestic airline in Sri Lanka, operates flights from Colombo to Trincomalee. The duration of the flight is 45 minutes. One-way fare per person starts at US$142.
By bus
[edit]- The bus station is across the street from the clock tower and the market. Buses to Kandy leave at 04:00, around 9:15, 10:15, 13:45 and 14:45. The bus at 09:15 is supposed to have A/C and needs to be pre-booked, all other buses are standard (non-A/C) public buses.
- Private bus company Superline runs a night bus every evening from Colombo (Pettah) departing at 22:00 and arriving Trincomalee 05:00. Rs 2300.
By train
[edit]The train station is about 1 km north of town. Both day and night trains are available.
- The Night Mail departs Colombo Fort at 21:30 and arrives at Trincomalee at 05:30 the next morning. This train has 1st class sleepers as well as 2nd and 3rd class "sleeperettes" which are reclining seats. 2nd class (Rs 520) has arm-rests, 3rd class (Rs 325) does not.
- There are also two day-time arrivals into Trincomalee daily. Take the 06:05 train from Colombo Fort to Galoya. Tickets are Rs 450 for 2nd class, Rs 285 for 3rd class. It should arrive at 11:36 so you can transfer to the Trincomalee train which departs at noon and arrives at 13:40. If you miss this connection, there is a second Trincomalee train departing Galoya at 14:35 and arriving at 16:12. These trains have 2nd (Rs 140) and 3rd class (Rs 80) unreserved seats.
Get around
[edit]Trincomalee itself is a very compact town, so you can get around on foot. For longer trips, for example to Uppuveli, rickshaws are available at nearly every corner. Negotiate your fare before boarding if there is no meter — a rule of thumb is around Rs 100 per km. For Nilaveli, tuktuk drivers will want a flat price per person. The PickMe app works very well for booking tuk-tuks locally, and you can use the app to get an idea of how much a trip should cost to help your bargaining with tuktuk drivers.
Several places in Uppuveli rent bicycles for around Rs. 1000 per day which is a nice way to explore.
See
[edit]- Pigeon Island. Sri Lanka's only marine national park has great beaches for swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling. Turtles and black-tip reef sharks can be seen but the majority of the island's coral reef has been killed as of 2025.
- 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 still a great place to explore. There is a nice Hindu temple atop the cliff at the end of the peninsula with spectacular views.
- 1 Commonwealth War Cemetery, Nilaveli Rd. The final resting place of hundreds of Allied soldiers and sailors who died during World War II
- 2 Salli Muthumariamman Kovil (temple), in Uppuveli. This is a beautiful Hindu kovil that provides a good view of Trincomalee town, and of the fishing boats in front of it. It is an important temple to the local Hindus, who regularly visit it for prayers and festivals. During festivals, it is common to see drummers, dancers, men with pierced tongues and women holding pots of milk.
Beaches
[edit]The beaches in this area suffer from plastic waste washing up on shore. Beach clean-ups only take place during the high season when tourists arrive.
- 3 Uppuveli beach. Uppuveli beach is about 3km north of town.
- 4 Marble Beach. 15km south of Trincomalee.
- 5 Nilaveli beach. The sleepy village of Nilaveli is 16km north of Trincomalee. Because of the beach there are many hotels there. This is also the jumping-off point for day-trips to Pigeon Island.
Do
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- 1 Kanniya Hot Wells. 07:00-19:00 daily. An interesting place with seven hot wells, each of which you are supposed to take a bucket from and pour the warm water over you. They are popular among locals who use the hot spring water in the various "wells" for bucket showers. The facilities are badly maintained though, so bring a large towel to change your clothes as the change rooms are very dirty. The bathing area is very small and it get crowded especially on weekends. Hundreds of stalls line the road at the entrance. Rs. 500 for foreigners as of mid-2025.
- 2 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.
- Dolphin and whale watching. There is dolphin and whale watching available from most of the guest houses on Uppaveli beach (high season only).
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]In addition to local eateries, most guesthouses will want to cater for you.
1 Green Park Beach Hotel, 312 Dyke St, Dutch Bay. Specialising in North Indian food
2 Jeffrey's Restaurant, 224 Nilaveli Rd, Uppuveli. 08:00-22:00 daily.
3 JKAB Park Hotel. Try the Sri Lankan Buffet
4 Nina Restaurant, Sarvodaya Rd, Uppuveli. Family-run restaurant serving local and western food. Some specials every day. Smoothie bowls available.
5 Cheapest Café in Sri Lanka (Fort). Run by the army and supercheap. They have curry, snacks and drinks.
Drink
[edit]Coffee
[edit]Cafes with Italian-style espresso coffee are in short supply in Trincomalee but do exist. Here are some:
6 Cafe on the 18th, Uppuveli. 09:30-21:30 daily. Beachside cafe with real espresso coffee
7 Piccadilly Parlour, 283 Dockyard Rd. 07:30-22:00 weekdays, open until 23:00 weekends. Hidden gem on Dutch Bay. Coffee, ice cream and desserts.
Sleep
[edit]The two main regions where guesthouses can be found are along the beach at Uppaveli and beyond, and south of Fort Frederick on the beach. Shop around as prices vary greatly.
1 Laughing Leopard Hostel, ☏ +94775208858. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. A social hostel 5 minutes' walk from Uppuveli beach. Private rooms, 6 bed mixed dorms and 6 bed female-only dorms available. Booking on Hostel World.
2 Trinco Blu by Cinnamon, Sampalthivu Post, Uppuveli, ☏ +94262222307, [email protected]. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. A high-end beachfront resort. It provides spacious accommodations with a freshwater pool, 3 dining options and free Wi-Fi. Starting from US$87.
Go next
[edit]- Pasikuda
- Batticaloa
- Uppuveli
- Nilaveli