The East
This 357-sq-km park, once known as Yala East, is much less frequently visited than its busy neighbour, Yala National Park. Consequently, it's a far less…
Must-see attractions in The East
Arugam Bay
This long crescent of sand, partially shaded by coconut palms, is as good a reason as any to visit Arugam Bay. In season, its appeal to surfers is obvious…
The East
Kalkudah Beach is the kind of fantasy that makes you want to chuck away your return air ticket and lounge forever under the palms. Good roads run inland…
Nilaveli
Nilaveli's 4km stretch of sand is considered one of Sri Lanka’s best beaches and with its paradise-island remoteness, swaying palms and golden tinge to…
The East
This honey-coloured crescent of sand makes a lovely spot to enjoy life under a coconut tree. Swimming is possible although there are often red flags…
Trincomalee
This revered temple at the summit of a rocky outcrop is one of Sri Lanka’s pancha ishwaram, five historical Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva and…
Batticaloa
This once-mighty fort is now home to administrative offices, and though large sections of the structure are crumbling, it's still an evocative sight. It…
The East
Only the bottom third remains of this ruined dagoba, but the setting is evocative and your imagination can run riot with thoughts of how amazing it must…
Batticaloa
This fine new museum plunges deep into the history of Muslims and Arab traders locally. Spread over three floors, it tells a compelling story about…
The East
About 12km west of Pottuvil lies this evocative 5th-century ruin, set in a peaceful forested spot. Probably built by King Dhatusena (r 459–77), the site…
Kallady & Navalady Peninsula Beach
Batticaloa
This long beach follows the peninsula all the way north to the end. The swimming is usually good. With a bike, you can explore the beach, which has access…
Trincomalee
Occupying the neck of a narrow peninsula, Fort Frederick has been a defensively important site for centuries. A fortress was initially constructed here by…
The East
Among the trees of verdant Maligawila lie the extensive remains of Pathma Vihara, including two graceful Buddha statues, carved by devotees in the 7th…
The East
The superb 47-sq-km site of Kudumbigala Forest Hermitage is a marvellous jumble of forgotten Sigiriya-style outcrops set in dense jungle. Over 200 shrines…
Trincomalee
One of the holiest Buddhist monuments in Sri Lanka, founded in the 2nd century BC, but only rediscovered, and reconstructed, in the 1920s. This stupa…
Maritime & Naval History Museum
Trincomalee
A grand 18th-century Dutch colonial building has been renovated and turned into a museum. Displays on the ground floor cover Sri Lankan naval history back…
Batticaloa
This lovely modern park along Old Batti's waterfront is popular with strolling couples and includes features such as the Batticaloa Gate, which was a 19th…
Trincomalee
Manayaweli Cove is an appealing curl of fishing beach with clean sand where you can also swim in the clear water; reach it by strolling past Manayaweli…
Trincomalee
The base for Kandasamy Kovil is considered the world's greatest vantage point for spotting blue whales. Note the odd cubic-shaped rocks below.
The East
According to legend, Deegawapi is the one place in southeastern Sri Lanka that the Buddha visited. The stupa was built during the reign of King…
The East
Rising above the forest north of Ampara, this 150m-high hill offers panoramic views from its rocky summit (including, occasionally, of wild elephants at…
The East
This pagoda, 4km west of town, is a graceful stupa with a twist or two, including a vaguely Roman-looking colonnade ringing its lower level. Niches…
The East
Though relatively small, the main temple here has a colourful gopuram (gateway tower) and is a major point on the Pada Yatra pilgrimage to Kataragama…
Batticaloa
At the end of a sandbar, surrounded by lagoons and mangroves, this 28m-tall lighthouse dates from 1913. The sheltered coastline around here is a popular…
The East
Just behind the resorts, this attraction is dedicated to the coconut, surely the world's most remarkable plant, and inexorably linked with Sri Lanka (its…
Trincomalee
About 17km south of Trinco, there's a turn-off on the left for Marble Beach (signposted just before the Kinniya bridge), a glorious cove bookended by…
The East
For a break from the beach, stroll up to this beautifully kept cemetery. This is the last resting place for 364 Commonwealth servicemen who died at Trinco…
The East
With the resorts stretching into the distance, Passekudah's extremely shallow water heats up to bathtub temperatures on sunny days (you'll have to wade…
The East
Out near the ocean east of the centre are the ancient ruins of Mudu Maha Vihara. This moody little site, partly submerged in the encroaching sand dunes,…
Thiruchendur Murugan Alayam Temple
Batticaloa
Built in 1984 as a stopping point on the Pada Yatra pilgrimage to Kataragama, the temple's Murugan image is said to have opened its own eyes before the…
Batticaloa
Consider a haircut and head massage (Rs 400) at this utterly bizarre salon, a monument to kitsch. Every centimetre is covered in decorative painting, fake…
The East
Off the A4 between the 308km and 309km posts is Kotawehera, the ruined remains of an ancient brick stupa, which enjoys a magnificent situation upon a…
The East
This beachfront temple is 4km by road from Uppuveli, but only a short wade (or hop by boat if the tide is high) from the north end of Uppuveli beach. It’s…
Trincomalee
Right in the centre of Trinco is the attractive and picturesque Dutch Bay. Swimming is possible despite sometimes dangerous undertows. However, it’s more…
Anipandi Sitivigniswara Alayar
Batticaloa
Of the many Hindu temples, the expanding Anipandi Sitivigniswara Alayar is visually the finest, with a magnificent gopuram (gateway tower) that’s…
Trincomalee
Of the city's churches, the 1852 Catholic St Mary’s Cathedral is particularly attractive, with a sky-blue neo-baroque frontage and a tiled, towered rear…
Batticaloa
The grand, turquoise-coloured St Mary’s Cathedral stands out among the many churches in Batti. St Mary’s was rebuilt in 1994 following its partial…
The East
The moss-encrusted ruins of the small 12th-century Chulangani Vihara have a pudding-shaped dagoba and fragments of a decapitated 7th-century Buddha. It is…
Trincomalee
Kali Kovil has the most impressive, eye-catching gopuram (gateway towers) of Trinco’s many Hindu temples. It's always busy.
The East
This gorgeous old temple is set amid a blanket of fertile green. It's roughly midway along the road between Buttala and Maligawila.
