Hi All,
Heading to Nilaveli beach / trincomalee very soon and am still finding it difficult to find listings for good budget accommodation there. If anyone has any leads, please reply! Very much looking forward to seeing the formerly off-limits eastern shore!
Thanks!
dilini
Hey Dleens,
We are currently in Trincomalee right now and the accommodation choices are SCARCE, to say the least. Most places listed in the out-dated Lonely Planet no longer exist. The only hotel everyone in town keeps directing tourists to (which is just me and my girlfriend at the moment) is Green Park Hotel in Trinco. Standard rooms here are $20 - $30 with A/C. However, they do have rooms available in a satellite building down the road (where we are located) for $11 a night with fan and attached bath.
As for Nilaveli, we ventured there by bus yesterday and found no budget accommodation. Everyone pointed us to the Nilaveli Beach Hotel, which is $60+ per night for an A/C room. Other than this option, there are not many to choose from. The Mauro Hotel (just north of the Nilaveli Beach Hotel by 10 minutes walking) is $30 per night for fan only. Most of the places are resort type hotels. There are no restaurants or shops in Nilaveli, so if your looking for an all-inclusive resort getway this might work for you. Also, because this area is a "tourist" location, prices for everything are jacked up! We tried to by bottled water there yesterday (marked at 65 Rupees), but was trying to be sold to us for nothing less than 110 Rps.
The book lists the H&U Guesthouse as the only "budget" accommodation, however, this guesthouse is nothing but a pile of rubble strewn out on the floor now. Most places in Nilaveli seemed abandoned.
To be honest, the beach at Trinco is really nice, the people are extremely nice, and for $11 per night it's a win-win situation.
Hope this helps... good luck!
FishRich
I was in Nilaveli a few weeks ago and stayed in the Coral Beach Hotel. It cost 1200 rupees (about $12 US) for a double but I get the feeling the price may increase considerably depending on the number of tourists around. It was a great place - nice location, pool, excellent food.
Awaw,
could you pls provide the contact details of this coral beach hotel if possible
Irafa
Hi Did anyone get the contact details/address of Coral Beach Hotel? am heading up int he next few days. any advice welcomed...
Hi,
I use to spend january and february in the sun. I have been around in India (Palolem), Thailand (all around), Gambia (all around) etc.
Now I plan to go to Sri Lanka. I like a laid back stays and now I am thinking about Nilaveli or Upuveli.
I have lived in huts and simple bungalows on the other palces and had wonderful times just snorkeling and diving and eating cheap simple and good food /read fish/. Drinking beer and walking in the sun.
So how is the a/m places. What I have understood from different blogs the hotels/guesthouses are cheap but good.
Is ok for snorekling and diving. Are there no peaple around. Are there only som few /and rather expensive/ restaurants?
Prices for rooms and eating?
What about Wifi-places, and how about mobile phones?
Plse give me some more information to found my decision on.
Thanks
Tom47
To refresh an old post:
The east coast has been developing slowly but surely in the past 2 years. When I was there, I stayed at H&U Guesthouse, which was down the street from the Nilaveli Beach Hotel. It was run by an absolutely darling couple with AN ADORABLE PUPPY. They were super nice, accommodating, and helpful. Food is served there - it isn't cheap (900 rupees for dinner when I was there), but they give you a LOT of food (I always had enough for a big breakfast the following morning). Like much of the east coast, the guesthouse was totally wrecked during the war, so they're in the process of making repairs. I'm only posting here because the couple running it could use the help in getting guests in. They're modest arrangements because again, rebuilding after the war, but the effort is there and it's 1,500 rupees per night for a room with a double bed and private bathroom. They're were in the process of building A/C rooms when I was there in May 2012, so that will be an option at some point as well. The beach is beautiful, the scuba diving is sweet with a number of impressive shipwrecks, and it's a very quiet place to relax for a few days. Check it out.