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KONESWARAM KOVIL
Sri Lanka’s east coast is a mirror image of its west. When it’s monsoon season in the west, the sun is shining in the east; where the west coast is predominantly Sinhalese, the east is largely Tamil and Muslim; and where parts of the west coast are crowded with tourists and almost buried under a surfeit of hotels, the east remains much quieter – for the time being, at any rate.
Much of the east’s beautifully pristine coastal scenery derives, ironically, from its tragic wartime past, during which time the region splintered into a fluid patchwork of territories controlled variously by government and LTTE forces. Two decades of fighting took a devastating toll on the east’s already struggling economy: villages were abandoned, commerce collapsed and the coast’s few hotels were simply blown up and allowed to fall into the sea. Meaningful reconstruction and economic development became possible only after the LTTE were finally driven out of the area in 2007, and although the lingering effects of war can still be seen in some places, the east’s fortunes have now decisively turned: ambitious plans are being realized to tap into the coast’s massive tourist potential, exemplified by the extraordinary glut of new resorts recently constructed around the formerly war-torn and deserted Passekudah Bay.
Most people here live in the long string of mainly Tamil and Muslim towns and villages that line the coast, backed by fine sandy beaches and labyrinthine lagoons; the vast swathes of predominantly Sinhalese country inland – whose arid climate has always discouraged settled agriculture – remain sparsely populated and largely undeveloped. Capital of the east is the vibrant town of Trincomalee, with its appealing blend of faded colonial charm, colourful Hindu temples and beautiful coastal scenery. Few tourists venture this way, however, except to press on to the extremely low-key beachside villages of Uppuveli and Nilaveli, just up the coast. South from here, the golden beaches at Passekudah are now home to the east’s largest cluster of resort hotels, while continuing south brings you to the personable town of Batticaloa, strung out around its enormous lagoon. Further south, the laidback surfing hotspot of Arugam Bay is home to the east’s most enjoyable beach and also provides the starting point for trips to the national parks of Lahugala and Yala East, and the remote forest hermitage at Kudimbigala.
The best weather and main tourist (and surfing) season is from April to September, although conditions are usually also pretty good in February and March, when hotel prices in places like Arugam Bay and Uppuveli are much cheaper and the area as a whole is less crowded.
Although now something of a backwater, the east was for many centuries the most outward-looking and cosmopolitan part of the island, a fact borne out by its (for Sri Lanka) unusually heterogeneous ethnic make-up – with roughly equal numbers of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, the region is the most culturally diverse in Sri Lanka. Much of the area’s early history revolved around Gokana (modern Trincomalee), the island’s principal trading port during the Anuradhapuran and Polonnaruwan eras, and the harbours of the east continued to serve as an important conduit for foreign influences in subsequent centuries. Islam spread widely along the coast thanks to visiting Arab, Malay and Indian traders, while the European powers also took a healthy interest in the region. The Dutch first established a secure presence on the island at the town of Batticaloa, while it was the lure of Trincomalee’s superb deep-water harbour more than anything else that drew the British to the island.
With the rise of the new ports at Galle and later Colombo, the east gradually fell into decline, while its fortunes nose-dived during the civil war, which turned Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese against one another in a frenzy of communal violence. LTTE attacks against unprotected Sinhalese and Muslim villagers were a recurring feature of the war years, including one particularly gruesome massacre of around 150 men and boys at Kattankudi mosque (just south of Batticaloa) in 1990. The LTTE also seized pockets of territory throughout the area (including, for a time, Batticaloa itself), and was only finally driven from its last eastern strongholds in 2007.
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ARUGAM BAY
Trincomalee Founded around one of the world’s finest deep-water harbours, bustling Trinco boasts a lovely coastal setting, a fine colonial fort and an absorbing mixture of Hindu, Muslim and Christian traditions.
Batticaloa Wrapped in a labyrinth of maze-like waterways, historic Batticaloa is home to a venerable Dutch fort, time-warped colonial churches and deserted beaches.
Arugam Bay The east coast’s most appealing beach hangout, with quirky cabanas, mangrove-fringed lagoons and world-class surfing.
Lahugala National Park Small but beautiful national park, home to the east’s largest elephant population and conveniently close to Arugam Bay.
Kudimbigala Remote forest hermitage, with shrines and stupas scattered amid dramatic, rock-strewn jungle.
Maligawila This sleepy village is home to two superb large-scale Buddha statues, hidden away in an atmospheric forest setting.
HIGHLIGHTS ARE MARKED ON THE MAP
By plane Getting to the east remains a bit of a slog unless you fly – currently Cinnamon Air (
cinnamonair.com) flies from Colombo’s international airport to Batticaloa (1 daily; 1hr 15min) and Trincomalee (1 daily; 1hr 15min). Helitours (helitours.lk) offer services from Colombo’s Ratmalana airport to Trincomalee (3 weekly; 45 min) and from Trincomalee to Palaly airport, near Jaffna (3 weekly; 30 min).
By road Major road upgrades have made getting around the east far quicker and more comfortable than was previously the case. The highway between Trincomalee and Batticaloa, formerly a pot-holed slog with three small ferry crossings en route, has now been rebuilt and equipped with new bridges, including the 396m Kinniya bridge outside Trinco, the longest in Sri Lanka. This now connects seamlessly with the A4, which continues on from Batticaloa to Pottuvil (for Arugam Bay) and Monaragala, and which is also in excellent condition.
By train There are stations at Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Valaichchenai (for Passekudah/Kalkudah), although the paucity and slowness of services means that they’re not a huge amount of use.
Eastern Sri Lanka’s major town, TRINCOMALEE (or “Trinco”) has been celebrated since antiquity for its superlative deep-water harbour, one of the finest in Asia – the legendary Panduvasudeva is said to have sailed into Trincomalee (or Gokana, as it was originally known) with his followers, while the town served as the major conduit for the island’s seaborne trade during the Anuradhapuran and Polonnaruwan periods. The harbour was later fought over repeatedly during the colonial period and even attracted the hostile attentions of the Japanese air force during World War II.
Trincomalee suffered massively following the onset of the civil war in 1983. Although the town avoided the devastating bomb damage inflicted on Jaffna, its position close to the front line made it the island’s major collecting point for war-displaced refugees, while tensions between its Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese communities regularly erupted into communal rioting. Things have been a lot quieter since the expulsion of the LTTE from the east in 2007, and Trinco is now once again looking to the future with renewed optimism, with plans for an expressway link to Polonnaruwa and Jaffna in the works.
Although most visitors are drawn to this part of the island by the beaches at nearby Nilaveli and Uppuveli, a day in Trincomalee offers an interesting change of scenery. The setting is beautiful, straddling a narrow peninsula in the lee of the imposing Swami Rock, the dominant feature on the coast hereabouts, and the town itself possesses an understated but distinct charm all of its own, with a fascinating old fort and sleepy backstreets lined with pretty colonial villas and dotted with mosques, churches and dozens of colourful little Hindu temples. Catering to the predominantly Tamil local population, the temples give parts of Trinco a decidedly Indian flavour, especially at around 4pm when it fills with the ringing of bells and the sound of music for the late-afternoon puja.
Daily 24hr • Free
The centrepiece of Trincomalee is Fort Frederick, whose buildings sprawl across the narrow peninsula that juts out into the sea from the middle of town, dividing Back Bay from Dutch Bay. The fort was constructed by the Portuguese in 1623 and captured in 1639 by the Dutch. They held it until 1782, after which it was captured by the British and then the French, who ceded it back to the British, who returned it briefly to the Dutch before getting their hands on it for good in 1796. The British rechristened it Fort Frederick in 1803 after the then Duke of York and enjoyed undisputed possession of the place until independence, troubled only by a solitary Japanese air raid on April 9, 1942.
The fort is still in military use, although visitors are free to walk through along the road up to Swami Rock. Entrance is through the attractive main gate, its outer face carved with the date 1675 and a British coat of arms bearing the legend “Dieu et Mon Droit”.
Inside the fort, the pleasantly shady grounds are dotted with fine old trees and home to a small population of wandering deer. A few colonial buildings survive, including one known variously as Wellesley Lodge or Wellington House, named after Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, who stayed here in 1800. A popular legend claims that the Iron Duke fell ill in Trincomalee and was thus unable to sail with his ship, which subsequently sank with the loss of all crew, although the story has got somewhat twisted in the telling. In fact, Wellesley made it as far as India before being struck down with a combination of fever and the “Malabar itch”. A course of lard and sulphur failed to shift the infection, and the future prime minister was forced to stay behind in Bombay while the doomed ship sailed off without him.
The main road through the fort leads up to Swami Rock, a towering clifftop vantage point offering sweeping views back to town, along the coast and down the sheer cliff face to the deep-blue waters way below – blue whales can occasionally be seen from here. At the highest point of Swami Rock sits the Koneswaram Kovil (see below), one of the five holiest Shaivite temples on the island, although there’s not much visible evidence of its former glory.
Just outside Koneswaram Kovil, close to the highest point of Swami Rock, a tree clings precariously to the edge of the rock, its branches adorned with prayer flags that supplicants have somehow managed to attach. This spot is popularly known as Lover’s Leap, in commemoration of a certain young Dutch woman, Francina van Rhede, who is said to have jumped from the cliff here in 1687. The details are confused: some say that the heartbroken van Rhede, who had been abandoned by her lover, leapt but survived the fall; others claim that she didn’t even jump. Whatever the truth, government archives record her subsequent marriage eight years later, after which she (presumably) lived happily ever after.
Koneswaram above and below the waves
There’s thought to have been a shrine on the site of the Koneswaram Kovil for at least 2500 years. According to legend, Indra, king of the gods, worshipped here, while Rawana is said to have brought the temple’s venerated swayambhu lingam here from Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. Rawana subsequently tried to make off with the entire temple but was stopped by Shiva; the cleft in Swami Rock is said to have been created when Shiva forced him to drop his sword.
The medieval temple was patronized by the great Chola, Pandyan and Pallava dynasties of southern India, developing into Sri Lanka’s pre-eminent Hindu shrine – the “Rome of the Orient”, as it was described – with three separate temples spread across the headland, soaring gopurams and a magnificent “thousand-columned” hall. Unfortunately, the splendour of the complex attracted the attentions of the Portuguese, who destroyed it in 1624 during one of their iconoclastic rampages. Some stones from the various temples were reused in the construction of the neighbouring fort, while the rest of the complex was simply shoved over the edge of the cliff into the waters below, where it remained largely forgotten for 350 years, before being rediscovered in the 1960s by author Arthur C. Clarke and photographer Mike Wilson. Wilson also recovered the famous swayambhu lingam, subsequently enshrined (along with other statues recovered from the waves) in the modest modern temple you see today.
West of the fort, modern Trincomalee’s commercial centre comprises an undistinguished and low-key trio of parallel streets lined by tiny one-storey shops and dotted with the occasional small mosque.
Bounding the northern side of the commercial centre, Back Bay is largely obscured by shops and houses, although it’s possible to reach the waterfront by taking any of the various tiny side roads running north off N.C. Road (officially Ehamparam Road) to reach a narrow scrap of beach usually three-quarters buried beneath fishing boats and piles of nets. The area around five minutes’ walk northwest down N.C. Road from the clocktower (go down the little side street opposite the Jewel One Shop) is particularly magical, with small pastel-painted Hindu temples on one side, boats drawn up at the water’s edge on the other, and rabbit warrens of tiny shacks behind, their neat, brightly painted facades giving the beachfront a prettiness which belies the very basic conditions in which most of the people here live.
At the southeastern end of the commercial centre lies the wide and grassy Esplanade. A couple of pretty Hindu temples enliven the western side of the green, the large Kali Kovil and the much smaller (though equally gaudy) Pillaiyar Kovil. Both burst into life with drumming, music and lines of supplicants during the late-afternoon puja (around 4–5pm).
Just south of the Esplanade lies the decaying and neglected old General Cemetery (aka St Stephen’s Cemetery), the final resting place of Trinco’s Christian population, with a few picturesquely dilapidated colonial tombs dating back to the 1820s alongside more modern graves. Jane Austen’s brother, Charles, is supposed to be buried here – but it’s all but impossible to find him. The cemetery is usually kept locked, but it’s easy enough to hop over the low wall (although slightly more difficult to climb out again).
The oceanfront Fort Frederick Road along Dutch Bay offers fine sea views, while the beach that edges the road is a popular spot around dusk, when half the town seems to congregate here to promenade along the seafront and loll around on the sands. Beyond here lie further understated but charming rows of colonial villas, most particularly along Dyke Street, lined with colourful facades. Nearby, it’s also worth hunting out the colonial-era St Mary’s Cathedral, an imposing blue structure buried amid lush gardens.
Junction of Dockyard and Fort Frederick roads • Mon & Wed–Sun 8.30am–4.30pm • Free • 
026 222 1530
Roughly halfway along the bay stands Trincomalee’s imposing Maritime and Naval History Museum, opened in 2014 inside the elegant two-storey colonnaded building that served as the official residence of the Dutch Naval Commissioner from 1602 until 1795. exhibits include the inevitable models of ships, Chinese ceramics, coins and other objects recovered from the waves, an informative display on local ecosystems and an 8m-long artillery cannon unearthed in Colombo during the construction of the Shangri-La hotel. There are also some interesting fragments of old film include footage of the sinking of the British HMS Hermes, the world’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier, off Batticaloa in 1942, while photos upstairs chart the restoration of the building itself from virtual ruins.
A number of roads run southwest from the centre down towards the Inner Harbour. Much of this quarter of town retains a pleasantly old-fashioned feel, with numerous colonial villas, some of them embellished with quirky, slightly Art Deco-looking decorative motifs. The expansive harbour itself is an attractive and breezy spot, its choppy waters dotted with container ships and various port facilities, framed against a circle of rugged green hills that ring the bay – it’s particularly lovely at night, when a thousand lights twinkle around its perimeter.
Mon–Fri 2–5pm, Sat & Sun 9am–6pm • $10 • Since the museum is in a secure military area, to access it you need first to get permission to enter the naval base from the checkpoint around 100m northwest of the main gates (issued on the spot; bring your passport); next, hire a tuktuk (Rs.1000) from the stand opposite the main gate into the base (tuktuk drivers elsewhere in town will most likely never have heard of the place); it’s a 2km drive through the naval base to the museum – you’ll be accompanied back and forth by a naval officer
Keen students of maritime or colonial history might enjoy a tour of the little-visited Hoods Tower Museum, deep inside the town’s Sri Lanka Navy base. The museum is located in Fort Ostenburg, which overlooks the entrance to the Inner Harbour. Built by the Dutch, the fort was subsequently strengthened by the British with a fearsome array of artillery in order to defend the large Royal Navy base within.
The museum itself is named after the Hoods observation tower – steps lead to the top, from where there are superb 360-degree harbour views. Items on show include a few of the fort’s original colonial artillery pieces alongside modern exhibits including a captured LTTE Sea Tigers boat and a suicide launch – interesting enough, although hardly justifying the sky-high entrance price.
By plane Cinnamon Air (cinnamonair.com) operates scheduled services from Colombo’s international airport to Trincomalee via Sigiriya (daily; 1hr 15min). Tickets cost $262 one way. Less frequent but much cheaper flights are also operated by Helitours from Colombo’s Ratmalana airport to Trinco (3 weekly); a return ticket costs Rs.18,500. The airport is at China Bay, a few kilometres out of town; a tuktuk to the centre costs around Rs. 350–400.
By bus Buses arrive at the bus station, right in the centre of Trinco at the bottom of Main St.
Destinations Anuradhapura (2 daily; 3hr); Batticaloa (every 30min; 3hr 30min); Colombo (every 30min; 7hr); Habarana (every 30min; 1hr 30min); Jaffna (8 daily; 6hr); Kandy (4 daily; 5hr); Polonnaruwa (3 daily; 2hr 30min).
By train The train station is at the northwest end of town. There’s currently just one, slow, overnight direct service to Colombo (daily; 8hr 30min). Otherwise, there’s a 7am service as far as Gal Oya junction, where it’s possible to connect with the morning train from Batticaloa to Colombo Fort.
There’s still not a great deal of choice of accommodation in Trinco, and costs are relatively high, though there’s somewhere to stay in most price brackets.
Dyke Rest 228 Dyke St 026 222 5313, dykerest.comuv.com; map. Easily the nicest of the various small hotels along Dyke St, with five affordable but surprisingly stylish rooms of varying sizes, plus friendly service and good food. The upstairs rooms have excellent views and a/c. A back door gives direct access to a small sliver of beach with good snorkelling. Rs.3000, a/c Rs.3500
Green Park Beach Hotel 312 Dyke St 026 222 2369, 
greenparktco@live.com; map. Well-run mid-range option in a picturesque setting on Dutch Bay. Rooms (all with a/c, hot water, TV and fridge) are modern, tiled and clean, albeit relatively pricey, and there’s also a decent in-house Indian restaurant. Rs.5740
Sunshine Hotel 45 Green Rd 026 222 0288, sunshinehotelhall.com; map. Currently Trinco’s best budget deal, this functional hotel-cum-wedding hall offers neat tiled rooms with fans at bargain rates, assuming you don’t mind the wafer-thin mattresses and function room noise, while a/c doubles the price. Rs.1500, a/c Rs.3500
Welcombe Hotel 66 Lower Rd, Orr’s Hill, 2km west of the centre 026 222 2373, welcombehotel.com; map. Trinco’s priciest hotel, occupying a lovely position high above the Inner Harbour in a striking modern building topped with recycled railway sleepers (or copies thereof). Standard rooms (all with a/c, TV and fridge) are spacious but spartan; more expensive “luxury” rooms are decorated with colonial-style wooden furniture but are starting to look dated. There’s also a large pool, musty bar and passable restaurant. B&B Rs.9500
Dutch Bank Café 88 Inner Harbour Rd 077 269 0600, facebook.com/dutchbankcafe; map. Occupying a beautifully restored old Dutch colonial building, this chic new café looks like a little slice of Galle or Colombo improbably dropped into Trinco’s old-fashioned waterfront. Food comprises a well-prepared and attractively presented mix of local and international dishes, from kottu rotty to beef frikandel (mains Rs.880–1450), plus assorted snacks and coffee. Daily 8am–10pm.
Green Park Beach Hotel 312 Dyke St 026 222 2369; map. Sedate hotel restaurant offering a huge menu of Indian food including meat, fish and veg standards – tandooris, kormas, vadais, shorbas and so on (mains Rs.450–550). Quality is average, but the setting is nice, and portions are huge. It’s also a good place for Western and Sri Lankan breakfasts (Rs.500). Unlicensed. Daily 7am–9.30pm.
Kumar’s Cream House Post Office Rd; map. Bright little modern bakery selling drinks, short eats (samosas, cutlets, vadais), plus Indian sweets, cakes and Elephant House ice cream. Daily 6.30am–1pm & 2.30–6.30pm.
Welcombe Hotel 66 Lower Rd, Orr’s Hill 026 222 2373; map. Decent hotel restaurant, with seating either on the beautiful outdoor terrace above the Inner Harbour (although you can’t see much after dark, when the midges and mozzies come out in force) or in the glassed-in dining room within. Food (mains Rs.850–1200) comprises a mix of the usual Sri Lankan standards plus a few generic European offerings, competently if unexceptionally prepared. Daily 6am–10pm.
Banks There are plenty of banks with ATMs that accept foreign cards scattered around town.
Internet Available at a couple of places on Power House Rd near the junction with Post Office Rd; try Google internet café (daily 9am–9pm; Rs.80/hr).
Swimming Non-guests can use the pool at the Welcombe Hotel for Rs.700.
North of Trincomalee the coast is lined with a fine strand of wide golden beach, beginning at the village of Uppuveli and continuing through to Nilaveli and beyond. It’s a superb stretch of coast whose enormous tourism potential is only slowly being developed – which is a large part of its appeal. The Kuchchaveli area, some 10km further north, has been earmarked as another major tourist zone along the lines of Passekudah with (if you believe it) three thousand new hotel rooms apparently planned, although all that’s materialized so far is the halcyon Jungle Beach.
Just a few kilometres north of Trinco, the low-key village of UPPUVELI is currently experiencing a moderate tourism boom, with an ever-increasing array of guesthouses, some larger resort hotels, a few fishing boats and a great many palm trees. The atmosphere remains pretty somnolent, especially out of season, when many places operate reduced hours or close entirely.
On the main Nilaveli Rd, 200m north of Chaaya Blu • Daily 24hr • Free
The Commonwealth War Cemetery holds 362 graves, mainly of Allied and other servicemen who died in Sri Lanka during World War II. Military personnel of many nationalities are buried together here, including Indians, Italians, Australians, Canadians, Dutch, Burmese and, of course, numerous British fighters, including the air crews killed during the Japanese air raid of April 1942 and seamen who perished aboard various Royal Navy vessels sunk by the Japanese in the Indian Ocean. In striking contrast to the General Cemetery in Trinco, the War Cemetery is beautifully looked after, and the long lines of graves and the ages recorded on the headstones (few of those interred here were older than 25) makes a visit a rather sombre experience.
Whale-watching around Trincomalee
Although not as developed as in Mirissa, the Trincomalee area is one of the best places in Sri Lanka for whale-watching tours. Blue whales in particular (plus smaller numbers of sperm whales) can regularly be seen around six to eight nautical miles east of Trincomalee (about 30min by boat), and can even occasionally be spotted from the land – Swami Rock offers the best vantage point. Dolphins (mainly Spinner) can also be seen regularly all year round. Most sightings occur between March/April and August/September, as whales continue their migrations around the island from the south coast (where they mainly congregate from December to April) – this means that Sri Lanka offers around ten months of continuous whale-watching annually at different points around the coast. Tours usually depart at around 6am, last three hours or so and cost around $30-40 per person (minimum two people, cheaper in larger groups). These can be arranged through many local hotels. In Uppuveli, try Anantamaa, Coconut Beach Lodge and Trinco Blu – although the last is usually a lot more expensive than other places. In Nilaveli, trips are laid on by the Nilaveli Beach Hotel.
Around 8km inland from Uppuveli, 1km south of the road to Anuradhapura • Wed-Sun 8.30am-4.30pm •Rs.50 (foreigners only)
Said to have been created by Vishnu himself, the Kanniya Hot Wells have long been a sacred bathing spot for locals, although a recent renovation has turned the area into a bit of a tourist trap, with dozens of vendors selling cheap souvenirs as you walk from the car park to the entrance. You can’t actually submerge yourself in the waters here – the springs are collected in seven small tiled wells, and you use a bucket to pour the water over yourself – but they’re fun for a quick splash.
A few kilometres beyond Kanniyai Hot Wells towards Anuradhapura and 4km north of the main road • Donation requested
A trip to the Kanniyai Hot Wells can be combined with a visit to the remains of the Velgam Vihara. The temple is thought to date back to the era of King Devanampiya Tissa, who is said to have planted a bo tree here, and although it was subsequently abandoned to the jungle following the collapse of Polonnaruwa, extensive remains survive, including a stupa, image house and a well-preserved standing Buddha. It’s a rather eerie place, with a small information centre displaying gruesome photos from the war years, run by the monks of the adjacent temple. A word of warning: keep an eye out for the monkeys, which can be aggressive.
By bus or tuktuk Buses run from Trinco to Uppuveli every 20–30min, although they tend to get nightmarishly packed; it’s well worth catching a tuktuk instead (Rs.400).
The area loosely known as Uppuveli sprawls along the coast north of Trincomalee for a considerable distance, although most accommodation is clustered within a fairly compact area known as Alles Garden, some 5km north of Trinco. Accommodation prices both here and in neighbouring Nilaveli have skyrocketed recently, and are now poor value during high season, although rates fall dramatically (usually by at least a third) at other times.
Amaranthe Bay 101/17 Alles Garden 026 205 0200, amaranthebay.com; map. Stylish and secluded resort hotel situated on a lagoon at the northern end of Uppuveli, with a special boat service three times a day taking guests to the beach. The standard rooms are quite spartan but the more expensive junior suites, with hot tubs, are very comfortable and have excellent views. Friendly peacocks roam the gardens and there’s also a pool and spa. $150
Diving and watersports around Uppuveli and Nilaveli
There are around ten dive schools in the area, mainly offering PADI courses and trips around Pigeon Island and Swami Rock. All open during the season, from around April/May to September/October only. In Uppuveli there are dive schools at (among other places) Trinco Blu, Shivas Beach Resort (uppuvelidiving.com) and Aqua Hotel and Club Dive Paradise French Garden – the latter also arranges watersports including banana-boating, tubing, wakeboarding and windsurfing (but no surfing or kiting). In Nilaveli there are dive schools at the Nilaveli Beach Hotel and at High Park Hotel (nilavelidiving.com), just south of Coral Bay.
Anantamaa 7/42 Alles Garden 026 205 0250, anantamaa.com; map. Functional, modern mini-resort set back from the beach with red-tiled roofed buildings arranged around pleasant gardens and a pool. Rooms are stylish, albeit a bit lacking in furniture; all come with balcony or veranda, and a few also have beach views. $110
Aqua Hotel 12 Alles Garden 026 205 0202, aquahotel-trincomalee.com; map. Functional lodgings in a rather ugly three-storey concrete block painted in lurid shades of orange, green and blue. Rooms (some with a/c, plus hot water for an extra Rs.300/day) are a bit shabby and uninspiring but reasonable value by local standards, and there’s a small pool and the enjoyable Fernando’s Beach Bar at the bottom of the garden. If you’re on a serious budget, check out the extraordinary hobbit-hole-style lodgings in the garden (Rs.1000) – basically just a mattress inside an industrial-sized pipe buried in the ground. Rs.3500, a/c Rs.5000
Coconut Beach Lodge 178/19 Alles Garden 026 222 4888, coconutbeachlodge@gmail.com; map. This lovely boutique guesthouse is arranged around gorgeous gardens and has a real home-from-home feel. “Luxury” rooms inside the main house (Rs.8000) are attractively kitted out with repro-colonial furniture, four-poster beds and quality artworks. Cheaper “semi-luxury” garden rooms are a mite less polished, but still very comfortable, and have a lovely garden-facing veranda to laze upon. There’s also an appealing terrace restaurant and cosy communal lounge. Rs.5000
Golden Beach Cottages 24 Alles Garden 026 493 2010, goldenbeachcottages.com; map. Cheerful British-run beachfront cottages, with spotless, comfortable and tastefully decorated rooms, all with a/c. The attached Tonic’s restaurant (see below) serves meals and snacks throughout the day, making this a convenient place to relax and enjoy the beach. Rs.13500
Shivas Beach Resort 178 Alles Garden 026 320 4882, trincomalee-guesthouse.com; map. This long-running hotel has a rather bland exterior, but the comfortably furnished rooms are bright and spacious, plus there’s an attractive little beach restaurant. Rs.3500, a/c Rs.4000
Trinco Blu 175 Alles Garden 026 222 1611, cinnamonhotels.com; map. This resort has been rebranded and refurbished, and though it’s fairly pricey it has decent amenities, including a pool, and two restaurants. Rooms are brightly furnished, if on the small side, and there’s also a nice dive school (see above) and whale-watching trips, although published rates are a rip-off – look for discounts online or, even better, head to the Nilaveli Beach Hotel down the road. B&B $240
Uppuveli’s food scene continues to grow and improve, with some excellent options along Sarvodaya Road, as well as on the beachfront. The larger hotels all have decent but much pricier restaurants.
Café on the 18th 18 Sarvodaya 077 765 8428, facebook.com/cafeonthe18th; map. One of the few places on the east coast with an espresso machine, this small café has both indoor and outdoor seating, and also serves excellent food, including an all-day breakfast menu (Rs.350), paninis (Rs.550–700) and grilled seafood (Rs.1450–1850). The homemade chocolate brownie (Rs.200) is excellent. Daily 9am–9pm.
Fernando’s Beach Bar Aqua Hotel 12 Alles Garden 026 205 0202; map. Long-running beachfront bar with rustic wooden decor, a well-stocked bar and a music collection not entirely made up of bootleg Bob Marley CDs. They dish up a so-so range of pasta, pizzas and burgers, although you’re probably better off sticking to their seafood or Sri Lankan standards. Most mains around Rs.1000. Daily 8am–10pm.
Tonic’s 24 Alles Garden 026 493 2010, goldenbeachcottages.com; map. Excellent beachside restaurant serving super-fresh seafood meals (Rs.1200–1500), as well as burgers, toasties, pasta and curries (Rs. 600–900). They also cater for vegetarians with tasty veggie platters and salads (Rs. 450–1200), and there’s no better place on the beach for a refreshing G&T (Rs.600). Daily 7am–10pm.
Some 10km north of Uppuveli is the straggling settlement of NILAVELI, home to another fine stretch of largely deserted beach. Guesthouses and hotels are sparsely scattered along the coast and the entire area retains a decidedly back-of-beyond atmosphere that makes even Uppuveli look like Ibiza. If you like very quiet days spent wave-gazing, beachcombing, snorkelling and hanging with the locals, Nilaveli is perfect.
By bus or tuktuk Buses run from Trinco to Nilaveli (every 20–30min; 30min), although they tend to get extremely crowded, and can be horrible if you’ve got luggage. In addition, the various hotels in Nilaveli are a further hike (up to 1km) from the main road. Instead, consider catching a tuktuk (around Rs.800–1000 depending on how far up the beach you go).
All the hotels listed here offer food, although only at the Nilaveli Beach Hotel and Anilana will you find anything more than simple tourist staples.
Anilana 1508/4 Irakkakandi 011 203 0900, anilana.com; map. This swanky resort, with velvet sofas in the lobby, seems out of place in beachside Nilaveli. Rooms in the four-storey main building have balconies, and the slightly pricier ($263) pool chalets are placed on either side of a pair of adjacent pools at the end of the enormously long and thin sea-facing garden (Rs.1000 to non-guests). Chalets come with cool white decor, big French windows, bathrooms with open-air shower and garden verandas, while facilities include a spa. B&B $200
Nilaveli Beach Hotel 11th mile post 026 223 2295, tangerinehotels.com; map. Long-running resort (completely rebuilt after the tsunami) with attractive modern buildings set among idyllic tree-studded gardens running down to the beach, the whole place managing to feel pleasantly intimate despite its size. Rooms are comfortable enough, if rather austerely furnished, and there’s also a big L-shaped pool (Rs.750 for non-guests) and two restaurants. B&B $150
Pigeon Island Beach Resort 11th mile post 026 738 8388, pigeonislandresort.com; map. Small resort hotel overlooking a long, thin garden running down to the sea. It looks dated from the outside, but its rooms have been recently and attractively renovated and upgraded, and facilities and activities include an Ayurveda spa, basic gym, medium-sized pool and cookery classes. B&B $145
Shahira Hotel 10th mile post 026 223 2323; map. Old-style, small hotel very close to the beach, set around a nice garden courtyard and with a basic restaurant attached. Rooms (fan only) are old but spacious and well looked after – good value by overpriced Nilaveli standards. $25
Surya Lagoon 18th mile post 071 272 8504, suryalagoon-nilaveli.com; map. Attractive guesthouse in a colonial-style villa, with four pleasant (if rather scanty) furnished rooms and extensive grounds running down to the adjacent lagoon. B&B $65
Amanta Beach Resort 6km north of the NBH, Pulmoddai Rd, Kumpurupiddi 026 225 2220, amantabeach.com; map. Stylish eco-friendly resort with six very comfortable a/c en-suite rooms set around a courtyard swimming pool. Amanta’s restaurant, with walls constructed with cinnamon sticks and a bar top made from an airplane wing, serves fabulous French–Sri Lankan fusion cuisine. The enormous garden, with some unusual sculptures, stretches down to the beach where there are a variety of cabanas and lounges. B&B $80
Snorkelling at Pigeon island and Swami Rock
About 1km offshore from Nilaveli, tiny Pigeon Island (now protected as a marine national park) is home to one of the east coast’s finest patches of coral reef, although it’s only open from April to October. The main reason to visit is to enjoy the island’s excellent snorkelling. All the live coral lies on the sea-facing side of the island, some 40m off the beach in water around 1.5m deep. The coral on the beach-facing side is unfortunately dead, although the waters here compensate with a remarkable range of tropical fish – well over a hundred species have been recorded.
Tickets to visit Pigeon Island are sold at the tiny office (daily 8am–5pm) on the beach at the foot of the Anilana hotel grounds, not far from the NBH. Tickets currently cost $12 plus additional charges and taxes, which add around another $5 per boatload. Boats to reach the island can be hired on the beach next to the ticket office (Rs.2000/boat seating around eight people) or, for a surcharge, via the NBH or Pigeon Island Beach Resort in Nilaveli, or via Coconut Beach Lodge, Anantamaa or Trinco Blu in Uppuveli. Boatmen on the beach also have snorkelling equipment for rent (Rs.1000), or alternatively you might be able to pick this up this through the dive centre at the NBH.
A cheaper although slightly less memorable alternative to visiting Pigeon Island is to take a snorkelling trip from Uppuveli to Swami Rock. There’s not much coral here but you’ll see plenty of tropical fish, and possibly turtles if you’re lucky. Trips can be arranged through Coconut Beach Lodge and Anantamaa and cost around Rs.4000/per person (minimum two people).
Jungle Beach 9km north of the NBH, Pulmoddai Rd, Kuchchaveli 026 567 1000, ugaescapes.com/junglebeach; map. The Trinco area’s most luxurious and private resort with a choice of beach- or lagoon-facing rooms, plus wilder lodgings surrounded by jungle. The gorgeous design is the acme of rustic chic, with plenty of wood, bamboo and rock, and cool modern rooms artfully concealed under shaggy thatched roofs. There’s also a gorgeous little tree-shaded pool, spa and gym. B&B $250
Way back in the 1970s and early 1980s, the twin beaches of Passekudah and Kalkudah were the east coast’s most developed tourist destinations, home to a modest cluster of resort hotels and drawing a steady string of European tourists to this far-flung corner of the island. All that ended following the outbreak of war. The hotels were first abandoned, and subsequently blown up by the LTTE to prevent them being used by the Sri Lankan Army – only their ghostly skeletons remained, standing sentry over the deserted beaches. Today, the area is in the middle of a second, and even more dramatic, coming.
Earmarked as a special tourist development zone in the late noughties, the formerly deserted arc of Passekudah Bay is now ringed with more than a dozen big resort hotels, which have transformed this previously sleepy backwater into the east coast’s answer to Beruwala. Resorts apart there’s not a lot to it, however, and the area has yet to develop any meaningful identity with very little in the way of cafés, shops or beach life along the rather subdued seafront. Most visitors simply stay in their hotels, although watersports can be arranged through the LSR centre (lsrhotels.com) at the Marina Beach hotel, close to the Uga Bay hotel (open in season only).
In contrast to Passekudah, KALKUDAH village retains much of its original character, with a handful of quiet budget guesthouses strung out along the main street. Neighbouring Kalkudah Bay also remains mercifully unchanged, so far at least, with a superb sweep of powder-fine golden sand – blissfully deserted and unspoiled, although a couple of plots of land have already been fenced off for future development, suggesting that Kalkudah’s days as a sleepy backwater are also numbered. See it while you can.
By bus Buses run regularly from Batticaloa to the town of Valaichchenai, about 4km west of Kalkudah, and less frequently from Polonnaruwa. There are currently only three buses daily from Valaichchenai to Kalkudah village; a tuktuk costs around Rs.300.
By train It’s easiest to make for Valaichchenai station, which has connections with Colombo (2 daily; 8hr) and Batticaloa (5 daily; 45min–1hr).
Rates at both Passekudah‘s big resort hotels and Kalkudah’s low-key guesthouses are currently excellent value, especially compared to prices at Uppuveli and Arugam Bay further up and down the coast – and there are often some serious bargains to be had online. There are virtually no independent restaurants at present – most visitors eat where they are staying.
Amaya Beach Passekudah Rd 065 205 0200, amayaresorts.com; map. This attractive resort has a smooth, minimalist design – all crisp whites and ochre browns – and cooling water channels flowing around and between the lovely open-air bar and restaurant, plus a big pool. The stylishly furnished rooms come with either garden or ocean view, attractive wood-panelled bathrooms and big windows, and facilities include two restaurants, spa and gym. $250
Maalu Maalu Coconut Board Rd 065 738 8388, maalumaalu.com; map. Stylish boutique beach resort, designed like a miniature (but very upmarket) fishing village, with two wings of palm-thatched wooden chalets framing views of a wonderful infinity pool and beach and a carpet-smooth and very shallow stretch of sea beyond, protected by a coral reef. Rooms are simply furnished with fish-inspired decor but have lovely big bathrooms. Facilities include Ayurveda spa, a jazz bar, karaoke and nightclub, a small coral museum, plus a beach bar in a salvaged boat. B&B $254
Sunrise by Jetwing Coconut Board Rd 065 205 8865, jetwinghotels.com; map. A smart new addition to Passekudah’s resort line up, Sunrise has been nicely designed to fit with the natural environment, uses solar power and has a calm ambience. The 108-metre pool (the longest on the east coast) snakes its way from the restaurant towards the beach. The rooms are stylishly decorated using colourful local fabrics and natural materials, and have cosy balconies attached. There’s also a fitness centre, spa and open-air hot tub. $150
Uga Bay Coconut Board Rd 065 567 1000, ugaescapes.com; map. The ritziest of Passekudah resorts, arranged around a pair of fountains and sweeping infinity pool laid end to end between the cute hotel entrance and its fine stretch of beach. Rooms are located in a contrastingly ordinary horseshoe of two-storey brick-and-concrete chalets laid out around the gardens and pool, although they’re nicely designed inside with wooden floors, funky fabrics and sea views. Facilities include an appealing grotto-style spa underneath the pool, an in-house mini-cinema for rainy days, well-equipped gym and chic glassed-in restaurant, while barbecue dinners are served on the beach. Published rates are high, but often significantly discounted online. B&B $190
Nandawanam Guest House Main St 065 225 7258, nandawanam@live.com; map. A spacious family house surrounded by attractive gardens, with twelve large and pleasingly furnished a/c rooms. The whole place is kept spotlessly clean and the evening meals of curry and rice are excellent. Rs.4500
The New Land Main St 065 568 0440; map. Friendly, long-established place with a mix of four old but perfectly respectable fan rooms at super-cheap rates plus four newer a/c rooms (cold water only). The very helpful owner also has free bikes for guests and serves up inexpensive food. Rs.2000, a/c Rs.5000
Hotel Vasuki Main St 065 364 8809, hotelvasuki@yahoo.com; map. Welcoming little guesthouse with neat and comfortable rooms with hot water, quality mattresses and optional a/c (Rs.1000), plus a cute little restaurant in what looks like an oversized wooden birdcage. The helpful owner can arrange lagoon trips, snorkelling and other excursions, and guests get free tuktuk transfers to the beach. Rs2500
Victoria Guest House Main St 065 205 0205, victoriaghouse.com; map. Spacious and spotless modern tiled rooms, most with a/c and all with hot water. Rs.2500, a/c Rs.3500
The principal east-coast settlement south of Trincomalee, BATTICALOA (often shortened to “Batti”) is one of Sri Lanka’s most appealing but least-known larger towns. Historically, it’s best known as the site of the first landing (in 1602) by the Dutch in Sri Lanka, and as the place where they established their first lasting foothold on the island by seizing the local fort from the resident Portuguese in 1638. More recently the town and surrounding area was a major LTTE stronghold throughout the civil war, with the army controlling the town and the Tigers running their own parallel administration – complete with courts, police force and tax collectors – from the village of Kokkadicholai, a short drive south. As Indian journalist Nirupama Subramanian put it in Sri Lanka: Voices from a War Zone: “Technically, Batticaloa town came under the government … That was by day. By night, the town took orders from the Tigers.”
The LTTE are long gone, and the mercantile hustle and bustle of the main commercial areas suggests a town now increasingly on the mend, although intriguing reminders of Batti’s long colonial history can still be seen. Moreover, the town’s setting is magical, perched on a narrow sliver of land backed by the serpentine Batticaloa Lagoon and surrounded by water on three sides, with the constantly shifting views of land, lagoon and ocean lending it an interesting – if disorienting – character.
Batticaloa’s solid-looking fort was one of the last to be built by the Portuguese in Sri Lanka (1628), and its rugged exterior has survived both civil war and tsunami in surprisingly good shape. The fort is protected by a moat on two sides, with its northern walls plunging directly into the lagoon. The main entrance is on the east side of the fort, flanked by a pair of rusty cannon and topped with a carving of the VOC emblem. Inside, the central courtyard is now home to assorted municipal offices, with a small Hindu shrine standing in the centre. Most of the buildings are modern, although the crumbling Dutch-era west wing survives, a marvellous period piece with huge wooden-shuttered windows and doors, shaded by a superb two-storey veranda complete with enormous Doric columns. Don’t miss walking along the ramparts – there’s a small staircase leading up on the right side of the main gate.
Batticaloa has a largely Tamil population, and a distinctly Indian flavour in places. This is most obvious along Main Street and adjacent Bazaar Street, which run parallel to one another along the south side of the central lagoon west of the fort, offering a colourful medley of jewellers, clothes shops and fancy goods emporia.
Getty Images
BATTICALOA
Up the hill from Main Street, roads climb into the heart of old Batticaloa, an atmospheric tangle of streets lined with tree-swathed villas and dotted with a sequence of imposing colonial-era churches. Immediately behind Main Street lies St Anthony’s, a lovely old cream-coloured structure, topped with an enormous expanse of red tiles and with a rustic, barn-like interior beneath a huge sloping wooden roof. Further up the hill sits the even larger St Mary’s Cathedral, a sprawling, sky-blue Neoclassical edifice with soaring facade. Opposite is the venerable old St Michael’s College, founded in 1872 and one of the largest and most prestigious schools in the east.
North of the lagoon it’s worth having a look at the landmark Our Lady of Presentation, a huge, bizarre-looking blue structure topped by a strange octagonal tower and glass cupola – like a miniature lighthouse plonked on top of a pagoda.
From here, it’s a twenty-minute walk through the modern town centre along Trinco, Bar and Bailey roads to reach the new bridge over the lagoon and, next to it, the creaking old Kallady Bridge, dating from the 1930s (when it was known as Lady Manning Bridge) and formerly the longest in the country. Now closed to traffic, it offers fine views across the water, as well as (it’s said) the best spot from which to hear Batti’s famous singing fish.
Over Kallady Bridge lies the sleepy beachside suburb of Kallady, home to several of the town’s better accommodation options and with a pleasantly village-like atmosphere – quite different from the bustle of central Batti just over the lagoon. The far side of the district is bounded by a long sweep of fine golden beach, usually lined with boats and busy with fishermen sorting the day’s catch or mending nets.
The singing fish of Batticaloa
Batti is famous in Sri Lankan folklore for its singing fish. According to tradition, between April and September a strange noise – described variously as resembling a plucked guitar or violin string, or the sound produced by rubbing a wet finger around the rim of a glass – can be heard issuing from the depths of the lagoon. The “singing” is allegedly strongest on full moon nights, though no one knows exactly what causes it. The most popular explanation is that it’s produced by some form of marine life – anything from catfish to mussels – while another theory states that it’s made by water flowing between boulders on the lagoon floor. The best way to listen to the singing is apparently to dip one end of an oar in the water and hold the other end to your ear. The old Kallady Bridge is traditionally held to be a good place to tune in.
By plane Cinnamon Air fly from Colombo’s international airport to Batticaloa (daily; 1hr 30min). One-way tickets cost around $230. The airport is around 3km southwest of the centre; a tuktuk should cost around Rs.350–400.
By bus There are separate bus stands for SLTB and private buses, next to one another on the south side of the lagoon. Services to Colombo leave mainly either first thing in the morning or in the evening between 8pm and 10pm (with a couple more services in the afternoon). If you’re heading down the coast to Arugam Bay, catch a bus to Pottuvil, then a tuktuk to Arugam Bay. If there’s no Pottuvil bus available, catch a bus to Kalmunai and change onto a Pottuvil bus there.
Destinations Colombo (hourly; 8hr); Kalmunai (every 15min; 1hr); Kandy (2 daily; 6hr 30min); Karaitivu (for Ampara and Gal Oya; every 30min; 1hr 15min); Polonnaruwa (hourly; 2hr 30min); Pottuvil (hourly; 3hr); Trincomalee (every 30min; 3hr 30min); Valaichchenai (for Passekudah/Kalkudah; every 30min; 1hr).
By train The train station is on the north side of town, just over 1km from the centre.
Destinations Colombo (2 daily; 7–8hr); Polonnaruwa (5 daily; 2hr 30min); Valaichchenai (5 daily; 45min–1hr).
Tours East N’ West On Board (065 222 6079, eastnwestonboard.com) is a pioneering local travel agency now busily opening up all sorts of new destinations around Batti, with a wide selection of activities including city and country walks, cycling, boat trips, birdwatching and cooking classes. Their excellent website is full of information about little-known local attractions.
Boat trips Riviera Resort can arrange lagoon trips in their own little awning-covered boat to the nearby lighthouse and/or Batticaloa fort (Rs.750 per person for both). It’s around 25min return to the fort, and 40min return to the lighthouse (which is up some way beyond East Lagoon Hotel). They also have kayaks for hire (one-person Rs.500, two-person Rs.800, including life jacket and buoyancy aid).
Diving Sri Lanka Diving Tours at the Deep Sea Resort offers PADI courses and dives to local sites (mid-March to Sept only), including the wreck of the famous HMS Hermes, sunk by the Japanese in 1942.
Accommodation in Batti is split mainly between the town centre and the quieter beachside suburb of Kallady, a Rs.300 tuktuk ride (or 20min walk) from the centre. East N’ West on Board can organize homestays in Kallady and around Batti. Check the website (eastnwestonboard.com) for details.
Hotel East Lagoon Munai Lane, Uppodai Lake Rd, 1km north of town 065 222 9222, hoteleastlagoon.lk; map. Batticaloa’s first large-scale hotel, this modern resort occupies a lovely location between two strips of lagoon. The hotel itself, in a trio of four-storey white buildings, has zero charm or atmosphere, but is comfy enough and a reasonable price, with huge (if uninspiring) rooms, plus a small pool and modest in-house restaurant. $55
Avonlea Inn 57a Nagathambiran Kovil Lane, New Dutch Bar Rd 065 222 8113; map. Homely family guesthouse set around an intimate little garden. Rooms (including a couple with a/c) are simple but spacious and immaculately maintained, and the helpful owner offers various activities including boat rides to the lighthouse, local excursions and tuktuk city tours. There are also bikes for hire (Rs.400/day) and all meals available. Rs.2200, a/c Rs.3850
Hamsaam Villa 35/1A New Dutch Bar Rd 077 580 3845, hamsaamvilla.com; map. Cosy little family guesthouse with just three neat and spotless rooms (with hot water, plus optional a/c for Rs.1000). Breakfast and dinner are available if ordered in advance, and there’s 24hr tea and coffee, bikes for hire (Rs.500) and tours. Good value. Rs.2200
Riviera Resort Off New Dutch Bar Rd 065 222 2164, riviera-online.com; map. Long-running and still deservedly popular place with accommodation in a scatter of buildings of various ages dotted around attractive lagoonside gardens, ranging from good-value fan rooms (including a couple of very cheap doubles with shared bathroom) through to smart and attractively furnished new rooms with a/c and hot water. There’s also a nice garden restaurant (pre-order at least an hour in advance) and a big pool (guests pay a one-off Rs.250 charge) with hot tub and baby pool attached, and an Ayurvedic massage room (Rs.3000). Shared bathrooms Rs.1500, en suites Rs.3300, a/c Rs.5700
Café Chill Pioneer Rd 077 777 9598; map. This funky little café, with some unusual cabana-style seating areas, is a great place for a cappuccino (Rs.300) or a fresh juice (from Rs.100). They also have hotdogs (from Rs.150) and chicken and veggie burger meals (from Rs.230). Daily 10am–8pm.
Hajiyar Restaurant East end of Main St 065 222 5639; map. The smartest of the several food joints along this stretch of Main St. They serve a few basic rice-and-curry and buriani-style dishes during the day (virtually everything under Rs.300) and come alive at dusk with the clatter of machete-wielding kottu rotty makers Daily 8am–9.30pm.
Sri Saravanaa Pava Saravanan Street, Kallady 065 205 0301; map. Excellent Indian vegetarian restaurant serving delicious rice and curry (Rs.150), plus dosas (Rs.150), rotty (from Rs.60) and quick eats (from Rs.40). Daily 6.30am–10pm
Banks There are banks all over town. The ATMs at the Commercial and Seylan banks on Bar Rd, and the HNB ATM on Fort Rd all accept foreign Visa and MasterCards.
Internet Wisdom internet café, 39/B Bailey Rd, or Raj Communications, further down the same road (both daily 8am–8pm; Rs.60/hr).
Swimming Non-guests can use the pool at the Riviera Resort for Rs.500.
Beyond Batticaloa, the fine new coastal highway sweeps traffic effortlessly south – although disappointingly it runs out of sight of the sea except around the expansive Koddaikallar lagoon, a memorable maze of palm-fringed water. Much of the road is lined with an endless succession of mainly Tamil and Muslim settlements, surprisingly built up in places, particularly along the stretch of coast between the twin towns of Kalmunai and Karaitivu with their entertaining clutter of mosques, temples and makeshift shops, plus the occasional cow wandering across the road.
From Karaitivu, the A31 highway turns inland towards Ampara, offering a striking contrast between the bustling commercial towns of the Tamil–Muslim coast and the largely unpopulated and undeveloped rural hinterland, still predominantly Sinhalese, with little to interrupt the landscape apart from the occasional mud hut amid endless paddy fields.
Set on the east side of the picturesque Ampara Tank, unassuming AMPARA is a typical one-horse rural Sri Lankan town that’s rarely visited by foreign tourists. Its main draw is as a possible jumping-off point for the nearby Gal Oya National Park, although there are also a couple of modest sights closer to hand.
Follow the road running north of the main road near the Commercial Leasing office
In town, the Mandala Mahavihara temple is notable for its unusual dagoba. Sitting on a grass-covered terrace, this concrete structure looks perfectly ordinary from the outside. The real surprise lies within: a small door leads into the hollow interior, its ceiling painted to resemble the sky, supported on a single giant pillar and boasting as impressive an echo as you could hope to hear.
4km west of town; head along Inginiyagala Road, then take the signed turn-off on the right just past the 3km post
The main local attraction hereabouts is the Japanese Peace Pagoda (Nipponzan Myohoji) of 1988, set in peaceful countryside west of Ampara. The florid dagoba itself, surrounded by a covered walkway, occupies a fine setting overlooking Ampara tank – wild elephants can often be seen marching past, particularly in the hours before dusk.
By bus Regular buses connect Ampara and the coast; change at Karaitivu for Batticaloa (5 daily; 3hr), or head to Akkaraipattu for Pottuvil and Arugam Bay (2 daily; 3hr). Frequent services also run to Siyambalanduwa and Monaragala.
Monty Hotel First Ave (down the road past the Terrel Residencies) 063 222 2215, montyhotel.com. This is a large and unexpectedly chic hotel for such a backwater town. There’s a wide range of a/c rooms in various price categories ranging from standard through to fancy “luxury” rooms with hot water, TV and attractive furnishings (Rs.10,550). Facilities include a pool and neat little gardens. Rs.5550
Terrel Residencies Stores Rd, just off Main St down the side road diagonally opposite the Commercial Leasing office 063 222 2215. Rather gloomy-looking place offering a wide spread of accommodation ranging from simple but comfortable fan rooms through to smarter furnished deluxe rooms with a/c, TV and hot water (Rs.7000). The restaurant serves Western and Chinese-inspired dishes. Rs.3500
Around 20km west of Ampara; entrance at Inginiyagala • Daily 6am–6pm • $12 per person, plus the usual additional charges and taxes • Trips can be arranged through the Monty Hotel in Ampara; boats can be hired at the entrance
The enormous Gal Oya National Park lies some 50km inland from the coast in a little-visited corner of the island. Like the nearby Maduru Oya, it was closed for much of the civil war and remains poorly set up for visitors at present. The park’s centrepiece is the vast Senanayake Samudra, one of the largest lakes in the country, and tours of the park are usually made – uniquely in Sri Lanka – by boat. As usual, elephants are the main draw, with herds of up to 150 visiting during their annual peregrinations. Elephant-spotting is best from March to July.
Gal Oya Lodge Bibile–Ampara road near the 30km post, on the northwestern edge of the park 076 842 4612, galoyalodge.com. Idyllic wildlife lodge with nine eco-friendly rooms and a family villa constructed from local materials spread over twenty acres of jungle – beautifully simple but unquestionably chic. Activities include boat and jeep safaris, walks and tours with local Veddhas, and there’s also a pool, plus bar and restaurant. B&B $195
Easy-going Arugam Bay is by far the most engaging of the east coast’s resorts. A-Bay, as it’s often known, has long been popular with the surfing fraternity, who come here to ride what are generally acknowledged to be the best waves in Sri Lanka. It’s also a good launching pad from which to explore the gorgeous surrounding countryside and its varied attractions, from the elephant-rich Lahugala National Park and the little-visited Kumana National Park to the atmospheric forest hermitage at Kudimbigala.
There’s not much to ARUGAM BAY village itself: just a single main road running parallel to the beach that’s dotted with guesthouses, cafés and shops, including various quirky, homespun architectural creations – rustic palm-thatch cabanas, teetering tree houses and other quaint structures. The beach is fairly clean, thanks to the efforts of locals, although plastic waste washed up from the sea can be a problem. The southern end is where most local fishing boats moor up when not out at sea, while the northern end is generally emptier and quieter.
A-Bay also marks the rough border between the Sinhalese-majority areas to the south and the mainly Tamil and Muslim areas further up the coast, and boasts an unusually eclectic but harmonious mix of all three ethnic groups – as well as a growing number of Western expats. Persistent fears that the village’s uniquely (for Sri Lanka) alternative and slightly off-the-wall character will be erased by larger and more mainstream tourism developments remain, although for the time being Arugam Bay preserves its own enjoyably eccentric charm.
By bus There are currently around ten buses heading west daily from Panama via Arugam Bay to Monaragala, a couple of which continue all the way to Colombo (at 6am and 8pm at the time of research). Heading north, there’s one direct service to Batticaloa in the morning; alternatively, take one of the regular buses (every 30min) from Pottuvil to Kalmunai, from where there are frequent onward connections. For Ampara, take a Kalmunai bus from Pottuvil and change at Akkaraipattu.
Tourist information arugam.info is an excellent resource. The Stardust (arugambay.com) and Siam View (arugam.com) hotels also have useful websites.
Arugam Bay offers plenty of accommodation options, from budget to boutique, although prices are often surprisingly high and everything gets booked up quickly. A-Bay remains reasonably lively out of season, though rates at many places fall by at least a third.
Bay Vista Main St 063 224 8577, bayvistahotel.com; map. In a fantastic central location, this well-run and friendly hotel is great value. The rooms are clean, simple and comfortable, and the beach-facing ones all have balconies with superb views. The lobby area restaurant is excellent and in the busier months there’s a health food café and yoga space on the roof. B&B Rs.12,100
The Danish Villa Main St 077 695 7936, thedanishvilla.com; map. One of the village’s classier options, in a low-slung white villa set amid pretty gardens with six attractively furnished rooms of various sizes and prices, split between the main house and an attractive garden bungalow around the back, plus one simpler budget room ($30). Optional a/c costs around $11 extra. $38
Galaxy Lounge Galaxy Rd 063 224 8415, galaxysrilanka.com; map. A mix of stilted and budget palm-thatch cabanas plus two new a/c luxury rooms in a nice beachfront location, with a breezy open-air restaurant. Rs.5000
Hideaway Main St 063 224 8259, hideawayarugambay.com; map. Another A-Bay stalwart, hidden amid lush gardens on the landside of the main road, although it’s getting cluttered with continual enlargements. The cheaper fan rooms in the attractive Bawa-esque main house are the best deal, but there are also some bigger but rather humdrum and decidedly expensive hexagonal-shaped a/c cabanas ($175) and further rooms scattered around the spacious grounds. There’s also a good restaurant and bar, a roadside café, a Sunday market, new pool (Rs.750 for non-guests) and a yoga chalet. $50, a/c $110
Long Hostel Panama Rd 077 394 3199, thelonghostel.com; map. A-Bay’s newest budget option with small but clean bunk-bed dorms (with fan or a/c) and a/c double rooms. There’s also a coffee shop and restaurant serving breakfast (Rs.400). Dorms Rs.1350, doubles Rs.3800
Nice Place Tsunami Hotel Rd 063 224 8193, niceplaceguesthousesrilanka.weebly.com; map. Intimate little guesthouse, not quite on the beach but very close. The spacious, high-ceilinged rooms come with thick mattresses and powerful fans, and there are wicker chairs on verandas around the pretty little garden. Fan rooms are decent value; the identical a/c a lot less so. $35, a/c $45
Ranga’s Beach Hut Beach Hut Rd 077 160 6203, arugambaybeachhut.com; map. A quintessential slice of Arugam Bay, with a selection of rustic wooden cabanas in a quirky range of styles (including a couple on stilts, and a picturesque tree house). It’s rustic and fairly basic (the cheapest cabanas come with shared bathroom), but excellent value, and has bags of laidback charm and character. Also a sociable choice for evening meals, with good, inexpensive Sri Lankan food served at a communal table (best to book in advance). Rs.2500
Roccos Main St 071 810 7777, arugambayroccos.lk; map. Rather bland new hotel with 22 white concrete cubes set around a pool (Rs.1500 for non-guests including lunch), with the more expensive ones close to the beach. The cube rooms have simple pine furniture as well as ceiling fans and a/c. B&B $150
Sandy Beach Hotel Off Water Music Rd 063 224 8403, arugambay-hotel.com; map. Modern white building in a gorgeous location right above the waves with four sea-facing rooms with a/c, hot water and balcony, two spacious villa rooms and a surfers cabana. Rs.6000, a/c Rs.12000
Spice Trail Main St 063 224 8403, thespicetrails.com; map. Nestled amid a pleasant garden with a pool, the twelve charming and spacious boutique villas here come with king-size beds, large bathrooms and private courtyard gardens. The atmosphere is friendly and laid back, and the restaurant is excellent. B&B $175
Stardust Beach Hotel Main St 063 224 8191, arugambay.com; map. One of Arugam Bay’s original hotels, with bright and stylish rooms (those upstairs have great ocean views from the sea-facing balconies) and a selection of reasonably priced wooden cabanas, plus some upmarket villa-style apartments with two double rooms and a kitchen. There’s also a yoga pavilion (group and individual classes available), a canoe for lagoon trips and a good restaurant. Cabanas $43, doubles $70, apartments $180
Surf N Sun Main St 077 865 9656; map. Popular surfers’ hangout set in luxuriant, green gardens. Accommodation is in some of the village’s most attractive cabanas – a mix of simpler wooden structures and larger concrete-walled affairs almost buried under vast palm-thatch roofs – plus a couple of more upmarket and very attractively designed villas (sleeping 2–5 people) further down the endless garden. At the time of research, two new units with kitchens were being built. There’s also (in season) a lively restaurant and cocktail bar, yoga classes, surf shop and a good range of tours available. Cabanas $40, villas $100
Jetwing Surf 4km north of Arugam Bay, Kottukal Beach Road, Pottuvil 063 203 0300, jetwinghotels.com; map. Newly opened, upmarket eco-resort on a quiet and pristine stretch of beach north of Arugam Bay. The twenty luxurious cabanas, all constructed and decorated with natural grasses, palm leaves, coir and local timbers, have indoor and outdoor showers and comfortable lounge seating. There’s no a/c but it’s possible to sleep under a mosquito net with the veranda doors open. There’s also an in-pool bar and the in-house restaurant serves gourmet cuisine with some innovative twists on Sri Lankan standards. B&B $480
Kottukal Beach House 4km north of Arugam Bay, Kottukal Beach Road, Pottuvil 077 534 8807, jetwinghotels.com; map. Chic two-storey luxury beach villa with four rooms and two chalets located near the southern end of the Pottuvil Point surfing break. The rooms have excellent ocean views, and the coconut tree garden provides shelter for lounging around the pool. B&B $320
With waves fresh from Antarctica crashing up onto the beach, Arugam Bay is sometimes claimed to be one of the top ten surf points in the world, and periodically plays host to international tournaments. The best time for surfing is between April and October/November.
There are several breaks close to Arugam Bay, plus others further afield. The biggest waves in A-Bay itself are at The Point (at the southern end of the beach), a long right-hand break which has (on a good day) 2m waves and a 400m ride. Another good break can be found straight off the beach by the Siam View Hotel. Baby Point (between Mambo’s and Siam View Hotel) is ideal for beginners, with smaller waves and a sandy bottom (unlike The Point, which is coral-bottomed), while the beach break in front of the Stardust Beach Hotel is also good for beginners and bodysurfing.
South of Arugam Bay, the break near Crocodile Rock (3km south of Arugam Bay) is an excellent spot for beginner and intermediate surfers if there’s sufficient swell. Some 5km further on, Peanut Farm has two surf points: a perfect tube for expert surfers and a smaller ride ideal for beginners; there are also good waves further south at Okanda.
A number of spots north of Pottuvil are also becoming popular among more experienced surfers (and are generally quieter than those in A-Bay). About 9km north of Arugam Bay, Pottuvil Point breaks off a long and deserted sandy beach; the ride can be as long as 800m, though the waves are a bit smaller than in A-Bay. Other nearby breaks include Whiskey Point and Lighthouse Point (aka “The Green Room”).
The best places for general surfing info and equipment hire are A-Bay Surf Shop and the surf shop at the Surf N Sun guesthouse. These places and some of the village’s guesthouses rent bodyboards and surfboards (Rs.800/day for shortboards, Rs.1000 for longboards), as well as operating surfing safaris to various other spots along the coast.
Gecko Main St 063 224 8212, geckoarugambay.net; map. Neat little place serving up good, healthy café food including sandwiches (with home-made bread), home-made ice cream and cakes, all-day breakfasts, burgers, salads, pasta and rice and curry (most mains Rs.950–1595), washed down with tasty sugar-free juices and fair-trade coffee. You can also refill used water bottles here, saving money and plastic. Daily 8am–10pm.
Hideaway Main St 063 224 8259, hideawayarugambay.com; map. An enjoyable contrast to most other A-Bay eateries, this peaceful little garden-terrace restaurant feels more Colombo chic than surfer shack. Food (lunch mains Rs.800–1000, dinner Rs.2000) is stylishly prepared and presented with a short menu of upmarket, regularly changing international dishes. Also does a good breakfast selection. Daily 7am–9.30pm.
Pizza Point Main St 077 254 3043; map. Friendly wood-fire pizza restaurant run by a gang of young lads and using homemade tomato sauce and locally produced basil and mozzarella for various combinations (Rs.1000-1800). Also serves a variety of pasta (from Rs.900) and salads (from Rs.800). Daily 11am–10pm.
Siam View Hotel Main St 077 320 0201, arugam.com; map. Usually one of the best places for a night out in the village, with a good cocktail list, smooth soundtrack and simultaneous movies, sports and music videos on their three screens. The restaurant occupies an open-sided first-floor wooden pavilion with a menu focusing on reasonable Thai food (with perhaps some non-Thai dishes during season); mains around Rs.700–850. Reduced hours out of season. Daily 7am–3am.
Spice Trail Main St 063 224 8403, thespicetrails.com; map. This is fast becoming one of A-Bay’s best restaurants and is the only place where you can get Japanese cuisine including sushi, ramen and okonomiyaki (Rs. 900–1200). The roasted pumpkin and wild rice and mango salads (Rs. 700-875) are also scrumptious. Their Bite Bake Bar is open during the busier months only and sells cakes and biscuits. Daily 7.30am–10pm.
Stardust Beach Hotel Main St 063 224 8191, arugambay.com; map. Attractive pavilion restaurant with an appetizing selection of snacks and well-prepared meals (most mains around Rs.1100–1500) including a good selection of breakfasts and sandwiches (with home-made bread) alongside international dishes ranging from pasta and goulash through to dosas and rice and curry. Don’t miss the home-made ice cream. Daily 7.45am–10pm.
Eco Wave Main St 063 373 0404, ecowave.lk; map. Fun little shop run by the local Eco Wave social enterprise and selling a range of ethically sourced produce and souvenirs – organic tea, spices and fruits, chemical-free rice, pressed-flower greeting cards, hats fashioned from woven palmyra leaves and so on. Profits support local community projects and they also arrange an excellent range of tours (see below). Reduced hours out of season. Daily 8am–8pm.
Rice & Carry Main St riceandcarry.com; map. The new flagship store of this excellent east coast-based social enterprise sells a variety of bags, pouches, totes and other useful items made by local women from recycled rice and spice sacks, plus wallets, key tags and surfboard wax combs made from discarded plastic shopping bags. Reduced hours out of season. Daily 9.30am–5.30pm.
Bank There are HNB and Seylan Bank ATMs in the middle of the village, both of which accept foreign Visa and MasterCards, plus several banks in nearby Pottuvil.
Free • Guesthouses in Arugam Bay can arrange jeeps to Lahugala, though you can’t drive these in the park; alternatively, catch a bus or tuktuk (around Rs.3500)
Some 15km inland from Arugam Bay, the main road west passes through the small but beautiful Lahugala National Park, comprising Lahugula Tank and a magnificent swathe of dry mixed evergreen forest, dotted with lofty rosewoods and satinwoods. The park is best known for its elephants: up to 150 congregate around the tank during July and August, when the rest of Lahugala’s waters dry up, to drink and feed on the beru grass which grows prolifically on its shores. The tank area is also good for spotting a wide range of birds, including innumerable snowy white egrets that can often be seen hitching a ride on the backs of obliging elephants. When the rains come the elephants disperse, and large sections of the park turn a brilliant, post-monsoonal green.
Lahugala isn’t officially open to the public, and no vehicles are allowed in, although you’re free to walk into the park from the main Arugam Bay–Monaragala road, which runs right through it. Be aware, however, that walking through jungle with a large elephant population carries a degree of risk, so it’s best to stick to one of the recognized viewpoints close to the road. The easiest (and safest) option is to head to Lahugala Hospital (at the 306km post). Just west of here along the main road, several small paths run off to the right to the raised bund at the edge of Lahugala Tank, about 100m away, which offers a secure vantage point and good chances of spotting elephants.
Tours from Arugam Bay
For a convenient whistle-stop tour of the area, the Ceylon Walking Tour (ceylonwalkingtours.com) and the Surf N Sun guesthouse run useful day-trips by tuktuk (Rs.6000/vehicle) taking in most of the major local attractions, including Kudimbigala, Okanda, Magul Maha Vihara and Lahugala. The Pottuvil Lagoon Tour (2hr; Rs.6000/two-person boat; bookings and info on 075 824 1432) consists of a gentle canoe trip, during which a local fisherman will paddle you out into Pottuvil lagoon, 8km north of town, and through the beautiful mangrove swamps that fringe its shores, offering the chance to spot birds, monitor lizards and perhaps the occasional crocodile or elephant. It’s also possible to arrange sea safaris with any of the companies listed above (2hr; Rs.6000) in engine-powered boats, with a good chance of seeing dolphins, flying fish and other marine life. Surfing tours are also popular, as are trips to (the edges of) Lahugala and Kumana national parks.
At the north end of the village, Eco Wave also run an interesting range of responsible tours and activities (all of which require a minimum of two people; per-person prices fall in larger groups). These include cookery classes with local women (Tues, Thurs and on request; 2–3hr; Rs.3000pp for minimum group of 2); tours to Kumana and Panama village (7hr; Rs.10,000pp including park entrance); Pottuvil lagoon tours (3–4hr; Rs.3300pp); and visits to Magul Maha Vihara and a local village (4hr; Rs.4,000pp).
Just east of Lahugala (and signposted from the main road just west of the 307km post) • No set hours • Donation
According to tradition, the evocative remains of the Magul Maha Vihara temple mark the site of the wedding of Kavan Tissa and Viharamahadevi, one of ancient Sri Lanka’s most famous celebrity couples – you can still see the poruwa, a special wedding platform decorated with a lion frieze, which was erected for the event at the back of the enclosure on the right-hand side. Following the ceremony, the land was enclosed in an impressive circuit of walls and presented to the Sangha, who established a monastery here. The unexcavated remains of Kavan Tissa’s palace lie in jungle to the south; it was here that the couple’s son, the legendary Dutugemunu, was born and lived until his teens, when he and his parents moved to Tissa.
Stone inscriptions found at the site record that the current temple buildings were erected by King Dhatusena during the mid-fifth century, and later restored in the mid-fourteenth century. The extensive remains include an image house, dagoba, poyage and well-preserved moonstones, as well as the finely carved poruwa, all lent an additional layer of mystery by the thick jungle that surrounds them on every side.
The countryside and coastline south of Arugam Bay is beautifully unspoiled. Buses run three times daily along the good tarmac road which rolls through rice paddies and scrub jungle as far as the dusty little village of PANAMA, 12km south of Arugam Bay. There are miles of superb deserted beach along this stretch, and a pair of huge rock outcrops popularly known as Elephant Rock and Crocodile Rock for their alleged resemblance to these creatures, though you’ll need a tuktuk (or 4X4) to reach them. Elephants are sometimes seen wandering in the vicinity. Panama itself has a fine, dune-backed beach, 1km south of town; to reach it, pass through the village and follow the road round to the left.
The road south of Panama is currently unsurfaced, although the dirt track is kept in reasonable condition and is usually passable in a jeep (and tuktuks make the journey with ease). The countryside here is almost completely uninhabited, and very similar in appearance to that of Yala National Park, with extensive lagoons, scrub jungle and huge populations of birds, as well as occasional elephants and crocodiles.
Just beyond the 12km post on the road south of Panama, and 500m along a turning on the right (a 60min drive from Arugam Bay) • 6am-5pm
The hundreds of caves at the beautiful forest hermitage of Kudimbigala are thought to have been occupied by Buddhist monks as far back as the first century BC. From the car park, follow the path ahead of you (keeping the modern rock-top dagoba to your right) into the surrounding woodland, and keep to the track as it squeezes through the trees and between enormous rock outcrops. After about ten minutes you reach the Sudasharna Cave, a small white shrine half-covered by an overhanging rock outcrop bearing the faint remains of ancient Brahmi script next to an unusual little carving symbolizing the Triple Gem.
Following the path to the left of the cave leads after another ten minutes up to the Madhya Mandalaya (“Plain of Ruins”), with a small dagoba and other monastic remains scattered over a rocky hilltop. Alternatively, heading right from the cave brings you to the huge Belumgala, a towering rock outcrop topped by yet another small dagoba. Rock-cut steps lead to the top, a breathless ten-to-fifteen-minute climb, at the end of which you’ll be rewarded by one of the finest views anywhere in the east: a vast swathe of jungle dotted with huge rock outcrops running down to the sea, and with scarcely a single sign of human habitation in sight.
Beyond Kudimbigala, 30km south of Arugam Bay, the village of OKANDA has another popular surfing spot, and also boasts a major Hindu temple, marking the spot where Kataragama is said to have landed on the island; it is now an important staging point on the overland pilgrimage to Kataragama. The village is also the entrance point for Kumana National Park.
30km south of Arugam Bay • Daily 6am–6pm • $15 per person, plus the usual additional charges and taxes • Some guesthouses in Arugam Bay including Sun N Surf can arrange transport to and around the park by jeep (seating 4–6 people) for around Rs.10,000 (not including park entrance ticket); it might also be possible to include a visit to Kudimbigala in the same tour
Kumana National Park (still widely known by its old name of Yala East National Park) suffered major damage during the war years, when it served as an LTTE hideout, but it has now been largely rehabilitated. Wildlife is still less plentiful that in neighbouring Yala, but Kumana sees only a fraction of the number of visitors, meaning that you’ll usually have the place pretty much to yourself. The main attraction is the Kumana Bird Sanctuary, incorporated within the park and comprising the Kumana Wewa tank and surrounding mangroves, one of the island’s most important breeding and nesting grounds – over 250 species have been recorded here. Other wildlife includes leopard, some forty elephants, lots of crocodiles and a few extremely reclusive sloth bears.
Just beyond the easternmost fringes of the hill country east of Wellawaya, the small town of MONARAGALA sits at the foot of the huge Peacock Rock, whose sheer sides loom dramatically over the countryside hereabouts. The town itself is principally of interest as the gateway to Arugam Bay, and also provides a convenient base for visiting the remote and magical Buddhist statues of Maligawila and the huge ruined stupa of Yudaganawa. In addition, it serves as the gateway to a pair of fine eco-lodges in the surrounding countryside.
By bus The bus station is bang in the centre of town. There are around ten buses daily from Monaragala to Arugam Bay (last bus currently at 5pm). Alternatively, take a bus to Pottuvil or catch a bus to Siyambalanduwa, from where there are more regular connections onto Pottuvil/Arugam Bay. If you’re heading west, it’s often easiest to catch a bus to Wellawaya or Badulla, from where there are plentiful onward connections.
Destinations Ampara (hourly; 3hr); Arugam Bay (10 daily; 2hr); Badulla (every 30min; 3hr); Buttala (every 30min; 45min); Wellawaya (every 15min; 1hr 15min).
Accommodation options in Monaragala are – not surprisingly – limited, although all the following are fine for a night, and do reasonable food as well.
Kandaland Araliya Uyana Rd 055 227 6925, raxawa.com; map. This welcoming family guesthouse is easily Monaragala’s most appealing place to stay, with exceptionally spacious and spotless rooms and home-cooked rice and curry on request. Excellent value, unless you opt for pricey optional a/c (Rs.2000 extra). The owners can also arrange trips (Rs.1000) by tuktuk and on foot to their rubber estate at Raxawa, set in beautiful countryside on a hill high above Monaragala. Rs.2000
Rest House Wellawaya Rd 055 227 6815; map. Characterful old rest house set behind a spacious garden and pleasant terrace restaurant. Rooms (all with hot water) are basic but good value, assuming you skip the pricey a/c and don’t mind a bit of mustiness. Rs.2750, a/c Rs.3500
Pavillion Restaurant & Bakery Pottuvil Rd 055 227 6127; map. A good place for grabbing some baked goods, if you’re pushed for time. They also serve a delicious rice and curry buffet (from Rs.300). Daily 6am–9.30pm.
The remote village of MALIGAWILA, little more than a sandy clearing surrounded by a few makeshift shacks, is home to two giant standing seventh-century Buddhist statues, fashioned out of crystalline limestone, which are thought to have once formed part of an extensive monastic complex. The images, which had collapsed and fallen to bits, were restored in 1991, when the various pieces were rescued from the jungle floor and painstakingly reassembled – though the Maitreya statue still looks rather patched up. The statues are impressive in themselves, but are made additionally mysterious by their setting, hidden away in a stretch of pristine lowland jungle with an active monkey population.
From the car park, a path leads into the woods, reaching a T-junction after about 300m. Turn left to reach the first of the two statues, an 11m-high standing Buddha in the abhaya mudra (“Have No Fear”) pose, freestanding apart from a discreet supporting brick arch at the back and recently covered with a metal shelter.
Return to the T-junction and follow the other path for 200m to reach the second statue, dating from the seventh century AD and thought to represent either the bodhisattvas Maitreya or Avalokitesvara. This is a more elaborate structure, with the remains of ornate entrance steps, a moonstone and two flanking guardstones, plus a pillar inscription in medieval Sinhala erected during the reign of Mahinda IV (956–972), recording acts performed by the king in support of the Buddhist order. The statue itself is set on a sequence of five raised plinths, like a ziggurat, and clothed in a richly ornamented dress; unfortunately, it’s currently protected by an ugly concrete pavilion.
If you have your own transport, it’s worth making the short detour about 6km west of Maligawila to the Detamahal Vihara, a pleasant temple with marvellous views over the paddy fields. Its origins date right back to the first or second century BC, and an ancient-looking, red-brick stupa survives, along with traces of Polonnaruwa-era stonework in the main shrine, itself built on an even older stone base. Next to here a modern brick building, in a traditional style, houses a striking, blackened twelfth-century Buddha image. Behind here is a partially excavated area scattered with the foundations of vanished buildings, guardstones and other ruins.
By bus Buses from Monaragala to Maligawila leave roughly every 45min and take around 1hr, dropping you in the tiny village’s dusty main square, from where it’s a short walk to the statues.
By taxi or tuktuk A taxi from Monaragala will cost around Rs.4000, a tuktuk around Rs.3000.
2km west of Buttala • Daily 24hr • Free
Just west of the small town of BUTTALA (and 20km southwest of Monaragala) lie the remains of the huge Yudaganawa dagoba, one of the biggest in the east. The stupa is said to mark the location of a battle between Dutugemunu and his younger brother Saddhatissa. Dutugemunu was victorious, and Saddhatissa fled to the Detamahal Vihara, although the brothers were subsequently reconciled – the dagoba was commissioned by Saddhatissa to commemorate the peace. Parakramabahu I is said to have subsequently enshrined the ashes of his mother here.
Of the original dagoba, only the huge, three-tiered base now survives (heavily restored), although even this gives an impressive sense of the enormity of the original structure, with a circumference of 310m, even bigger than the mighty Ruwanwelisaya dagoba in Anuradhapura. A small Kandyan-era shrine stands in front of the stupa, richly decorated inside with intricate, though faded, murals and a painted wooden ceiling – the pictures flanking the door are particularly fine, showing a meditating Buddha shaded by a grinning cobra on one side and an unusually slim, black-headed Ganesh on the other. (Note that you’ll probably be asked for a small donation when entering the shrine, although you don’t need to give any money to see the dagoba itself.)
On the way out you’ll pass the slight remains of the Chulangani Vihara, said to mark the site of the first clash between Dutugemunu and Saddhatissa, although little now remains of the original temple beyond a small mossy dagoba and fragments of two very bashed-up Buddhas – only the torsos survive, plus a single pair of feet.
By car To reach the stupa, head 1km west of Buttala along the Wellawaya Road, then 1km down a side road signed on the right. If you don’t have your own transport you’ll have to walk from Buttala or catch a tuktuk.
Well off the beaten track, the remote countryside around Buttala is an unlikely home to two of the island’s most memorable – and idiosyncratic – eco-retreats.
Kumbuk River 9km east of Buttala 077 045 5494, kumbukriver.com. This unique riverside retreat offers you probably the only chance you’ll ever get to sleep in an elephant – an extraordinary 12m-long, thatch-roofed beast constructed from local kumbuk wood. There’s also an equally comfortable and spacious jungle cabin, a modern two-storey tree house and a boat house moored on the river. B&B: jungle cabin $140, elephant villa $160, tree house $180, boat house $120
Tree Tops Jungle Lodge 10km southeast of Buttala 077 703 6554, treetopsjunglelodge.com. Offering the chance to get right into the heart of Sri Lankan nature, this lodge is integrated with the jungle on the “wild” side of an electric fence designed to limit the wanderings of local elephants – it’s a marvellous place to stay if you want a real lost-in-the forest experience. Accommodation is in three en-suite tented rooms and there’s a thatched mud-hut restaurant, and although there are no mod cons (and no electricity) it manages to be very comfortable even so. Advance booking required; two-night minimum stay. Full board $290
