The east coast, in season
Trincomalee
Nilaveli's white sand and Pigeon Island reef, at their best when the south is raining.
When the south-west monsoon arrives in May, the east coast turns calm and clear. Trinco has one of the world's great natural harbours, a clifftop Hindu temple, and long beaches at Nilaveli and Uppuveli that rarely feel busy. Pigeon Island has blacktip reef sharks in a metre of water.
What we do here
- Snorkelling at Pigeon Island
- Whale watching from Trinco harbour
- Koneswaram temple and Fort Frederick
- Hot springs at Kanniya
Worth knowing
- The east coast season runs May to September, the opposite of the south
- Pigeon Island National Park is a 10-minute boat ride from Nilaveli
- Koneswaram temple sits on Swami Rock, 130 metres above the sea
- Blue and sperm whales are seen off Trinco from May to August
