Eastern Province (Sri Lanka)

Eastern Sri Lanka is a province in Sri Lanka.

• 🌍 Trincomalee — The Eastern Province's capital. It is also a deep-water naval base
• 🌍 Batticaloa — the second largest city of the Eastern Province amid sea and lagoons
• Ampara — the administrative capital of the Ampara District
• 🌍 Sammanthurai — the administrative capital of the Sammanthurai Area

• 🌍 Arugam Bay — a popular surfing and tourist destination
• Passikudah — a crescent-moon bay with shallow water and fringing reefs
• 🌍 Nilaveli — town with a long sandy beach near Trincomalee
• 🌍 Kumana National Park — in the extreme south of the province next to Yala National Park, famed for birdwatching

Trains run from Colombo to Trincomalee (7 hours 35 minutes day, 8 hours sleeper, three per day) and Batticaloa (8 hours 40 minutes day, 9 hours sleeper, two per day) but note there is no train directly linking these two cities.

Many buses link Colombo with the tourist hotspot of Arugam Bay.

• See the extremely rare black-necked stork at Kumana National Park
• Tour the swamps south of Arugam Bay and watch exotic birds and huge crocodiles
• The ancient Kudumbigala Monastery near Arugam Bay, and its scenic landscapes
• The stunning Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee, with breathtaking ocean views
• Trincomalee's Naval History Museum and British War Cemetery

• Swim in the blue water of Passikudah bay
• Learn to ride a wave at Arugam Bay
• Take a boat ride to experience snorkelling around Pigeon Island Island National Park (Nilaveli)
• Explore the historic Portuguese Fort Frederick in Trincomalee
• Tour Batticaloa Dutch Fort