A first visit to North East of Sri Lanka

Although much of Sri Lanka has been enjoyed as a holiday destination, the North East of Sri Lanka had been a ‘no go’ area due to 30 years of civil war. In 2009 the troubles ended and everyone lives in peace & harmony today – making it an amazing opportunity to discover something new.

Being a Sri Lankan, visiting Trincomalee two years ago was like a dream come true .I was really amazed how beautiful this area is. I was travelling from the South where we did a safari at the Yala national park. It was about 7hrs drive through the jungle to Trincomalee. You are sure to see some elephants in the bushes just as you pass the Yala National park.

In some areas the main road was under construction then but it was a pleasant journey. When we reached Batticalo the main site was the herds of Goats and Donkeys which also reflected the livelihood

of the locals.

When we reached Trincomalee, my perception of the North East of Sri Lanka was enforced. It is a relatively undeveloped area, and I thought Trincomalee was naturally beautiful with Lagoons, sandy beaches, I actually felt like I was in a different part of the world.

We stayed at Pigeon Islands resort in Trincomalee where we had a warm welcome. This was a boutique style property and the beach was right next to the hotel and Pigeon Island was just a 10 minutes boat ride away. The food was fantastic there and the staff was really attentive.

Pigeon Island, is a national park that contains some of the best remaining coral reefs of Sri Lanka. We took an exciting boat ride to the Island & the boatman was an experienced diver too which was a bonus. The sea was quite shallow to a certain limit so it was ideal for those who are interested in swimming, snorkelling or even diving.

In the afternoon we visited the seven hot springs at Kanniyai located just 8 kilometres from Trincomalee. These were therapeutic properties of water & the temperature did vary from one well to the other. People who gathered there did believe by bathing in this water could purify your body & soul which prompted us to join the queue.

I had an amazing few days in this unspoilt part of Sri Lanka and couldn’t fault a thing and I can’t wait to go back J

By Nilupa

Have you been to Northern Sri Lanka? what did you think?