Beaches around Sri Lanka..

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Vey nice, but can you give the name for each beach shown on your pics ? This is exactly what I've been looking for my SL trip.

cool pics. Where is the second pic from btw ?

Vey nice, but can you give the name for each beach shown on your pics ? This is exactly what I've been looking for my SL trip.

skyprince the best beaches to visit in sri lanka are:
1.Hikkaduwa! (good nightlife too! the beach fest is on end of july)
2.bentota
3.balapitiya
4.mount lavinia beach (suburb of colombo...loads of restaurants and parties every weekend if your into that)
5.Galle face (colombo's beach...although parts of it is sealed off due to it being in the high security zone, the beach itself is still accesible!)
6. trincomalee beach (northeast of the country...marvellous almost untouched beaches..not sure if its safe enough yet but just check with a few operators if it is beacuse that area was not affected by the war)
7. Unawatuna beach (voted one of the best beaches in the world + lots of hotels in the area)
8.Arugam bay (near trincomalee...surfers paradise, one of the best in the world really..also check with operators)
9. Negombo beach..(its near the airport, well establised hotels in the area too)

check out this link for more info: http://www.info.lk/srilanka/srilankatravelguide/ecotours/beachesofsrilanka.htm

please do ask us at the forum for any advice on places to visit or so on...and take loads of pics when ur done. ive enjoyed your other travels!:)

The second one looks a lot like a picture from Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (Hilton).

http://www.tropicbreeze.co.uk/hotel.php?hotel=HIL533

http://www.smarttravelasia.com/maldives.htm (scroll down to conrad maldives)

Hmm.. guess that's not in Lanka then.

skyprince the best beaches to visit in sri lanka are:
1.Hikkaduwa! (good nightlife too! the beach fest is on end of july)
2.bentota
3.balapitiya
4.mount lavinia beach (suburb of colombo...loads of restaurants and parties every weekend if your into that)
5.Galle face (colombo's beach...although parts of it is sealed off due to it being in the high security zone, the beach itself is still accesible!)
6. trincomalee beach (northeast of the country...marvellous almost untouched beaches..not sure if its safe enough yet but just check with a few operators if it is beacuse that area was not affected by the war)
7. Unawatuna beach (voted one of the best beaches in the world + lots of hotels in the area)
8.Arugam bay (near trincomalee...surfers paradise, one of the best in the world really..also check with operators)
9. Negombo beach..(its near the airport, well establised hotels in the area too)

check out this link for more info: http://www.info.lk/srilanka/srilankatravelguide/ecotours/beachesofsrilanka.htm

please do ask us at the forum for any advice on places to visit or so on...and take loads of pics when ur done. ive enjoyed your other travels!:)

I'll print this out.

Among all these beaches, which have crystal pristine water ? How about Unawatuna & Arugam Bay ?
Based on the link, Mirissa beach near Galle is a must .

by clear pristine water do u mean what looks like the in the 2nd picture in the maldives that is in the first post? if you're looking for clear pristine water like that, i think you're better off going to arugam bay, nilaweli and the trincomalee area (east of sri lanka) i even hear that they are going to have a UK pro surfing championship in arugam bay, if you're lucky it might be around the time your coming down!:)
unawatuna and some other beaches in the south also have those types of beaches, but nevertheless if you are really a beach person you'd have to visit all those beaches!:)

The second one looks a lot like a picture from Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (Hilton).

http://www.tropicbreeze.co.uk/hotel.php?hotel=HIL533

http://www.smarttravelasia.com/maldives.htm (scroll down to conrad maldives)

Hmm.. guess that's not in Lanka then.

I think so too. I am not sure if its Sri Lanka. Bentota has some stilt houses but they look very different unless I am completely wrong..

by clear pristine water do u mean what looks like the in the 2nd picture in the maldives that is in the first post? if you're looking for clear pristine water like that, i think you're better off going to arugam bay, nilaweli and the trincomalee area (east of sri lanka) i even hear that they are going to have a UK pro surfing championship in arugam bay, if you're lucky it might be around the time your coming down!:)
unawatuna and some other beaches in the south also have those types of beaches, but nevertheless if you are really a beach person you'd have to visit all those beaches!:)

That's very important piece of info !

And yes, that's exactly what I meant by clear beaches .I think I will spend 2-3 hours walking in Colombo before dashing off to Kandy- Trincomalee by bus before heading to beaches , oh how about Haputale ? My interests are beaches, mountain vistas and typical daily life of urban Sri Lankans.

My routing might be Colombo- Kandy- Haputale- Trincomalee - Batticaloa -Colombo........ altogether within 4 days. What do you think ?

I'm counting days till my visit to Lanka , that's 66 days ahead ! :cheers:

Please takes lots of pictures :)

My routing might be Colombo- Kandy- Haputale- Trincomalee - Batticaloa -Colombo........ altogether within 4 days. What do you think ?


to me that looks mad :shocked:

you need to do it a bit slowly, unless you are interested in breaking some speeding record !

ya that looks really hectic! especially since your travelling by bus in sri lanka..to get from colombo to kandy it takes around 3 hours when it shouldnt!! and btw before travelling to trincomalee and batticaloa make sure to check up on the places your going to stay in beacuse as you might know the eastern province was affected by war and facilities there will not be as good as in other parts of the country and im not really sure if they have a bus service to trincomalee, your best bet is to come down to colombo and hire a private van, it'l be more expensive than the bus etc but its safer plus more convenient when you have to travel off the path...il let you in on more info later.

ya that looks really hectic! especially since your travelling by bus in sri lanka..to get from colombo to kandy it takes around 3 hours when it shouldnt!! and btw before travelling to trincomalee and batticaloa make sure to check up on the places your going to stay in beacuse as you might know the eastern province was affected by war and facilities there will not be as good as in other parts of the country and im not really sure if they have a bus service to trincomalee, your best bet is to come down to colombo and hire a private van, it'l be more expensive than the bus etc but its safer plus more convenient when you have to travel off the path...il let you in on more info later.

I went to trinco in 2003 by bus and by train as well.. the train takes a long time comparatively. the best time to start the journey to trinco is in the night, since you'd be avoiding a lot of sun...and beleive me the eastern sun is the worst!...however i am not sure as PCK said if those services are working ATM. All the best in planning yer trip Sky :)

ya that looks really hectic! especially since your travelling by bus in sri lanka..to get from colombo to kandy it takes around 3 hours when it shouldnt!! and btw before travelling to trincomalee and batticaloa make sure to check up on the places your going to stay in beacuse as you might know the eastern province was affected by war and facilities there will not be as good as in other parts of the country and im not really sure if they have a bus service to trincomalee, your best bet is to come down to colombo and hire a private van, it'l be more expensive than the bus etc but its safer plus more convenient when you have to travel off the path...il let you in on more info later.

to me that looks mad :shocked:

you need to do it a bit slowly, unless you are interested in breaking some speeding record !

I went to trinco in 2003 by bus and by train as well.. the train takes a long time comparatively. the best time to start the journey to trinco is in the night, since you'd be avoiding a lot of sun...and beleive me the eastern sun is the worst!...however i am not sure as PCK said if those services are working ATM. All the best in planning yer trip Sky :)

1) My budget for this Lanka trip ( 4 days ) will be $ 150 maximum to be spent on the ground, so the only way to get around is by bus or shared minibuses ( if available ), it's very impossible for me to ride on prive taxis.

2) Hmm I know its packed, but well. any other suggestions is welcomed.

3) Lonely Planet site is very slow recently, I need to know what shall I do once arrived in Colombo airport , how to reach inter-city bus terminal in Colombo in the fastest ( and cheapest ) way possible

Unless you are really adventurous and ready to endure a tiring and hard journey, I too wouldn't recommend traveling to trinco by bus, also because you don't really understand the languages spoken here (i am assuming here).

You are seriously better off hiring a private vehicle, you can go anywhere you like and the driver will be able to get you out of troubles if you encounter any. It would cost you a bit more though.
But if you aren't traveling alone aka with a friend, then the bus can be really fun.

The airport has a shuttle service to the nearest town if i recall correctly. You can take it and then transfer to a bus to Colombo from there. Or you can take a taxi which would cost you about 1500 rs. or so.

1500 rs taxi ? A Big no.

Yes, I'm very adventurous, I traveled 25 hours non-stop by bus from Padang to Medan in Indonesia last month . The max I expect for Colombo- Trinco journey is $ 10 one-way , no more than that :cheers:

haha, yeah, the taxi will cost you about 15 dollars, you are just better off taking a bus to colombo from the airport. Just don't expect world class public transport and you won't be disappointed :-p

Just a word of advice, When traveling to places such as trinco, expect alot of security checks in almost all the checkpoints you encounter. So have your IDs near you at all times. It is a necessary hassle. As far as I know trinco town is also a one big HSZ, so you can be subjected to random ID checks etc. Nothing big. Same story in Central Colombo area.

Other than that you are going to love Kandy and Haputale areas. By haputale do you mean the town ? That area is bloody beautiful.

Also, you going down south ? Be sure to check out below Galle, like Matara, Tangalle. Most of the tourists are bunched up in towns to the north of Galle, so they are just rather touristy.

Yes, I'm very adventurous, I traveled 25 hours non-stop by bus from Padang to Medan in Indonesia last month . The max I expect for Colombo- Trinco journey is $ 10 one-way , no more than that :cheers:

I'd suggest the train. So much more fun that a bus, and it comes to around Rs. 700 one way. www.railway.gov.lk now has a decent "trip planner".

Yeah, there is the night mail and 700 is for 1st class. 2nd class is about 400 rs. and you won't have to endure the brutal eastern sun.

well all said, to be honest I dont think you will be able to see all these places in 4 days !

Tell me how ? Day 1..Leave Colombo by Morning Kandy by noon... spend one evening, then overnight to Colombo by night ?

and early morning bus to Trinco next day...arrive by afternoon.. book into hotel.. and local trip..

Day 3.. look around Trinco and take afternoon bus to Batti.. arrive by nightfall.. book into hotel... you already are in day 4 and it takes a day to get bac kto Colombo and from Colombo to BIA...

You need atleast a week for all that.. if not I suggest you skip Trinco and Baticaloa and stick to Colombo ( 1 day ) , Kandy ( and nearby 2 days ) and possibly a beach near Colombo ( 1 day ) !

haha, yeah, the taxi will cost you about 15 dollars, you are just better off taking a bus to colombo from the airport. Just don't expect world class public transport and you won't be disappointed :-p

Just a word of advice, When traveling to places such as trinco, expect alot of security checks in almost all the checkpoints you encounter. So have your IDs near you at all times. It is a necessary hassle. As far as I know trinco town is also a one big HSZ, so you can be subjected to random ID checks etc. Nothing big. Same story in Central Colombo area.

Other than that you are going to love Kandy and Haputale areas. By haputale do you mean the town ? That area is bloody beautiful.

Also, you going down south ? Be sure to check out below Galle, like Matara, Tangalle. Most of the tourists are bunched up in towns to the north of Galle, so they are just rather touristy.

Points taken, and yes I guess I'm going to the town of Haputale itself.

I'd really want to visit Galle and the south, I know there are tons of exciting beaches down there but lets see.. 4 days is short so to avoid delays and rush, I need to know where in Colombo shall I catch the cheap minibuses/ buses to other towns ( Kandy, Galle, Trinco etc. )

I'd suggest the train. So much more fun that a bus, and it comes to around Rs. 700 one way. www.railway.gov.lk now has a decent "trip planner".

I just checked it, there are 2 departures from Colombo Fort to Trinco, at 06:05 and 21:00, both are great timings ! Morning train allows me to see the landscape ( arriving just before 2 pm in Trinco ) while night train lets me save on overniht accommodation and travelling time too !


well all said, to be honest I dont think you will be able to see all these places in 4 days !

Tell me how ? Day 1..Leave Colombo by Morning Kandy by noon... spend one evening, then overnight to Colombo by night ?

and early morning bus to Trinco next day...arrive by afternoon.. book into hotel.. and local trip..

Day 3.. look around Trinco and take afternoon bus to Batti.. arrive by nightfall.. book into hotel... you already are in day 4 and it takes a day to get bac kto Colombo and from Colombo to BIA...

You need atleast a week for all that.. if not I suggest you skip Trinco and Baticaloa and stick to Colombo ( 1 day ) , Kandy ( and nearby 2 days ) and possibly a beach near Colombo ( 1 day ) !

Hmm..my plan was :

Day 1: Colombo- short stop at Kandy- Trinco
Day 2: arrives at Trinco, look out for beach and get around the city, then off to Batti in late afternoon
Day 3 : Batti-Colombo
Day 4 : back

I think I'd take your advice to stick just to Colombo, Kandy and the beaches. I can always travel to Sri Lanka for multiple times ( 3-day weekends ? ), this year. Flights are damn cheap. :cheers:

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Mirissa

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Nilaveli

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Pidgeon Island

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Arugam Bay

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Bentota


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Negombo

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Tangalle


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Amawella

Lovely pictures, but all the beaches are empty!!!

What a Paradise island, Tangalle will be a must!

Awesome pictures Amal. Where'd you get them?

What a Paradise island, Tangalle will be a must!

My Mom is from Tangalle. It's a nice place, but not really developed for tourism yet. There are places up the coast you prolly should rather go if you're looking for creature comforts.

Induruwa

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Koggala

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Main Point, Arugam Bay

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Tambiluvil

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Around Negombo

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Tangalle

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Nilaweli

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Coral Cove

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South East Coast near Panama

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Sangamankanda Point

"If you are looking for a lonely but beautiful beach for camping, this is an ideal location. At Sangamankanda Point, I saw miles and miles of sandy beach and not a soul around. In fact this is known as the East most point in Sri Lanka.

This is close to Potuvil - Batticaloa (A4) road and it lies about 25km from Potuvil towards Akkaraipattu. The main road does not go close to the beach, so you have to turn towards the sea side and travel further 3-4 km on a gravel track. For the last bit, you may need to walk through an open land where there is no roads but only footpaths.

At the beach you will see an abondoned lighthouse. From there you will see endless beaches on both sides. One notable feature about Eastern beaches is that it has wider beaches than Southern or Western beaches. Here at Sangamankanda, the beach is over 100m wide.

This place is a real treat for a hiker! "

http://kirigalpoththa.blogspot.com/2009/03/lonely-beach-at-sangamankanda-point.html

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Overview of Club Oceanic and it's beach

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Weligama

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Talalla

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Galle

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Bentota

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Kalutara

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Polhena

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Yala National Park

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I just returnd from Nilaveli Beach northe of Trinco. It was a lovley place to be. Very clean and less people.

I love KALUTARA

you must gets all kinds of tourists from all over the globe!!!

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Around The Lighthouse Hotel, Galle

This hotel was designed by Geoffery Bawa.

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Beach around Saman Villas

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I just returnd from Nilaveli Beach northe of Trinco. It was a lovley place to be. Very clean and less people.

I will visit beautiful Lanka again in 30 days, could you or anybody explain to me on how to get to Nilaveli straight from Colombo airport main bus terminal ? Do I need to get down to Pettah first, or can take straight bus to Trinco via Vanuniya from there ? Lonely Planet forum is very slow, so i can't check from there.

Sri Lanka is my 2nd home, now :)

I will visit beautiful Lanka again in 30 days, could you or anybody explain to me on how to get to Nilaveli straight from Colombo airport main bus terminal ? Do I need to get down to Pettah first, or can take straight bus to Trinco via Vanuniya from there ? Lonely Planet forum is very slow, so i can't check from there.

Sri Lanka is my 2nd home, now :)

omg, you are going to fly again then Skyprince ? surely living up to your name !!

I will visit beautiful Lanka again in 30 days, could you or anybody explain to me on how to get to Nilaveli straight from Colombo airport main bus terminal ? Do I need to get down to Pettah first, or can take straight bus to Trinco via Vanuniya from there ? Lonely Planet forum is very slow, so i can't check from there.

Sri Lanka is my 2nd home, now :)

You seem to have so much time on your hands skyprince! :) Hope you have fun!!

Unfortunately I have never been to Eastern Sri Lanka, or Trincomalee so am sandly unable to tell you. Hopefully someone else can help out here....

I think it is easy to take a bus from Colombo to Trinco and a short taxi drive to Nilaveli beach.

Sorry for late reply again as I have been extremely busy recently.

omg, you are going to fly again then Skyprince ? surely living up to your name !!

Hahah its not really a big deal as flying is cheap to Colombo and I don't need visa to SL. I have canceled 2 forward bookings to India due to the recently-announced new Indian visa policy and replaced them with Colombo flights.

I really miss the Sri Lankan hospitality and within 5 hours flying time from KL, Sri Lanka attracts me the most considering so many factors.

You seem to have so much time on your hands skyprince! :) Hope you have fun!!

Unfortunately I have never been to Eastern Sri Lanka, or Trincomalee so am sandly unable to tell you. Hopefully someone else can help out here....

The coming trip will be just for 3 nights like the 1st trip :) Will leave on Feb 20th and now considering the 2 options of southern beaches like Mirissa or heading Eastwards to Trinco and Nilavelli.

Anyway thanks Amal for the PM , will get back to you soon !

I think it is easy to take a bus from Colombo to Trinco and a short taxi drive to Nilaveli beach.

Would be easy then. Probably will couple that up with snorkelling trip to Pigeon Island as well.

There are number of guys out there to take tourists to the Pigeon Island and a boat ride is about Sri Lanka rupees 2000.00, about $20 US dollars for a round trip. It is a lovely island for snorkeling and swimming. However, I warned you for sharp corals. They are like razor blades .Make sure to take a pair of water shoes and a good snorkeling gear with you. It can be rented, but they have been over used. Don't forget to bring your water. Try to spend at least a half day in the island and it is worth it.

I made this trip about three months ago.

Mirissa looks to be very nice. I love that the pics show little development with streaches of long sandy beaches with few people on them. My wife's parents are from Mt Lavinia (migrated to Australia in 1967) and the pictures I have seen of the place look really nice.

Have to get to Sri Lanka. Really these days a trip there via AirAsia costs very little. My In laws are actaully thinking about living 6 months in Sri Lanka and 6 months here to avoid the Melbourne winter.. :banana:

skyprince the best beaches to visit in sri lanka are:
1.Hikkaduwa! (good nightlife too! the beach fest is on end of july)
2.bentota
3.balapitiya
4.mount lavinia beach (suburb of colombo...loads of restaurants and parties every weekend if your into that)
5.Galle face (colombo's beach...although parts of it is sealed off due to it being in the high security zone, the beach itself is still accesible!)
6. trincomalee beach (northeast of the country...marvellous almost untouched beaches..not sure if its safe enough yet but just check with a few operators if it is beacuse that area was not affected by the war)
7. Unawatuna beach (voted one of the best beaches in the world + lots of hotels in the area)
8.Arugam bay (near trincomalee...surfers paradise, one of the best in the world really..also check with operators)
9. Negombo beach..(its near the airport, well establised hotels in the area too)

check out this link for more info: http://www.info.lk/srilanka/srilankatravelguide/ecotours/beachesofsrilanka.htm

please do ask us at the forum for any advice on places to visit or so on...and take loads of pics when ur done. ive enjoyed your other travels!:)
Hikkaduwa and mount lavinia beach sound interesting.

I really like the lively beaches with a lot of things going on.

From the photos though, they all look beautiful.

Wow, lovely clean beaches with few tourists around...a piece of paradise indeed....:cheers: