East & North

Telephone dialing code for Aragum Bay is 063
Telephone dialing code for Trincomalee is 026
Telephone dialing code for Jaffna is 021

Places of Interest

Jafna is steeped with history and the remaining poverty and destruction of war time. The numerous Hindu temples, mosques, and Buddhist shrines plus Jaffna Fort will be of interest to a historian but beyond that the main attraction for any visitor is the culture and communities. Tourism is very underdeveloped with just a few guesthouses of mediocre standard.

Excursions further a field

Activities - Watersports
Including windsurfing, body surfing, kite surfing and diving / snorkelling

Aragum Bay(April –September)

Best Surf points:

• Pottuvil Point (North of bay)
• Crocodile Rock (South of bay)

A-Bay Surf shop
Boards R300/day Rs 1500 / week

Kite surf operators tend to be German contractors who pitch up each year to sell equipment and guide beginners.

Trincomalee

Diving the Snake West Coast , Paradise Island, Bentota , Sri Lanka.
Run by fun and experienced German divers: Claudio & Claus. Fluent in English and affiliated with PADI, SSI, Barakuda, CMAS and NRC. They have their own school for theory and equipment and will take you out to sea for wreck and flora & fauna dives. You will see Grouper, sea ray, sharks to name just a few.

For further details on dives, courses and costings, click here.

Whale Watching

Unbeknown to many, Sri Lanka’s waters and the Indian Ocean is home to 26 species of cetaceans – Blue whale, Sperm whale, Brybe’s whale, dolphins, and porpoises. Join one of the deep sea fishing boats off the coast of Trincomelee and within a 4 hour trip you will see up to 16 Blue whales and over 100 dolphins.

Enquire at the guesthouses or the harbours about whale watching off the East Coast. Tourism is beginning to develop out there and the more entrepreneurial fisherman will be running trips in the day between catches.

Beaches

Bars & Restaurants

There are very few stand alone bars and restaurants. The most popular and best quality restaurants are within the hotel and guesthouses.

Stardust Hotel in Aragum Bay has an excellent reputation for its food although it is a relaxed venue, in keeping with this small fishing and surfing town.

Getting About

The East coast is partitioned by LTTE governed Batticoloa. Whilst it is peaceful , transport across this region is not permitted and travelers must travel in land to Polonnaruwa to get from South to North of the East Coast.

Tuk Tuk’s

Tuk Tuks are the main mode of transport within the towns and to local sights. Try to befriend a Tuk Tuk driver at the beginning of your stay and the rates will come down. Most of the hotels will have their preferred Tuk Tuk drivers who will look after you as they will have a relationship with the hotel but do not be naïve to their persuasive techniques.

Reliable contact and friend to us : Rafeek in Trinco – 7ft and one of the tallest men in Sri Lanka!

Bus

Buses are not the best of mode of transport to the North & East. The distance and road condition makes it prohibitive.

Check at the bus stations at Pottuvil and Trinco town for exact information.

Trains

Trains currently run to Trinco only from Colombo.

Drivers

For advice on costs for private drivers and getting around the island for excursions, click here.

Flight

This the ideal transport and is very cost effective.

Lion Air : A commercial airline operating out of Ratmalana- Colombo (RMA) and Jaffna (KKS)

For reservations , Tel : +94 (0) 114 515615 Tel /Fax : +94 (0) 114 515715

Serendib Express : A small airline using old Soviet-era Antonov 24 aircraft. They are small but perfectly safe. They travel to Jaffna and Trincomalee daily.

For reservations, Tel : +94 (0) 112 222 3916

Post Office & Banks

Banks can be found in Trincomalee, Aragum Bay and Jaffna. Post offices are also in Nilaveli and Uppuveli, Trincomalee.