East coast
Plan 2 to 4 nights here, and the good months are May to Sep. Pasikudah is 269 km from Bandaranaike International Airport, about 6 h 30 min by road, and is known for a very shallow, calm bay and a row of resort hotels.
Pasikudah is a wide, very shallow bay where you can wade far out, lined with a strip of resort hotels. Kalkudah's emptier beach is next door and Batticaloa, with its Dutch fort and lagoon, is 50 to 60 minutes south. It is a resort strip with little local life, and it is wet and windy from November to January.
Months with a real drawback: Nov to Jan.
Round tours with a night or more here. You can change the route, the nights and the hotels in the planner.
9 days · Comfort hotels
Sigiriya (Dambulla and Habarana), Trincomalee (Nilaveli and Uppuveli), Pasikudah (Kalkudah and Batticaloa), Arugam Bay, Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama)
Sigiriya, Trincomalee, Pasikudah, Arugam Bay, Yala
$1,111
per person for two, 9 days, comfort hotels, May rates, tickets included
Planning rates for a double room per night, taxes and service included. They run from $30 to $340 depending on standard and season. Rates checked 7 November 2026.
| Standard | Low | Shoulder | Peak | Christmas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | $30 | $38 | $48 | $36 |
| Comfort | $60 | $78 | $95 | $72 |
| Superior | $100 | $130 | $200 | $120 |
| Luxury | $170 | $220 | $340 | $205 |
Seasons here: Low 10 Jan to 31 Mar and 1 Nov to 20 Dec. Shoulder 1 Apr to 30 Apr and 1 Oct to 31 Oct. Peak 1 May to 30 Sept. Christmas 21 Dec to 9 Jan.
Bed and breakfast unless the itinerary says otherwise. These are planning rates built from public prices. Choose your dates and the booker shows the price for them; if a rate changes while you are booking, nothing is booked and you see the new price first. Once you book, your booking keeps its price. On a multi-day trip our 8% planning fee is added to the hotel and vehicle cost, as its own line.
East coast calendar: May to September is the season; November to March is quiet and some small places close. The festive rate is below the peak rate on purpose.
clean guesthouses and small hotels
Or similar.
3-star or good boutique
Or similar.
4-star
Or similar.
5-star or top boutique
Or similar.
Where the figures come from
Planning times for a private car in daylight, with one short stop and no sightseeing. Add 20 to 40 minutes to leave or enter Colombo at rush hour, and 10 to 20 percent in heavy rain or after dark in the hills.
| To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| PolonnaruwaA11 | 69 km | 1 h 45 min |
| Trincomalee (Nilaveli and Uppuveli)A15 coast road via Kinniya, Muttur and Vakarai (bridges, no ferries now) | 105 km | 2 h 45 min |
| Gal Oya National ParkVia Batticaloa or Maha Oya and Ampara to Inginiyagala; route choice uncertain | 121 km | 2 h 45 min |
| Sigiriya (Dambulla and Habarana)A11 via Polonnaruwa and Habarana | 124 km | 2 h 45 min |
| Arugam BayA15 and A4 coast road via Batticaloa, Kalmunai and Akkaraipattu; towns are slow | 147 km | 3 h 15 min |
| KandyA5 and A26 via Maha Oya and Mahiyanganaya (18 hairpin bends), or via Polonnaruwa and Dambulla | 190 km | 4 h 45 min |
| AirportBy road via Sigiriya (Dambulla and Habarana) | 269 km | 6 h 30 min |
| ColomboA6 via Dambulla and Habarana, A11 via Polonnaruwa to Valaichchenai; a full travel day | 288 km | 7 h |
As of 6 Nov 2026 the UK does not advise against travel to any part of Sri Lanka; Canada urges a high degree of caution. Main risks: roads, sea, dengue.
Keep drives under three hours and pick Udawalawe over Yala. A 7-day loop for a family of four is about USD 2,080 with Majeste in comfort hotels, Nov 2026.
From May to September the east coast is the right beach: June averages 25 mm of rain at Trincomalee against 205 mm at Colombo. Checked 7 November 2026.
January to March is driest on the west and south coasts, in the hills and the Cultural Triangle; May to September suits the east. Checked 7 Nov 2026.
Nothing to pay now. You pay in cash when the trip starts: to your driver when the booking includes our vehicle, otherwise to the person we name with the meeting point. No deposit, no card details online.
