Where to stay on the east coast on a mid-year cricket tour

Sri Lanka's two monsoons mean there is always a dry coast. From roughly May to September, the south-west monsoon brings rain and rough seas to Galle, Colombo and Bentota, while the east coast, sheltered from those winds, has sunshine and calm water. Mid-year tours, such as those of 2016 and 2022, fall in this window.

The east coast is a long way from Galle, but close enough to the inland grounds to fit between legs. After a match at Dambulla or Pallekele, a beach break on the east is the natural reward.

The companion page on adding the east coast to a mid-year cricket tour covers routes and timing.

Trincomalee is a historic port town with Fort Frederick, Koneswaram Temple on Swami Rock and one of the world's great natural harbours. Uppuveli, just north, has beach hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, and a relaxed atmosphere.

Nilaveli, roughly 20 to 30 minutes further north, has a long, quiet beach and resort hotels. It is the departure point for boat trips to Pigeon Island National Park, with snorkelling over coral and reef sharks.

Whale and dolphin watching from Trincomalee is possible in some months, roughly March to August. Choose operators that follow viewing guidelines.

Uppuveli and Nilaveli suit most fans: easy beaches, a choice of guesthouses and resorts, and a relaxed evening scene with seafood restaurants on the sand. Trincomalee town is a short tuk-tuk ride away for the temple, the fort and the harbour views.

Pasikudah, south of Trincomalee near Batticaloa, has a long, shallow bay protected by a reef, with water calm and warm enough to wade far out. Resort hotels line the bay, making it one of the best family beaches in Sri Lanka.

Kalkudah, next door, is quieter, with fewer hotels and a more natural feel.

Pasikudah is roughly 3 hours from Dambulla and 4 hours from Kandy by road.

Pasikudah's resorts are mostly large, modern properties with pools and full-board options, which suits a lazy few days with little to organise. Batticaloa, roughly 45 minutes south, has a Dutch fort and lagoon for a half-day outing.

Arugam Bay, further south on the east coast, is Sri Lanka's best-known surf town, at its best from roughly May to September. It has guesthouses, surf camps, cabanas and small hotels along a sandy strip.

It is a long way from any ground: roughly 4 to 5 hours from Kandy, and 3 to 4 hours from Hambantota via Monaragala. It suits a longer break or the end of a tour.

Lankan Stays & Trails plans east coast breaks on mid-year cricket tours, with a driver for the long transfers and beach hotels chosen to suit each group.

Allow at least three nights to make the drive worthwhile. A common pattern is Dambulla match, three nights in Nilaveli or Trincomalee, then on to Kandy for Pallekele. Alternatively, finish the tour with a week on the east coast before flying home.

Book early in July and August, when the east coast is popular with families during school holidays in Europe.

The east coast is more conservative than the south; dress modestly away from the beach.

If the tour's white-ball games are at Hambantota rather than inland, Arugam Bay is the more practical east coast stop, reached via Monaragala in roughly 3 to 4 hours.