Things to do in Trincomalee

If you are still undecided on visiting the North East of Sri Lanka then these Trincomalee tips photos may help you take the final decision.

For this post, I teamed up with Tania Nallathamby, a local traveller and photographer that loves to explore Sri Lanka and discover new destinations as Trincomalee

I love travelling to Sri Lanka (actually just booking my next trip there) and discovering new things to do in Trincomalee will help me to build a new itinerary in the country.

But let’s get straight into it

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Things to do in Trincomalee – the interview

Unusually from all of my guides, I have organised this post as an interview where Tania will tell us more about the things to do in Trincomalee, the best time of the year to visit and of course a local tip on a place to stay.

Hello Tania, and thanks for helping us out. Can we go straight to your suggested attractions of Trincomalee?

Hi everyone, no worries at all. And let’s move to the point

Trincomalee, thanks to its beautiful attractions, is increasingly becoming an interesting tourist location.

You can easily spend days here visiting the beautiful beaches and the historic sights and obviously taking some photos of Trincomalee

Most visitors go to Trincomalee for the beaches.

White sands, swaying palms, fisherfolk…what’s not to love?

You’ll come away with some beautiful sunrise and sunset shots. 

Koneswaram Temple is a famous site to visit whilst in Trincomalee.

You have to go through Fort Frederick to get to the top of Swami Rock to see the temple.

On the way to the top, you will see plenty of spotted deer around the place.

They are pretty docile and I even saw some tourists touching them.

I wouldn’t recommend this personally.

Shoulders and knees should be covered when visiting the Koneswaram Temple.

I had on a skirt slightly higher than my knee and a shop owner just outside the temple gave me an old sari to tie around my waist during my visit.

No photography is allowed inside the temple, but there are plenty of photo opportunities outside.

You can also get some good shots of Lovers Leap just outside the temple, whilst imagining the many romantic tragedies that have reported to have happened here.

Trincomalee Bay is one of the world’s finest natural harbours.

You can capture some great shots of the bay in and around Fort Frederick

You may also check this post if you are after more tips on a trip in Sri Lanka

What is the best time to visit Trincomalee?

Trincomalee can get very hot depending on the time of year you travel there.

I visited in September and most days were bright sunshine and in the mid-thirties.

For photography I highly suggest the very early in the mornings (7am is even too late in my opinion) and very late in the afternoons.

You’ll avoid shadows in your portrait photos and you’ll bypass the excessive perspiration too

You can read more on the best time to visit Sri Lanka in my extensive guide.

Where to stay in Trincomalee

This is still not a popular destination as such however more travellers are venturing as north on the east coast.

I would personally suggest querying the booking system as booking.com as new hotels have been added on a regular basis.

It’s a new destination in its infancy.

You can check out for example Trinco Blu by Cinnamon for the most exclusive stay, right in front of the beach, one of the best hotels in town

Another great alternative is the Anantamaa, a great value for money hotel, just meters from the beach

Exclusive Trinco Blue   Great value Anantamaa

You can also read more on the best places to visit and stay in Sri Lanka in this extensive guide.

Photos of the mentioned attraction of Trincomalee

Entrance to the Koneswaram Temple
Entrance to the Koneswaram Temple
The beautiful walk along the coast
The beautiful walk along the coast
A colourful detail of the Koneswaram Temple
A colourful detail of the Koneswaram Temple
The Buddha at the Koneswaram Temple
The Buddha at the Koneswaram Temple
Meeting the friendly locals at the Trincomalee beach
Meeting the friendly locals at the Trincomalee beach
It's always very surprising to see how the locals are happy to be in a photo
It’s always very surprising to see how the locals are happy to be in a photo
Bonfire wood ready for the night at the beach
Bonfire wood ready for the night at the beach
Lovely view of the Trincomalee Bay
Lovely view of the Trincomalee Bay
A fisherman boat just back from the sea in the early morning
A fisherman boat just back from the sea in the early morning
Hard to see any western tourist on the beach
Hard to see any western tourist on the beach
Trincomalee is still off the beaten path, a real heaven in the North East of Sri Lanka
Trincomalee is still off the beaten path, a real heaven in the North East of Sri Lanka
The water can be so warm and inviting, even in the early hours of the day
The water can be so warm and inviting, even in the early hours of the day
Entrance to the Fort Frederick - The army is repositioning the old cannons
Entrance to the Fort Frederick – The army is repositioning the old cannons
A detail of the old gate of the Fort Frederick
A detail of the old gate of the Fort Frederick
The old Cannons around the Fort Frederick
The old Cannons around the Fort Frederick
In the old town of Trincomalee you can find all you need for your trip, including a few memories to take back home
In the old town of Trincomalee you can find all you need for your trip, including a few memories to take back home
The colourful tree
The colourful tree

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