East Coast

Batticaloa

Lagoon city of forts, bridges and singing fish stories, still largely untouristed.

Lagoon city of forts, bridges and singing fish stories, still largely untouristed.

Good to know

Journeys

Tours that include Batticaloa.

7 Days

Colombo → Sigiriya → Kandy → Ella → South Coast

The classic island loop: ancient rock fortresses, hill country trains and the south's golden beaches.

from $890

10 Days

Culture + Mountains + Wildlife + Beaches

A balanced, unhurried journey through every landscape Sri Lanka is famous for.

from $1,290

3 Days

Colombo → Sigiriya → Kandy

A short, cinematic first taste of the island for travellers on a stopover.

from $390

Experiences

Nuwara Eliya3 hours

Walk the terraces with a picker, then taste single-estate Ceylon at 6,000 feet.

Village kitchens island-wide4 hours

Grind spices on stone, cook over a wood fire, and eat with a family who taught you how.

Matale & the Kandy hills2 hours

Peel true Ceylon cinnamon straight from the bark and understand why the world once sailed here for it.

SigiriyaSunrise, 3 hours

1,200 steps up a sheer rock to a sky palace built for a king who feared the ground.