SEPTEMBER 2026
OVERVIEW
Please read our Sri Lanka Tour post to get the overview of what we are doing, general information, tips, tricks, and traps.
We have already done:
Kalkudah Beach / Pasikuda Beach
Polonnaruwa (Archaeological Park)
It is time to move on to Nilaveli Beach.
NILAVELI BEACH (‘NILA’)
GETTING THERE
Nila is about 115kms east of Sigiriya.
PICKME offered a Tuk Tuk for 14,450r. UBER offered a Small Inter-city car for 13,375r.
Budget Holiday Plan (in Sigi near the Travelers Hostel) offered a Private Taxi for 13,000r or a Shared Taxi for 3,800r per person (minimum 4 people). I booked the latter.
At 7pm the night before, Budget Holiday Plan messaged me and told me that the shared taxi was cancelled because they did not have enough people. This also happened to me in Arugam Bay when I tried to get to Batticaloa (sometimes, there just aren’t enough tourists going in your direction). I booked a private taxi with them for 13,000r.
I was picked up from my hotel at 9am. By 11am I was dropped off at my Nila Hotel.
ABOUT
Nila is located 16 km northwest of Trincomalee.
Nila was hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It has been re-building its tourism industry ever since. The numbers are starting to come back.
WEATHER
NILA BEACH
Nila Beach stretches for several kilometres, spreading visitors across a wide area … but the concentration is around the main southern entrance at Sasy Hide.
The sea stays calm for most of the year. Swimming close to shore is safe. Life Guards are on duty.
Sasy Hide is the ‘busy spot’. Bus loads of ‘locals’ turn up regularly and it is busy at sunset every day of the week.
You will only find 3-4 beachfront restobars in the 1km stretch either side of Sasy Hide.
Walk a few 100 metres south and you will find another ‘hot spot’ at the Tiki Bar.
You don’t need to pay the ‘premium’ to stay near to the Tiki Bar … as long as you are happy to walk along the beach for a few 100 metres from Sasy Hide.
NILA ACTIVITIES
PIGEON ISLAND SNORKELING TRIP
Pigeon Island (one of the two marine national parks of the region) is situated just 1-2 km off the coast. Here you will find one of the richest coral reef systems in Sri Lanka.
Visitors enter the park only through licensed boat operators. Daily visitor numbers remain capped. Snorkelling zones follow clear boundaries. Rangers monitor behaviour in the water.
May to September is the best time for marine activities. Snorkelling trips to Pigeon Island operate daily when weather permits. Visibility often reaches several metres, allowing clear views of coral and fish.
The island has two main snorkeling areas with depths suitable for all skill levels. It is said that morning is the best time to go
A Private Charter to Pigeon Island Marine National Park costs US$60 / 20,000r including boat, gear, and park entrance fee. This can drop to US$25 / 8,250r per person if you can find 3 or more people to share.
To get the price down (and avoid the Pigeon Island entry fees), some hotels offer a shared charter to Little Pigeon Island / Angel Rock instead for US$18 / 6,000r (minimum 3 people) … but, if the winds are up (like they are at the end of September) you may only be ‘snorkeling’ for 1 to 1.5 hours.
WHALE WATCHING
US$40-US$60 per person for a half-day trip.
Join a whale watching excursion departing from Trin harbor to spot blue whales, sperm whales, and spinner dolphins in the deep waters of the Trin Canyon, one of the deepest submarine canyons near a coast.
SCUBA DIVING
US$50-US$80 per dive.
Several dive centers in Nila offer PADI-certified courses and guided dives. Sites include coral reefs, shipwrecks from World War II, and underwater rock formations teeming with marine life.
SCOOTER / BICYCLE RENTAL
My Nila Hotel offered scooter rental at 2,500r per day.
THE SURROUNDING AREA
KANNIYA HOT SPRINGS
Visit the ancient hot water springs at Kanniya about 8kms from Trin and 15kms from Nila.
Seven wells of varying temperatures are believed to have healing properties and hold deep historical significance.
Is it worth 500r to spend 10 minutes throwing warm water over your feet?
TRINCOMALEE (‘TRIN’)
PLAN B
My original plan was to spend 4 nights in Nila followed by 4 nights in Trin / Uppuveli Beach. I had a look around this are on my rental scooter.
Simply put, I was not impressed … IMHO the only place worth considering is North Uppulevi Beach. North Uppu Beach is for youngsters who want to be on a lounger during the day and party at night … and, they are prepared to pay for it.
But, why would I pay almost DOUBLE what I am paying in Nila Beach for a room in a hotel that is (a) no better and (2) on a beach that is no better?
NOTE: Many of the roads in North Uppu end at gated / private hotels. You do not get beach access. Some of these hotels allow you to enter as long as you pay a daily fee or spend money in their restaurant. If you choose to stay in a hotel in this area, check your beach access.
I decided to stay in Nila for an extra 4 nights.
EAT & DRINK
FOOD
Many restaurants start winding down after sunset … and, by around 9:30 or 10:00 pm, most have closed for the night. So don’t leave dinner too late.
You will find very few restaurants on the main road. They are mostly found down the roads and side streets between the main road and the beach.
Expect to pay 1,500 for a Vegi meal (e.g. a 5 veg curry and rice). Add 750r to add meat. Add another 750r to upgrade to a whole freshly caught fish. Add another 750r premium if you want to eat in a beach-front restaurant.
That said, there are a couple of cheap ‘family restaurants’ away from the beach front where meals start as low as 1,000r.
ALCOHOL
You will find a few restobars on the beach. Food and alcohol are sold at ‘tourist prices’. Expect to pay 1,000r for a 500ml can of Lion Beer.
Nila has 2 Wine Shops … but, they are not (easily) found on Google Maps. The main one is located in front of the Nilaveli Village Restaurant on the main road. This restaurant has its own bar area behind the Wine Shop where you can indulge at ‘government’ prices. This is where the ‘locals’ drink.
NOTE: Every Beer Shop that I have been to in Sri Lanka to date has listed a large 625ml Lion Bottle of Beer at 600r and charged an extra 100r bottle deposit. In Nila, the 600r INCLUDED the 100r bottle deposit (and, he gives you a ‘chit’ for the 100r value of each bottle so that you can get your deposit back)!
The second Wine Shop is at the Sea Villa Beach Hotel, Sasy Hide. This Wine Shop is more convenient for most people but, because of its prime location, it is slightly more expensive than the one on the high street. For the same 625ml bottle of Lion you will pay 650r to drink on site and 750r if you take away. That said, it is worth the extra to grab a bottle to drink on the beach at sunset.
GROCERIES
You will find a couple of average sized supermarkets on the main road near the Wine Shop. You should be able to get what you want here.
You will find small shops in the side streets which sell little more than water, soda drinks, and snacks.
ACCOMMODATION
WHERE TO STAY
You should have no problem finding a hotel within our GRANDPAcker price range.
NILA BEACH: I suggest that you stay anywhere within 500m of the beach but keep away from the far north and the far south. The Tiki bar area is quieter with fewer restaurants and shops to choose from … so, if you choose here, stay close to the Tiki Bar.
NORTH UPPUVELI BEACH: Another good area with many restaurants and shops. Don’t stay on the busy main road. Check that your hotel choice has good beach access.
SALLI POINT: You will see hotels offering big discounts. Do not be tempted. Avoid this area.
SOUTH UPPUVELI BEACH: Do not go any further south than Hotel Angel Inn.
TRINCOMALEE: Avoid.
MY ACCOMMODATION
I used AGODA to book 4 nights in a Budget Double with Fan at the Nilaveli Beach Rooms. I paid a last-minute discounted price of 2,860r per night excluding breakfast. Their restaurant was closed but they will serve breakfast if you order the day before. They have 9 breakfast items on the menu for between 800r and 1,000r.
The room was simple (as expected at this price). Slow wifi (but, I used my own mobile GBs). Cold water shower. Low water pressure (you had to run around to get wet). A pleasant, shared terrace area in a garden setting. 300m from the Sassi Hide beach entry.
I booked an additional 4 nights. They gave me the same discounted price.
GETTING AWAY
I plan to catch a PICKME Tuk Tuk door-to-door from my Nila Hotel to my Anuradhapura Hotel.
The price was 11,500r. This was about 125kms and should take about 2.5 hours.
CONCLUSION
Nila Beach is a nice, quiet place to ‘chill’ at reasonable prices.
Don’t expect to ‘party’. People head home from the beach as soon as the sun sets.
TTFN
