Sri Lanka’s east coast has plenty of magnificent and unique locations to see, non-more so than the town of Trincomalee. A sleepy town with historic forts, colourful kovils and a history that goes back over 2500 years, are just some of the charming places the town has to explore. The easiest way to get to Trincomalee is by Air Taxi; Sri Lanka has a few trustworthy air taxi service providers like Cinnamon Air, who provide direct flights from Colombo daily. A much more comfortable way to journey as opposed to the 7-hour drive over land.
The crystal clear blue waters of Trinco, as it’s fondly known by locals, are famed for its coral reefs, abundant marine life and even bird watching. A 1km boat ride from the coastline lies Pigeon Island, a marine park made up of two islands that are home to an endangered species of rock pigeons. The island has initially declared a sanctuary to protect the birds, and eventually, the surrounding coral reefs near them. The rock pigeons are found solely on the islands, nesting amongst the rocks, hence their name.
The island is small but beautiful; fine white sand, shimmering rock pools and paths running through thickets winding through the rocks will tempt you to spend your time, basking on the shore. However, the real treasure here is underwater. Snorkeling here is as satisfying as diving, thanks to the shallow reefs which are home to around 100 species of vibrant corals and over 300 types of coral reef fishes which includes blacktip reef sharks and several species of sea turtles.
Snorkeling excursions out to Pigeon Island are extremely popular, although, you do need to be careful not to step on the reef as some parts of the coral are as little as a foot deep. So if you’re passing through Trincomalee, do make the time to head out to Pigeon Island and enjoy the rare beauty of the reefs and marine life.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+
