Train from Colombo to Trincomalee - how is the journey and is Trincomalee worth a 3-day visit?

The Colombo to Trincomalee train is one of Sri Lanka's great railway journeys and yes, it is very different from the hill country trains in character.

The journey: departs Colombo Fort, total duration 7-8 hours depending on the service. The route goes northeast through the Cultural Triangle lowlands - you pass Anuradhapura (which you can use as a stop), then continues northeast through dry zone scrub jungle to the east coast. The scenery is flat and open rather than dramatic hill country - enormous skies, paddy fields, jungle, and the occasional ancient reservoir. Different but genuinely beautiful in its own way.

Train experience: the north-eastern services have improved since the war. 2nd class reserved seats are comfortable. Book at Colombo Fort station in advance. Unlike the hill country trains, there is no observation deck - windows do the job.

Is Trincomalee worth 3 nights? Yes, strongly yes - but for specific reasons:

Nilaveli beach (15km north of town) is one of the finest beaches in Sri Lanka - long, white, almost deserted outside August, and with Pigeon Island Marine National Park just offshore (excellent snorkelling). The season is April-September (east coast season).

Koneswaram Temple at Swami Rock - a Hindu kovil built on a sea cliff, one of the most dramatically positioned religious sites in Sri Lanka. The cliff drop into the bay below is extraordinary. Visit at sunset.

Trincomalee harbour - one of the world's finest natural deep-water harbours, historically fought over by every colonial power. The Fort Frederick (still occupied by the army, civilian access to parts) gives a sense of this layered history.

Practical note: the best time to visit Trincomalee is May to September. Outside these months, the northeast monsoon makes the sea rough and Nilaveli beach is not swimmable.