Colombo to Trincomalee by bus 8 hours horror or feasible

Breakdown of options Colombo to Trincomalee by bus 1 CTB public (orange bus) Pettah Station 800 LKR 7 to 8 hours no AC stops everywhere overcrowded Authentic but exhausting Not recommended for solo female after dark 2 Private intercity express (mostly Super Luxury or Highway services) 2200 LKR Pettah or Makumbura Multimodal Centre departures 5 to 6 hours AC reclining seats fewer stops uses the new highway A6 Drastically more comfortable and safer Book at busbookings dot lk 3 Overnight intercity 2500 LKR 2200 departure arrives 0500 Trincomalee Solo female with care this is acceptable AC overnight bus normally has mixed passengers If alarmed go to driver who acts as informal authority figure Recommended for budget travelers 2 or 3 Skip CTB unless you want the cultural experience and have a daytime journey