Pasikudah: A Hidden Gem in Sri Lanka

Pasikudah, in Sri Lanka, is the pin-up for picture perfect postcard beaches thanks to its soft white sand and translucent waters. Easily a tropical paradise with swaying palms, endless sandy beaches, and a relaxed and easygoing vibe – it also has a variety of water sports and lesser-known sights to explore.

In Tamil, Pasikudah means Green Algae Bay. I know this because it was my first destination in Sri Lanka. Located close to the laidback Batticaloa with its vast lagoon and a predominantly Tamil-Hindu culture, the region exudes a warmth and uniqueness that’s not seen elsewhere.  

When I arrived in town and checked into the superbly appointed Sun Siyam Pasikudah, the day was cloudless and the warm and clear blue waters beckoned. My villa overlooked the sea, the grounds were lush and private, the rooms stylish, and the service highly personalised. But what made it stand out was the slanted twin palm trees standing marooned amidst an ocean of milky-white sand.

Pasikudah, though a relatively new destination in Sri Lanka for luxury beach holidays, comes with well appointed resorts, generous manicured gardens, wide-open beach fronts and the most surreal ocean views. A short distance away, the village of Pasikudah with its guesthouses, hawker stalls and fishing boats, infuses local flavor.  

I spent the evening on the beach and witnessed a spectacular sunset. To my surprise, the next morning, an equally spectacular sunrise unfolded before me at the same spot! It was singularly the most stand-out experience at the Sun Siyam Resort. I suppose it is the horseshoe curve of Pasikudah Bay, which makes it possible – that and the chance to swim throughout the year without any strong currents, thanks to the natural reef. In fact, someone told me that the Pasikudah beach at night is ideal to photograph the Milky Way – I didn’t get the chance to find out this time around though.

Sun Siyam Resort is a destination in itself. There is much to experience here and even if you decide to stay-in for the entire duration of your stay, you are not going to get bored. Dinner and drinks on the beach, campfires, tennis, long walks and the spa easily takes up your time. You can round it off with a one of its kind setting that’s only found here – an evening on the Aqua Lounge. An elevated, floating wooden platform equipped to accommodate an intimate dinner in the middle of the reef! It’s truly magical.

In and around

Pasikudah’s prime attraction is its relaxed holiday vibe. However, I found there were many things to see and do – so I started with Batticaloa. It’s a laidback town with a Dutch Fort and a handful of colonial-era remnant buildings, churches, an old bridge, a fully-functional railway station and a slender lighthouse. Gandhi Park with a golden statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the iconic Batticaloa Gate and the famed Kallady Bridge sum up the attraction in this town. But what I loved most was the lagoon (filled with jelly fish, so do not enter the waters), which provides the local community a chance to engage in fishing and shrimp farming – it is the birthplace of the legends of the singing fish.

Just a 20 min drive from Pasikudah, is the secluded Kalkudah Beach lined with coconut trees and cashew plantations. A complete contrast to Pasikudah, the area is rather underdeveloped, but that is the charm of it – you could spend the entire day on the soft white sands and not meet another soul!

The next day I decided to visit the elephants in the Kaudulla National Park. Spread over 6000 hectares, this national park is home to a huge elephant population and aquatic and bird species. Particularly interesting is the elephant safari where you can see (literally) hundreds of elephants in their natural habitat.

Since I had set out early, and the best time for the elephant safari was post 3 pm, we spent the morning exploring the town of Polonnaruwa. The second capital of Sri Lanka after the destruction of Anuradhapura in 993 AD, this erstwhile capital is filled with Brahmanic monuments built by the Cholas.

It was a morning well spent. The safari itself was a huge success – in the sense, I have never seen that many elephants in one place. The ‘jungle’ is alive with birds and the vast wetlands are a huge draw for aquatic and migratory birds.

The last day in Pasikudah was reserved for strictly local sights and activities – something I would encourage every visitor to do. Pottery making, I learnt after an unsuccessful attempt at making a tiny clay pot – was no easy task, requiring an extraordinary amount of skill and patience.

A visit to the fishing village was not without merit because it showed up the hard work of the local fishermen in providing us with delicious sea food, daily.  In the local market, along with heaps of cucumbers, giant avocadoes and guava, I discovered the river tamarind, often used in local cooking.

What to do

• Go snorkeling: You will be taken to the coral reef in a boat with a glass bottom and given all the necessary equipment (life jackets, snorkeling masks, and fins) where you can snorkel to your heart’s content. The corals are mostly dead but there is plenty of fish to be seen.
• Go kayaking: Rent a two-person kayak and head to the reef.
• Walk and Swim: The reef is on the left side end of the bay, which means you can walk all the way to the end of the bay and swim about 100-200m to get to the snorkeling area.

What to eat

While you are here, eat local. The food is fresh, mostly locally procured and very wholesome. Sri Lankans are famous for their hoppers, string hoppers, sambols, pol roti, pittu, fish and coconut-based desserts. Every kind of internation fare is available but eating local is really the way to become a part of the culture.

How to reach

Pasikudah is approximately 300 km from Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, and the main international airport. You can come here by road – it’s a 4-5 hours’ drive. Or you can hop on a 1 hr domestic flight from Colombo to Batticaloa Airport, which is a 45 min drive away. And if you plan to take the train – be prepared for a long journey.