Ideally located on one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, just 1 hour from Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka’s most fascinating capital, Karpaha Sands is your ideal beach stop in any itinerary combining the cultural and natural treasures of Sri Lanka, between the Cultural Triangle and the Central Mountains or Yala NP.
We can arrange pick-up / direct transfer from the airport and other locations to Karpaha Sands, please contact our Reservations team for prices and to book.
From Polonnaruwa:
Take Road A11 until you pass mile post 127. At the large round about of the Thirukkondaiadimadu Junction, turn right towards Batticaloa on Road A15 (Trincomalee-Batticaloa Road) until you pass mile post 28. Between mile post 28 and 27, pass the Kumburumulai Junction on your left with hotel boards indicating a turn on the left to Passikudah. Continue straight for 1 km and turn on your left onto the cement road at the “Karapaha Sands” signboard / Kiran junction. As you drive on this small road, follow the “Karpaha Sands” signboards for about 3km, leaving a Hindu temple on your right, then driving on a red soil unpaved road and passing the railway track. The entrance is about 1km after the railway crossing. Please be careful when crossing the railway line.
From Trincomalee:
Take Road A15 south towards Batticaloa for approximately till you reach Thirukkondaiadimadu Junction, then follow directions above (“From Polonnaruwa”).
From Batticaloa:
Take Road A15 north towards Trincomalee, pass Eravur and Kiran Villages. Pass mile post 27, and 100m after the Oviya guesthouse (on your left), turn right onto the red soil unpaved road at the “Karapaha Sands” and “Cashew Corporation Estate Board” signboards (if you reach the Kumburumulai Junction on your right with countless hotel boards indicating a turn on the right to Passikudah, you have just missed the dirt road). Then follow directions in the “From Polonnaruwa” section.
By Plane or Helicopter:
• Cinnamon Air flies to Batticaloa from Bandaranaike International Airport every day. This is the only daily scheduled flight option available for direct connections in Bandaranaike International Airport. – Contract our reservation team for offers & special rates.
• Helitours flies 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) to Trincomalee which is a 1.5hour drive from Karpaha Sands.
Ratmalana Airport, South of Colombo, is about 40 km / 2 hours away from Bandaranaike International Airport.
Batticaloa’s airport is about 40 minutes from Karpaha Sands, while Trincomalee’s airport is about 1.5 hours away
• IWS Aviation operates charter helicopters from Rathmalana & Bandaranaike International Airports. Their fleet consists of modern aircrafts such as AIRBUS H120 and AIRBUS EC 130 B4 helicopters. This is an expensive but convenient and glamorous option as you can land the helicopter on our hotel premises. Full-day tour itineraries to many well-known attractions all over the country can be arranged by booking in advance. Contact our reservations team for offers & special rates.
By Road from Colombo / Bandaranaike International Airport:
Travel by car or minivan from Bandaranaike International Airport takes 4 to 6 hours depending on traffic/time of the day and can comfortably be made overnight for flights landing in the evening with an early morning arrival at Karpaha Sands for a beautiful sunrise. Travel time has recently been cut by more than an hour with the opening of Phase Two of the Central Expressway (between Mirigama and Kurunegala). From Colombo or Bandaranaike Airport, drive to Mirigama, where you can take the Central Expressway to Kurunegala, then take the main road Dambulla-Habarana-Polonnaruwa, and then follow the instructions “From Polonnaruwa” above.
Please contact us for more options on travel to Karpaha Sands.
