Batticaloa International Airport with a private driver

Batticaloa Airport (IATA: BTC) serves the east coast capital of Batticaloa, a port city on a lagoon system that has been at the heart of Sri Lanka's Tamil and Muslim cultural heritage for centuries. Domestic flights from Colombo take approximately 55 minutes and bring the east coast within reach as a genuine extension of any tour rather than a separate expedition. The airport is about 5 kilometres north of Batticaloa city centre. From the airport, Pasikuda and Kalkudah beach on the sheltered east-coast lagoon are 45 minutes north by private car; Gal Oya National Park is about 2 hours southwest; Arugam Bay surf destination is about 3 hours south along the coast road. East-coast travel is seasonal — the dry window on the east coast runs from May through September, the inverse of the southwest monsoon.