Sallitivu Island in Vakarai, Sri Lanka (වාකරේ සල්ලතිව් දූපත)

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The sand bar connecting the Sallitivu Island in Vakarai, just under water during the high tide

Sallitivu Islet significant for rich biodiversity, is located in the Batticaloa District in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It is approximately 33,000 square meters (8.2 acres) in size, 240 metres in length and 200 meters wide at the widest section. The island is connected to mainland over a sand bar about 200 meters in length. This sand bar is exposed during the low tide and even during the high tide, its only few inches below water. This island is protected by a ring of coral reef with a 200 meter wide reef on the eastern side.

Sallitivu Islet is uninhabited and there is no freshwater here. The island is used as a rest stop by the local fisherman in the area. It has a wide and a pristine beach but unfortunately its covered with a thick layer of washed in coral rubble. The sandy beaches had been filled with this rubble only after the Tsunami of 2004.

The reef region is very shallow, 10-60 cm in depth. Much of the reef crest is exposed above water during the low tide. Sadly the most of the coral reef is dead and during a research it was found that the live coral cover was less than 5%.

All plant species observed in the island are native to Sri Lanka with a total number of 50 plant species, comprising one nationally endangered, two nationally vulnerable and four nationally near threatened plant species. The natural habitats observed in the island support a very rich biodiversity (Ex mangroves, coastal scrub, beach and beach associated vegetation).

As revealed by an environmental organisation, an illegal tourism project had been initiated in 2017 under the patronage of powerful politicians including a hotel on this highly environmentally sensitive island itself. The hotel was partially complete when the Environmental Foundation Ltd went to courts against this illegal project and finally, the relevant parties agreed to remove all the unauthorized structures in the island.

If you are visiting Batticaloa, Pasikuda / Kalkuda or Trincomalee, this is ideal trip of half day where you could spend few hours in an uninhabited island enjoying the pristine beaches of Vakarai.

The sand bar connecting the Sallitivu Island in Vakarai, exposed during the low tide

Dead corals covering the island's beach at Sallitivu Island in Vakarai

Structures of the hotel before removal at Sallitivu Island in Vakarai

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Map of Sallitivu Island in Vakarai, Sri Lanka

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)

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The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

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Travel Directions to Sallitivu Island in Vakarai, Sri Lanka

Route from Trincomalee to Sallitivu Island	Route from Batticaloa to Sallitivu Island
Through : Mutur – Verugal Distance : 81 km Travel time : 2 hours Time to Spend : 1 hour Driving directions : see on google map	Through : Eravur – Oddamavadi Distance : 68 km Travel time : 1.30 hours Time to Spend : 1 hour Driving directions : see on google map

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World War Memorial in Army Training School in Diyatalawa (දියතලාව කඳවුරේ ලෝක සංග්‍රාමයේ යුද්ධ ස්මාරකය)
This cenotaph war memorial to commemorate war heroes in the 1st World War is situated in a military camp at the Army Volunteer Forces Training School in Diyatalawa. This memorial has been constructed to commemorate 78 military personnel of the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps who died in the 1st World War. […]
Uva World War Memorial in Badulla (ඌව ලෝක සංග්‍රාමයේ යුද්ධ ස්මාරකය)
The War Memorial for the veterans from the Uva region who had laid down their lives between 1914 and 1917 in the 1st World War at Badulla stands inside the property of historic St. Marks Church which was built as a memorial for Major Thomas William Rogers (the Government Agent for Badulla District) considered one of the most prolific hunters of Sri Lankan elephants. […]
World War I Memorial in Matale (මාතලේ පළවන ලෝක සංග්‍රාමයේ යුද්ධ ස්මාරකය)
In Matale, there is a granite obelisk similar to the World War I obelisk memorials in Galle and Avissawella. However, there is no inscription found on this memorial. The brass place which was fixed to this memorial was removed by vandals long ago. Some contend that this memorial is dedicated to Gogalegoda Banda, the leader of the 1848 Matale Rebellion, who was executed by the British. […]
Kelani Valley War Memorial in Avissawella (අවිස්සාවේල්ලේ කැලණිවැලි පළමුවන ලෝක යුද්ධ ස්මාරකය)
The Kelani Valley War Memorial, erected to commemorate the men from the Kelani Valley who lost their lives in the Great War, was ceremoniously opened by the Government Agent of Western Province on 22nd March 1921. The grey granite obelisk memorial was originally erected at the junction of Yatiyanthota and Rathnapura Roads in Avissawella. […]
First World War Memorial in Galle (ගාල්ල පළමුවන ලෝක යුද්ධ ස්මාරකය)
At the entrance of the Galle Fort stands a granite obelisk, serving as a war memorial. On February 28, 1921, Mr. R.B. Hellings, Government Agent of the Southern Province, unveiled this memorial. It was erected to honour the servicemen from the Galle District who sacrificed their lives during World War I (1914-1919), with their names engraved upon it. […]
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Boer Prisoners of War Memorial in Diyathalawa (දියතලාව බෝයර් යුද සිරකරුවන්ගේ ස්මාරකය)
In 1913, just before World War I, the South African Government built this obelisk memorial on the Diyatalawa grounds to commemorate the 140 Boer prisoners who died at the prisoner-of-war of Diyathalawa. On three sides of it, marble slabs with leaded lettering display a full list of all these Boer prisoners-of-war who lost their lives in captivity or on parole. […]
Kandy Clock Tower (මහනුවර ඔරලෝසු කනුව)
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Also See

Map of Sallitivu Island in Vakarai, Sri Lanka

Travel Directions to Sallitivu Island in Vakarai, Sri Lanka

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