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| Year and Month | April 2010 |
| Number of Days | Two Day Trip |
| Crew | 2 (Dhananjaya and me) |
| Accommodation | quarters of Mineral Sands Lanka Limited. |
| Transport | From Colombo to Pulmoddai by Bus and then to Mineral Sand Lanka Limited and to the beach by foot. |
| Activities | Photography, Bathing in the sea |
| Weather | Rained bit in first day and after that it was ok. |
| Route | Colombo -> Dambulla -> Trincomalee -> Pulmoddai and return on the same route. |
| Tips, Notes and Special remarks |
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| Author | Malaka 333 |
| Comments | Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread |
Purple:Pulmoddai beach Green:Arisimalai beach Orange:Path to Arisimalai beach
I started the journey from Colombo at mid night and arrived at Trincomalee at 6.30am in the following morning. At 8.00am there was a bus to Pulmoddai and I got in to that bus. After three hours I got down at Pulmoddai town. On the way I saw three great bridges that were newly constructed (Irrakkandi, Kuchchaveli and Yaan oya). I was unable to photograph those because the bus was fully crowded.
At Pulmoddai town, I met my friend and we went to the Ilmanite factory (Mineral sands Lanka limited) premises. My friend was working there at the time and I had got the permission to visit the factory premises. In the afternoon I visited the factory, but they did not allow us to take photographs inside the factory premises.
In the evening two of us went to Arisimalai beach. It was very calm place with a small crowd.
 Arisimalai Beach- A pool created by rocks |
 “Arisi” is rice in Tamil. “Malai” is mountain in Tamil. Arisimalai – The mountain full of rice |
 Close view- the beach is filled with “Samba rice”. The sand like rice |
 When I walked on the beach I felt walking on a rice mat |
 According to legend, with the hair relic of lord Buddha, Thapassu and Bhalluka brothers left India in their ship. The ship was full of rice to be told in Sri Lanka. The ship was caught in a cyclone and drifted close to Pulmoddai where it hit a rock. The damaged ship drifted to this beach with rice. Therefore the beach was called “Arisimalai”. Two brothers survived reached inlands through “Yan Oya” and made “Girihandu Saaya” near Thiriyai. |
 Rocks in the Arisimalai beach |
 The Beach where Yan oya meets the ocean |
 Wow… It feels like real rice |
After enjoying a bath, we came to Pulmoddai beach passing the rocky beach.
It was late evening and fishermen had started to move out for fishing in their boats. The sand was totally black with valuable minerals like Ilmanite, Magnetite and Rootile. Those finer sands are separated based on density difference and Magnetic properties.
 the beach was totally black |
 The rock border of Pulmoddai and Asirimalai beaches. |
 Deserted fishing sheds. Because this is “Warakan” season only few fishermen stay in these sheds |
 There were two light towers to show the path to incoming ships |
Ship must navigate between the two towers. Otherwise it will hit the rocks. There is Only one lane to enter the Pulmoddai jetty because of these large rocks. It is like a small natural tunnel in the sea. Only one ship can go at a time. After an LTTE attack in 1997(8th September) a ship drowned on its way. Because of that wreck, no ship can come to the jetty to load sand now.
 Two of us at the beach just before we jumped on to water! |
 Evening at Pulmoddai beach |
Pulmoodai also a very calm beach with light waves and is suitable for safe bathing. Next day morning was very colorful at the beach. But the cloudy sky did not allow the capture of any scenic image of the dawn.
 Dawn of a new day |
 Pulmoddai jetty – It was damaged due to an LTTE attack. Now people use it for fishing. |
 On the jetty |
 Only a moment……… |
 A swallow nest in the wall of the jetty |
 From the jetty |
After bathing in the sea I visited the laboratories of the factory. At 2.00pm I left there and came to Trincomalee and then to Colombo.