The Northern Province is in Sri Lanka. This Tamil-majority region was decimated by years of war but much rebuilding has already been done. You will find untouched beaches here, Hindu temples, ancient ruins and some useful northward travel connections.
Cities
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- 1 Jaffna — the centre of Tamil culture which has been rebuilt since government troops recaptured the city in 1995
- 2 Mannar — great beaches and bird-watching
- 3 Kilinochchi — a little-visited town in the Vanni which was the Tamil Tiger capital from 1995 until 2009.
- 4 Vavuniya — a town on the northern railway line
- 5 Mullaitivu — this small seaside town was the site of the final slaughter of the civil war where both government forces and the Tamil Tigers deliberately targeted the 250,000 civilians crammed into this area, then known as "the cage". Today, little remains of this underreported humanitarian disaster.
Other destinations
[edit]- 1 Neduntheevu (Delft Island)
— An island in the far west of the province, known for its wild horses and Dutch colonial ruins - Casuarina Beach — the best beach in the province, on the island of Karaitivu. Reachable with the bus between Jaffna and Karainagar. The bus stop is 2 km from the beach. Tuk-tuks will take you from there.
Understand
[edit]The Northern Province is Sri Lanka's Tamil country, swathes of which were under the control of the Tamil Tigers between 1983 and 2009. With their defeat in 2009, the province's major cities had been gutted, its beaches and jungles strewn with unexploded ordinance, and most of the population lived in squalid refugee camps. Today, the area has been reconstructed, however you will still observe a disproportionately large number of soldiers and military bases in the province.
This province is the centre of the former Jaffna Kingdom, a powerful Tamil kingdom founded in 1215 which became wealthy through the trade of pearls and elephants. It was conquered by the Portuguese in 1619.
While this province had plenty of Sinhalese and Muslim residents before the war, attacks by the Tamil Tigers forced them to flee. They have not returned, making this province almostly exclusively Tamil today.
The entirety of the province south of the Jaffna peninsula is known as the Vanni. It is a dry zone which was irrigated and turned into an agricultural zone under British rule in the 1930s. The Vanni was the Tamil Tiger stronghold during the civil war, especially after the recapture of Jaffna in 1995, until their defeat in 2009.
The Jaffna peninsula is by far the most densely-populated part of the province, and although it is dry, it too is heavily cultivated. It is connected to the rest of the island only by a sandbar and causeways. The A9 highway and the railway link the peninsula to the rest of Sri Lanka through the infamous Elephant Pass, while the A32 highway connects the regions via the scenic Sangupiddi Bridge.
Get in
[edit]There are two daily trains from Colombo to Jaffna (via Anuradhapura), including air-conditioned first class cars (although reserved seats in second class may be more enjoyable, with open windows and snack vendors). The journey takes approximately eight hours and costs Rs. 580 for 3rd class, Rs. 1150 for 2nd class, and Rs. 2250 for 1st class. The 05:45 train from Colombo has all three classes, but the night train leaving Colombo at 20:00 and arriving at Jaffna at 04:00 only has 2nd and 3rd class seating.
A great variety of private & luxury buses can be booked on the Bus Seat website.
Jaffna International Airport (JAF IATA) has two fights per day from Chennai and one daily flight from Tiruchirappalli (2025). Flights start from INR 8000 one way.
Ferries connect Kankesanthurai Harbour (a northern suburb of Jaffna) with the Indian town of Nagapattinam daily (4 hours, INR 6500 + tax). Note that this is nearly as expensive as flying. The ferry is mostly used by locals transporting large amounts of personal baggage or cargo.
Get around
[edit]Renting a scooter is a good way to see this region. Roads are usually new, towns are spread-out, beaches are distant and traffic is much less busy than in other parts of the country.
To get to Delft Island, take the 776 bus from the red bus stand outside the HNB Metro branch. Buses depart every 40 minutes, journey time 1 hour to the Kurikadduwan jetty where boats leave for Delft. There are 3 boats per day, demand often outstrips supply so preference is given to local residents during busy times, especially weekends and holidays.
See
[edit]Hindu temples, especially the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna.
Do
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Go to the beach! There are many to choose from, but they may not always been the cleanest. Try the tree-lined Casuarina beach or the isolated, enormous Manatkaadu (Manaalkadu) beach. There is an old Dutch church there, made out of brick and coral, which is slowly being consumed by the sand.
Note that there are no good surf breaks here. Surfers should head to Arugam Bay.
Eat
[edit]The Indian-inspired cuisine of Northern Sri Lanka is rated by some as the best food in the whole country. Vegetarianism is common so there are plenty of good vegetarian restaurants as well. Try local delicacies like Jaffna crab curry or fiery "land mine" samosas.
Sleep
[edit]1 Delft Village Stay, ☏ +94771024032. Tent-style eco huts in a communal atmosphere minutes from beach. Basic but friendly. Cash only. Dorm bed Rs 2500, tent accommodation Rs 3500-5000, A/C room Rs 4500 per night.
Drink
[edit]Stay safe
[edit]Ferries to the islands can be overcrowded. Safety standards are poor.
Land mines still exist in some of the less commonly-visited parts of this region, owing to their use in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Do not stray from paths in remote areas.
Go next
[edit]You can head north across the Palk Strait to Tamil Nadu, India by plane or ferry. Or, take the train south to Anuradhapura or take a bus along the east coast to Trincomalee.