After over 30 years of destruction and isolation, the north of Sri Lanka has welcomed tourists for last decade, and is now reachable by road, rail and air. The following is just one of many ways to experience and enjoy this unique location, which combines historical significance with natural beauty, religious and cultural value with the desolate remnants of a devastating war, transformed by the courage and resilience of a community of people who seek new beginnings rooted in ancient traditions.
Enquire Now
Accommodation in a sharing double room in the above mentioned hotels.
Breakfast throughout.
Sightseeing in a private A/C car
An English speaking chauffeur guide
All government taxes and service charges
All applicable entrance fees to the monuments, national parks, temples etc.(approximately US$ 75.00 per person)
Lunches and dinners
Jeep hires to Wilpattu National Park ( approximately US$ 30 – 35 per jeep per place )
Tips, extras, porterage, camera and video permits
Optional activities.
All other expenditure of personal nature
Beyond the narrow causeway of Elephant Pass lies the Jaffna peninsula, Sri Lanka’s Hindu Tamil cultural and religious centre. By road the journey takes more than half a day, so depending on when you have decided to begin your journey to Jaffna, after checking into your hotel in the city it may be best to spend the rest of the day relaxing or making short visits to the magnificent Jaffna Fort (see description below), said to be the most technically perfect around the Indian Ocean, and the magnificent Nallur Kovil (see below).
You may wish to find the time to visit the churches in the area. For a region that predominantly practices Hinduism it is surprising to learn that there are many old churches in Jaffna, both Catholic and Anglican. St Mary’s Cathedral is magnificent structure originally built more than 200 years ago, and the slightly newer St James’ Church is testimony to the lasting influence of the Christian Missionary Society that established the Church and both St John’s College for boys as well as Chundikuli Girls College.
After Breakfast visit Nagadeepa – according to legend, one of the three places in Lanka visited by Lord Buddha. The boat ride takes twenty minutes each way, and you should plan to spend half day on this excursion. There is also a Hindu kovil on the same island, near where the boat leaves for the mainland, demonstrating the hybridity that defies religious purism from either side. In the afternoon you can visit Kantharodai – a collection of small Buddhist stupas. There are several folk tales connected to this site. Next, visit Naguleswaram Shiva Temple and the medically therapeutic Keerimalai Springs (see description below). Follow this by visiting Dambakola Patuna – where Theri Sanghamitta is said to have brought from India during the 3rd Century BCE a sapling from the sacred Bo tree (Ficus religiosa) beneath which the Buddha attained enlightenment around 2600 years ago. We suggest that your next stop should be Nilavarai, a pond said to be bottomless. The story goes that even foreign scuba divers could not reach the bottom and spoke of strong currents below. Overnight stay at Jaffna.
On the way to Point Pedro stop briefly at Theru Modi Madam – the ancient pilgrim resting place that abuts the main road. To the right of it you see an old well with a balancing pole where a person used to walk up and down to draw water. At Point Pedro you can see the lighthouse and the actual northern most point of Sri Lanka. On the way back, well worth a visit is the Manthree Manai, said to be built during the 15th Century CE which is reputed to protect a treasure in its foundation. After a short stop at the Jaffna Public Library, considered among the finest repositories of rare books in the region until it was deliberately burnt down in 1981. The late afternoon is ideal for setting off to Karainagar (small island) to enjoy the Casuarina Beach. The shallow waters are safe and clean. Late evening we visited the Jaffna Market. Overnight stay at Jaffna.
For those who wish to stay a day or more longer, Delft Island is a unforgettable experience, breathtakingly beautiful, remote and mysterious, a magical place of wild horses, three hundred year-old Dutch ruins, a solitary baobab tree, and one of the calmest beaches you can imagine. There’s also bird watching in the Jaffna Lagoon and Kayts Causway, where you can see thousands of ducks and other waders during the winter migratory season. Among the multitudes of plovers, godwits, stints, sandpipers, you are likely to see rare migrants as well. Chundikulam Bird Sanctuary is home to wintering flocks of Greater Flamingoes, awe-inspiring at dawn and dusk.
Crafting tailor-made tours of Sri Lanka since 1951, our expertise guarantees personalized experiences for every client.