Travel to Jaffna

a characterful and slow-paced part of the island

The city of Jaffna is located on the far northern tip of Sri Lanka.

Overlooking a broad ocean lagoon, Jaffna is a bustling and colourful place, centred around the ruins of the very impressive pentangular Fort Jaffna, which was built by the Portuguese in 1618.

Jaffna is shaped by its position in Sri Lanka’s far north, close to India, and has long since been settled by Tamil people, who originally came from Tamil Nadu province of southern India and who are predominantly Hindu (by contrast to the prevailing Buddhist culture throughout most of the island). This heritage is evident in everything from its language and cuisine to its temples, architecture and day-to-day atmosphere.

The landscape is distinct from the rest of the island: generally flat and dry, marked by palmyra palms, long earth dykes, shallow lagoons and a network of causeways that link the peninsula to outlying islands such as Kayts, Karainagar and Delft.

Jaffna suffered huge disruption during the 1983-2009 civil war. To this day it international visitor number remain low and there is still a pronounced lack of decent accommodation options. But if you enjoy getting off-the-beaten-track, then it might be worth considering it for inclusion in your trip.

The best time of year to visit the Jaffna area is generally considered to be during the Jan-Sep northeast dry season.

Temperatures are more or less constant year round, with daytime temperatures around 33C/91F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures up at a potentially uncomfortable 25C/77F.

The main issue is rainfall, which is highest Oct-Dec and low for the remainder of the year, this being by far the driest part of the island.

Getting there

The Jaffna area is usually reached by road. For our guests, this means combining it with various other locations on the island in a private guided overland safari, travelling in the company of an expert driver-guide. Popular connections include …

Anuradhapura : 3-4 hours
Sigiriya : 4-5 hours
Trincomalee : 4-5 hours

The Jaffna area also has a train service, connecting from Colombo, Kandy and Anuradhapura. If you specifically want to include a rail journey in your trip, then it should be possible for you to take the train, whilst your driver-guide drives on to meet you at the far end.

There are also internal flight services between Colombo and Jaffna, so you can end your overland trip up here and fly back to connect with your departing flight.

still with very few international visitors