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    North

    Sri Lanka

    North

    Region

    The North of Sri Lanka comprises the Northern Province with its capital Jaffna and the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya.

    by Felix Gillen

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    The North of Sri Lanka comprises the Northern Province with its capital Jaffna and the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya. You travel here to experience the country's Tamil culture: Hindu temples, unique cuisine, and flat islands off the coast.At its narrowest point, the province is only about 35 kilometers from India. Near Mannar, Adam's Bridge, a chain of limestone islands, almost connects the coast to the Indian mainland.
    The center of the North is Jaffna, located about 396 kilometers from Colombo and, before the civil war, the country's second-largest city. Here you'll find the Nallur Kandaswamy Temple, the fort dating from Portuguese and Dutch times, and the city library, which was burned down in 1981 and later rebuilt. From the Kurikadduwan jetty, ferries depart for the islands of Nainativu and Delft.On the southwestern edge of the region, between Puttalam and Anuradhapura, lies Wilpattu National Park. Covering approximately 1,317 square kilometers, it is Sri Lanka's largest national park and one of the best areas for leopard spotting.For decades, the North was shaped by civil war, and many places have only become easily accessible again since the 2000s and 2010s. For current travel and safety advisories, please refer to the UK government's FCDO travel advice (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice).
    Jaffna
    David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

    Place 1 of 2

    Jaffna

    Jaffna is the capital of the Northern Province and the cultural center of Sri Lankan Tamils, located approximately 396 kilometers north of Colombo.

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    Wilpattu National Park

    Place 2 of 2

    Wilpattu National Park

    Wilpattu National Park, covering approximately 1,317 square kilometers, is Sri Lanka's largest national park. It's located in the island's northwest, about 30 kilometers west of Anuradhapura and around 180 kilometers north of Colombo.

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    Round trips through this region

    East Coast and North: Trincomalee, Jaffna and Arugam Bay

    East Coast and North: Trincomalee, Jaffna and Arugam Bay

    This route takes you to the island's rain shadow during the southwest monsoon: to the bays around Trincomalee, to Tamil-influenced Jaffna and the surf coast of Arugam Bay. It's ideal for May to September.

    15 Days
    7 stops

    Nearby

    Jaffna

    Jaffna

    Jaffna is the capital of the Northern Province and the cultural center of Sri Lankan Tamils, located approximately 396 kilometers north of Colombo. You come here for its Hindu temples, colonial buildings, unique cuisine with the famous Jaffna crab curry, and the islands off the coast.Before the civil war, Jaffna was the country's second-largest city, with a population of around 88,000 in 2012. The historic Nallur district was the capital of the medieval Jaffna Kingdom and is today the city's religious heart, home to the Kandaswamy Temple. By the water in the coastal district of Gurunagar, the Fort and the Public Library are just a few meters apart.Other districts and suburbs include Chundikuli, Vannarpannai, and Kokkuvil. For excursions to the islands of Nainativu and Delft, it's best to set off early in the morning.
    Anuradhapura

    Anuradhapura

    Anuradhapura was the capital of the Sinhalese kings for over a millennium and remains to this day one of the holiest cities of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Huge dagobas, monastery ruins, and the Sri Maha Bodhi, considered the oldest human-planted tree with a known planting date, attract pilgrims and travelers alike.The city lies about 205 kilometers north of Colombo, at the northern edge of the Cultural Triangle. Since the 1949 protection plan, the sacred Old Town with its ruins and the New Town to its east, with government offices, the railway station, and most accommodations, have been separated.The city was the royal seat from the 4th century BC until the end of the 10th century. Since 1982, the Sacred City of Anuradhapura is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. East of the city lies the pilgrim mountain Mihintale.
    Wilpattu National Park

    Wilpattu National Park

    Wilpattu National Park, covering approximately 1,317 square kilometers, is Sri Lanka's largest national park. It's located in the island's northwest, about 30 kilometers west of Anuradhapura and around 180 kilometers north of Colombo. You come here to observe leopards, sloth bears, and elephants in a tranquil, less-visited wilderness.Characteristic of the park are the Villus, natural, mostly circular depressions with gently sloping sandy banks that fill with rainwater. Approximately 106 lakes and waterholes are spread throughout the park. A 2018 camera trap survey recorded 133 leopards, including 17 cubs.Wilpattu became a protected area in 1905 and a National Park in 1938. Due to the civil war, it was closed from 1988 to 2003.
    Nilaveli & Pigeon Island

    Nilaveli & Pigeon Island

    Nilaveli is a beach resort about 16 kilometers northwest of Trincomalee on the east coast. You come here for the long sandy beach and, above all, for Pigeon Island National Park, which is only about one kilometer offshore and is considered one of Sri Lanka's best snorkeling spots.After the 2004 Tsunami and the civil war, visitors stayed away for a long time, but tourism has recovered since 2010. The village itself mainly consists of hotels, guesthouses, and simple restaurants along the coast; tourist life is concentrated on the beach section opposite the island.The name is often interpreted as a combination of Tamil Nilā (moonlight) and vèli (open land). The best time for boat trips and snorkeling is from about April or May to September; outside these months, the Northeast Monsoon makes the sea rough.
    Trincomalee

    Trincomalee

    Trincomalee, the capital of the Eastern Province, is home to one of the world's largest natural harbours. You come here for the Koneswaram Temple high above the sea, Fort Frederick, and the beaches north of the city, which are at their best from May to September.The circular harbour is framed by two headlands and terraced hills; Admiral Horatio Nelson reportedly called it the most beautiful harbour in the world. Fort Frederick is situated on the peninsula between the harbour and the open sea, with Swami Rock and the temple rising at its tip.Most accommodation and restaurants are not found in the centre, but in the northern beach district of Uppuveli, which is considered the city's resort area. From here, it's just a few kilometres to Nilaveli and Pigeon Island National Park.

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