The Tamil north temples, islands, and a culture all its own
Jaffna feels like another country within the island Tamil, Hindu, proudly distinct. The golden gopuram of Nallur Kandaswamy temple presides over daily pujas of drums and incense; the star-shaped Dutch fort guards a lagoon dotted with islands reached by causeway and ferry. Ride to Delft’s wild ponies and coral-wall gardens, drink sweet palmyrah toddy, and discover a cuisine built on crab, chilli, and centuries of trade. Open again to travellers, the north rewards the curious like nowhere else.
Try Jaffna crab curry at a local home-style restaurant it's a different cuisine from the south, and it's spectacular.
The north's great golden Hindu temple
Star-shaped Dutch fortress on the lagoon
Wild ponies, baobabs, and coral-stone walls
Sacred Buddhist and Hindu island pilgrimage
The north's gentle, shallow swimming beach
Crab curry, dosa, and palmyrah specialities
Jaffna lies in the Jaffna District, in Sri Lanka's North & Jaffna region.
Tell us your dates and we'll build Jaffna into a journey shaped around you.
