Northern Province (Sri Lanka) Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

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.

• 9.66472280.0166671 Jaffna — former beach resort and Tamil Tiger capital, gutted by decades of civil war
• 8.97724479.9137792 Mannar
• 9.38333380.4086113 Kilinochchi
• 8.7580.4833334 Vavuniya
• 9.28333380.85 Mullaitivu

The Northern Province is Sri Lanka's Tamil country which from 1983 to 2009 was mostly under the control of the Tamil Tigers. With their defeat in 2009, the province's major cities were gutted, its beaches and jungles strewn with unexploded ordinance, and most of the population lived in squalid refugee camps.

This province is the centre of the former Jaffna Kingdom, a powerful Tamil kingdom founded in 1215 and became wealthy through the trade of pearls and elephants. It was conquered by the Portuguese in 1619.

There are two daily trains from Colombo to Jaffna, 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.

Jaffna International Airport (JAF ^IATA) has two fights per day from Chennai and one daily flight from Tiruchirappalli (2025).

Ferries connect Kankesanthurai Harbour (a suburb of Jaffna) with the Indian town of Nagapattinam daily (4 hours, INR 6500 + tax).

Head north across the Palk Strait to Tamil Nadu, India by plane or ferry.