Northern Province (Sri Lanka) Voyage Tips and guide

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.

Map of Northern Province (Sri Lanka)

• 9.66472280.0166671 Jaffna — the centre of Tamil culture which has been rebuilt since government troops recaptured the city in 1995
• 8.97724479.9137792 Mannar — great beaches and bird-watching
• 9.38333380.4086113 Kilinochchi — a little-visited town in the Vanni which was the Tamil Tiger capital from 1995 until 2009.
• 8.7580.4833334MISSING WIKILINK Vavuniya — a town on the northern railway line
• 9.28333380.85MISSING WIKILINK Mullaitivu — this small seaside town was the site of the final slaughter of the civil war where both government forces and the Tamil Tigers deliberately targeted the 250,000 civilians crammed into this area, then known as "the cage". Today, little remains of this underreported humanitarian disaster.

• 9.5023379.699611 Neduntheevu (Delft Island) — The westernmost of the islands near Jaffna, known for its wild horses, colonial ruins, and serene isolation.
• 9.7621379.88512 Casuarina Beach — the best beach in the province, on the island of Karaitivu. Reachable with the bus between Jaffna and Karainagar. The bus stop is 2 km from the beach. Tuk-tuks will take you from there.
• 9.6038279.76923 Nainathivu (Nagadeepa). Holy island with two important temples: one Hindu and one Buddhist (updated Nov 2025)

Sri Lanka's Tamil country, the Northern Province was the centre of the Jaffna Kingdom, a powerful Tamil kingdom founded in 1215 which became wealthy through the trade of pearls and elephants. It was conquered by the Portuguese in 1619.

Much of the area was under the control of the Tamil Tigers between 1983 and 2009. With their defeat in 2009, the province's major cities had been gutted, its beaches and jungles strewn with unexploded ordinance, and most of the population lived in squalid refugee camps. Today, the area has been reconstructed, however you will still observe a disproportionately large number of army and navy facilities in the province.

While Northern Province had plenty of Sinhalese and Muslim residents before the war, attacks by the Tamil Tigers forced them to flee. While many Tamils have returned, Sinhalese and Muslim people have mostly not returned, making this province almostly exclusively Tamil today.

The entirety of the province south of the Jaffna peninsula is known as the Vanni. It is a dry zone which was irrigated and turned into an agricultural zone under British rule in the 1930s. The Vanni was the Tamil Tiger stronghold during the civil war, especially after the recapture of Jaffna in 1995, until their defeat in 2009.

The Jaffna peninsula is by far the most densely-populated part of the province, and although it is dry, it too is heavily cultivated. It is connected to the rest of the island only by a sandbar and causeways.

A great variety of private & luxury buses can be booked on the Bus Seat website.

The A9 highway and the railway link the peninsula to the rest of Sri Lanka through the infamous Elephant Pass, while the A32 highway connects the regions via the scenic Sangupiddi Bridge.

Ferries connect Kankesanthurai Harbour (a northern suburb of Jaffna) with the Indian town of Nagapattinam daily (4 hours, INR 6500 + tax). Note that this is nearly as expensive as flying. The ferry is mostly used by locals transporting large amounts of personal baggage or cargo.

Jaffna International Airport (JAF ^IATA) has two fights per day from Chennai and one daily flight from Tiruchirappalli (2025). Flights start from INR 8000 one way.

There are two daily trains from Colombo to Jaffna (via Anuradhapura), 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.

Renting a scooter is a good way to see this region. Roads are usually new, towns are spread-out, beaches are distant and traffic is much less busy than in other parts of the country.

To get to Delft Island, take the 776 bus from the red bus stand outside the HNB Metro branch. Buses depart every 40 minutes, journey time 1 hour to the Kurikadduwan jetty where boats leave for Delft. There are 3 boats per day, demand often outstrips supply so preference is given to local residents during busy times, especially weekends and holidays.

Hindu temples, especially the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna, and the Nagadeepa Temple on the island of Nainathivu.

Go to the beach! There are many to choose from, but they may not always been the cleanest. Try the tree-lined Casuarina beach or the isolated, enormous Manatkaadu (Manaalkadu) beach. There is an old Dutch church there, made out of brick and coral, which is slowly being consumed by the sand.

Note that there are no good surf breaks in this province. Surfers should head to Arugam Bay instead.

The Indian-inspired cuisine of Northern Sri Lanka is rated by some as the best food in the whole country. Vegetarianism is common so there are plenty of good vegetarian restaurants as well. Try local delicacies like Jaffna crab curry, Jaffna kool (seafood soup) or fiery "land mine" samosas.

An unusual snack in the area is called odiyal, is the dried tuber of the palmyrah palm. Try it if you can find it!

9.5241979.703811 Delft Village Stay, ☏ +94771024032. Tent-style eco huts in a communal atmosphere minutes from beach. Basic but friendly. Cash only. Dorm bed Rs 2500, tent accommodation Rs 3500-5000, A/C room Rs 4500 per night. (updated Jun 2025)

Ferries to the islands can be overcrowded. Safety standards are poor. A private boat taking domestic tourists back from Delft Island to the mainland sank in 2025 and it was only by luck that they were rescued by a passing boat.

Land mines still exist in some of the less commonly-visited parts of this region, owing to their use in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Do not stray from paths in remote areas.

You can head north across the Palk Strait to Tamil Nadu, India by plane or ferry. Or, take the train south to Anuradhapura or take a bus along the east coast to Trincomalee.