Jaffna

Following the ceasefire treaty of February 2002, tourists can again travel to the northern, Tamil-controlled areas and the eastern part of Sri Lanka.

The easiest way to get to Jaffna is to fly. There are several flights a day to Jaffna Airport from Ratmalana Airport, approx. 15 km south of Colombo. A return ticket will cost around €. 75.

Until the end of 2001 it was prohibited to import any goods, with the exception of food, to northern Sri Lanka. Since this ban was lifted Jaffna has become a flourishing town and trading centre.

Particularly worth visiting is the bazaar district, comparable to Pettah in Colombo, and the Hindu temple in the Nallur suburb, one of the most beautiful on the island.

Large parts of the city centre of Jaffna have been rebuilt and restored; however, in the suburbs and particularly along the coast the ravages of the civil war are still very much visible.

Numerous military restricted zones make it difficult to travel around the rest of the peninsula.

Until the 16th century the Jaffna peninsula was a sovereign kingdom, independent of the Singhalese kingdoms. This fairly insignificant region was ruled by the Tamil Chola dynasty.

At the beginning of the 17th century most of the historically important Hindu temples were destroyed by the missionary zeal of the Portuguese colonialists. Under British rule, the temples were restored or rebuilt. Although many are only slightly more than 200 years old, the Hindu temples on the Jaffna peninsula are definitely worth visiting.

City map of Jaffna