Jaffna

Jaffna is situated at the Northern tip of the Island. Almost entirely destroyed by a 30-year civil war that ravaged its streets and countryside, the city has slowly but surely been redeeming and reawakening itself. Closer to Southern India than to Colombo, the region was settled early on by Tamil migrants from Southern India and has retained a unique character and culture, one which owes as much to Hindu India as to Buddhist Sri Lanka. The fascinating town of Jaffna, with its absorbing mixture of colonial charm and vibrant Sri Lankan Tamil culture. The city is surprisingly green and leafy, with attractive palm-shaded colonial-era suburbs and beautiful temples and churches. The city is also an ideal base for forays to the idyllic islands just to the West, and trips along the coastline and lagoons of the surrounding peninsula.