The Jaffna peninsula feels like a different country — Tamil-speaking, Hindu-majority, flat and sun-baked, fringed by shallow lagoons and palmyra palms. Cut off for decades by the civil war, it has reopened as one of Sri Lanka’s most rewarding destinations for travellers who care about food and culture more than beach resorts.
What to do
Start at Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, the great golden temple whose annual festival in August is among the largest Hindu festivals in South Asia. Wander the Dutch fort, cycle the quiet lanes past mansions in various states of elegant decay, and take the ferry to Delft Island with its wild ponies and coral-wall gardens.
What to eat
This is the home of Sri Lanka’s boldest cooking: crab curry dark with roasted Jaffna curry powder, mutton curry, odiyal kool, and dosai that rival anything across the strait. Finish with palmyra treats — jaggery, pinattu (dried palm fruit leather) and, if you’re brave, fresh toddy at sunrise.
Getting there
The intercity train from Colombo takes six to seven hours; flying into Palaly airport cuts it to under two. A car with driver opens up the islands and the Vanni en route.