The island of Sri Lanka is a most incredible place, containing almost any kind of climate and geography you can imagine. For a small island, it is spectacular that one can find sprawling rainforests, pristine beaches, scorching deserts and cold hill country all in one place. If you’re thinking of a Sri Lankan adventure though, Jaffna is truly the final frontier. The region only recently became available for exploration following a prolonged civil war and has now become a prominent tourism destination with the addition of many Jaffna hotels such as the Jetwing Jaffna.
There are many places to see and things to do in Jaffna, and the first thing you should probably do is try their food. Perhaps the most celebrated dish when it comes to Jaffna cuisine is the iconic crab curry which comes loaded with a variety of spices fusing to create an incredible and intense flavour. For meat lovers there’s a variant of this where crab meat is replaced with lamb, making an equally indulgent dish.
The Nallur Kovil is one of Jaffna’s most colourful and prominent attractions. The marvellous appearance of this striking Hindu temple is bound to amaze anyone who gazes upon it. It is one of the most significant Hindu places of worship in Sri Lanka and was reportedly constructed in the 1st century.
Before 1981, Jaffna had one of the largest libraries in all of Asia, with a collection of almost a hundred thousand books and manuscripts. It was set ablaze during a riot in 1981 and all of its contents were destroyed. From 2016 onwards, the library was modernised and equipped with beautiful gardens as well as a free WiFi facility.
If you’re looking for an unforgettable adventure in Sri Lanka, then Jaffna is definitely a place worth considering since it has incredible scenery and historical sites to explore, as well as a unique food culture.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting.
