Colombo Trip Overview
A bastion of hindhu tradition, art and creative culture, Jaffna welcome you warmly to intriguing, unimposing, slightly off the beaten path and a thoroughly rewarding place to discover Sri Lankan Tamil culture. 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.
• Enjoy personalized attention on a private tour
• Hassle-free hotel pickup and drop-offs
• Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned vehicle with a travel guide driver
Additional Info
Duration: 2 days
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Colombo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
A bastion of hindhu tradition, art and creative culture, Jaffna welcome you warmly to intriguing, unimposing, slightly off the beaten path and a thoroughly rewarding place to discover Sri Lankan Tamil culture. 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.
• Enjoy personalized attention on a private tour
• Hassle-free hotel pickup and drop-offs
• Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned vehicle with a travel guide driver
Itinerary
Day 1: Negombo/Colombo – Jaffna
Stop At: Nallur Kovil, Jaffna Sri Lanka
In the hot arids lands of Nallur Rises the majestic Hindu temple for Skanda/ Murugan – the god of love, war and beauty. It has reigned over the land for centries attracting number of devotes from various walks of life. The temple encapsulates a sense of calmness and beauty that can only be felt in the most divine of places. The temple was originally founded in 948 AD. However, it reached fame when it was rebuilt in the 13th century by Puvaneka Vaahu, a minister of the Jaffna King Kalinga Maha. While the original Nallur Kandaswamy Temple was on this same grand scale; the current temple is on a much smaller scale when considering area, whilst still being one of the largest and historically accurate temples still existing in Sri Lanka.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Jaffna Fort, Jaffna Sri Lanka
Jaffna fort was built by portugese in 1618 Philip De Olivera following the Portuguese invasion of Jaffna. Due to numerous miracles attributed to the statue of Virgin Mary in the church inside the fort, Jaffna Fort was named as Fortress of Our Lady of Miracles of Jafanapatão. Jaffna fort is the second largest fort that remains intact within the island. Fort resembles a regular pentagon with bastions on each point beyond this is a star shaped moat fed by the lagoon. The church erected in 1706 by the Dutch in this purely military & administrative duty fort is no longer standing due to the damage sustained by the fort by artillery fire by the Tamil Terrorist group LTTE.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kankesanthurai Beach, AB21, Kankesanturai, Sri Lanka
It is among those that have been carved in Sri Lankas picturesque antiquity. In history, the area was the nation’s chief naval core with the Navy Naval Base of Sri Lankan being positioned in the region. Kankesanthurai is referred to be among the safest beaches in the Northern region. Immaculate and uncrushed this tape of beach presents unparalleled experiences that one can hardly get in this northernmost shore. It is the place where guests step into natural water and experience a dive in the dreams of chilling off after a full day of traversing the city in the burning sun.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in a 3 Star hotel in Jaffna
Day 2: Jaffna – Negombo/Colombo
Stop At: Keerimalai Hot springs, Jaffna 40000 Sri Lanka
Keeramalaiis a natural spring lying next to the sea west of Palai. A bathing tank is built surrounding this pool and only the walls separate the waters of the spring and the sea. Although the tank is so close to the sea, the water is fresh coming from an underground fresh water spring in Tellipallai-Maviddapuram. The water is not hot. It is said this underwater water source also connects to the Nilavarai bottomless well which lies over 10km away from here. This spring is popular among the Hindus for the miraculous powers it holds.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Dambakola Patuna Sangamitta Temple, Madagal, Jaffna Sri Lanka
Dambakola Patuna or Jambukola Patuna is an ancient port in the north of Jaffna which was used during pre-Christian times. After Arahath Mahinda brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka in 250BC, his sister, Theri Sanghamitta arrived in Sri Lanka with a Sacred Bo Sapling one year later to this port. The temple Samudda-panasala (Jambukola Viharaya) was built commemorating the arrival of the Bo sapling by King Devanampriya Tissa (250-210 BC). Later, the same king planted one of the first eight shoots of the Sri Maha Bodhi, on the same place where he kept the original tree before bringing it to Anuradhapura. King Vijayabahu I (1070-1110) has restored this site. The remains of the vihara, such as the Buddha footprint stone and vatadage seen up to recent times no longer exist there.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Jaffna Public Library, Jaffna Sri Lanka
Jaffna Public Library is located in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It is one of Jaffna’s most notable landmarks, and is run by the Jaffna Municipal Council. The library was built in 1933 and burnt in 1981. During the early 1980s, it was one of the biggest libraries in Asia, containing over 97,000 books and manuscripts. In 2001, rehabilitation of the library was completed, with new structure being built and new books received, although its old books and manuscripts were not replaced. It is Sri Lanka’s second main public Library only rivaled by the Library in Colombo
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
