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Jaffna was out of bounds to all foreign visitors until 2010 and still has a sense of separation from the rest of Sri Lanka. Geographically closer to India than Colombo, the town offers an insight into the country's Tamil culture and reminders of its colonial past.

The region was long ago settled by Tamil migrants from southern India, developing a more prominent Hindu culture than that of the Buddhist one found throughout the country. During the turbulence of the civil war, Jaffna was controlled by the rebel militant organisation, 'Tamil Tigers', until the Sri Lankan Army gained control in 1995. After years of struggle, this war-torn town is slowly regaining some normality and opening up to foreign visitors.

With a limited infrastructure, the area has only a handful of basic but comfortable hotels and offers visitors some fascinating sights including the somewhat dilapidated 'Jaffna Fort', colourful Hindu temples, a vibrant history and hot springs. This part of the country is still very much 'off-the-beaten track' but a fantastic place to visit for those who would like to escape the crowds travelling further south and who would be interested to see a very different side of this wonderful country. Go now, before the crowds arrive!