STREWN WITH Hindu temples and colonial gems , with long white beaches , mangrove lagoons and spectacular snorkelling , Sri Lanka ’ s far north and eastern coast has been denied to tourists by years of unrest . With peace restored and hotels reopening , the region now welcomes visitors with a warmth and enthusiasm kindled by decades of isolation . We are thrilled to be able to include fabulous region to our Sri Lanka programme . Marooned at the very northern tip of Sri Lanka , on a peninsula that reaches out both physically and culturally towards India ’ s Tamil south , only 50-odd miles across the Palk Strait , Jaffna is the capital of the north , bustling again after years of reluctant quiet . An utterly intriguing city , Jaffna is littered with glimpses of its turbulent past , a place where Anglican churches and cathedrals all but rub shoulders with Hindu temples and mosques .

Bursting with colour , the city centre has recaptured its joyous buzz , with the cricket games played on dusty maidens and the roadside market stalls groaning beneath towers of mangoes emblematic of the city ’ s rebirth . Down the east coast , Trincomalee , or Trinco as it is affectionately known in these parts , is a pretty harbour town still echoing its thriving colonial past . Increasingly known as a whale-watching and diving destination , as sperm and blue whales come into the bay through deep underwater canyons , Trinco is also the gateway to a string of spectacular , palm-fringed beaches further south . Of these , the remarkably undeveloped but achingly beautiful Passikudah is perhaps our favourite , and lying only 40 miles east of Polonnaruwa , it offers a stunning beach-extension to Sri Lanka ’ s magnificent Cultural Triangle .

Whale-watching off the north-east coast

Jaffna Jetwing Jaffna

NORTH AND NORTH-EAST

Pigeon Island

Anilana Nilaveli Nilaveli Jungle Beach Trinco Blu

Trincomalee

Passikudah Uga Bay

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