Wanderlust - 04.2020

Shutterstock; Dreamstime

DURATION1416days

ROUTEKalpitiya•Wilpattu

• Mannar•Jana•Trincomalee
  WHYDOIT?Toexperience
  thewarmandengaging
  cultureoftheisland’snorth.

ShapedbyitsvibrantHindu

culture,proximitytoIndia’s

TamilNaduand(ofcourse)

26 yearsofcivilwar,SriLanka’s

northhasadierentfeeltothe

restoftheisland.Startat

Kalpitiya,anaridpeninsular

curvedaroundalagoon

popularwithkitesurfers,and

stayalongescapist-feel

AlankudaBeach.Wilpattu

NationalParkisaround

a90-minutedriveaway(orstay

inacomfysafaricamponits

boundary)andit’sworthalook.

Thisvast,lesser-visitedreserve

isasanctuaryforleopards,sloth

bears, crocodiles,turtlesand

also has abundantbirdlife,

all drawn to the forestsand

shallow rain-fed lakes.

Continue to formerpearling

centre, Mannar, a sun-baked

ishing town famousforbaobab

trees, wild donkeys,gullsand

terns, as well as a profusionof

mosques, churchesandkovils

(temples), and a crumbling

colonial fort. Accommodation

is basic – book wellinadvance

to stay at Abode Hibernation

(abodetours.com),asimple

beachfront homestay.

The northern

circuit

Best for: Adventure,wildlife,culture&history

Janatownisdottedwith

historicbuildings,anoldfortand

avenuesoftheregion’sprized

karthacolombanmangoes,

whilethepeninsularoers

enoughtoillagoodfewdays;

highlightsincludevisitingthe

NallurKovilandPointPedro

Lighthouse(SriLanka’s

northernmostpoint),navigating

causewaystoless-habited

⊳

SRI

LANKA

Delft

Island

Nainativu

Island

BAY OF

BENGAL

Wilpattu

NP

Alankula

Beach

Casuarina

Beach

Colombo

Anuradhapura

Mannar

Jana

Trincomalee

Nilaveli

0 40 km

islands,takingferriesto

NagadipaTempleonNainativu

IslandandDelftIsland,and

snackingonfriedcrabatpristine

(andpopular)CasuarinaBeach.

BeforelyingbacktoColombo,

drivesouthviaElephantPassto

Nilaveli,nearTrincomalee’s

deepnaturalharbour,forainal

fewdays.Theoceanthereis

warmandshallow–idealfor

snorkelling–whilecruisesand

whale-watchingtripsoperate

duringthesummer.

SRI LANKA

wanderlust.co.uk April 2020 93

⊳

Sacred sanctuary

(clockwise from this)

Vallipuram Alvar is one of

Ja na’s oldest Hindu

temples; despite their

name, sloth bears are far

from lazy and can attack

quickly; Mannar Fort