Drive to Jaffna - road conditions?
 

Dear Fodorites,

I've been reading your trip reports to Sri Lanka with great interest, as we have plans to take a trip there sometime early next year (now that we've put our Egypt & Jordan trip on hold!).

My partner is of Sri Lankan origin and she would like to take the opportunity to travel to Jaffna from Negombo. Is this doable in a day (about 700km?) Ideally we don't want to stay in Jaffna as she just wants photos of her roots for her parents keepsake more than using it as a tourist destination. I know, long way for some photos, but this is important for her. Are the roads good and secure?

As recommended in the posts here, we would most likely be using Rammuni to organise our rides in Sri Lanka.

Any feedback from anyone done the trip before, or any information on the conditions most welcome (especially if anyone is local to Sri Lanka).

Thanks very much.

I went to Jaffna about 2 weeks ago and can confirm that the roads are secure and passable. The jouney in my SUV took 9 hours. Best route to take from Negombo to Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Vauniya, Elephant Pass, Jaffna.

The road condition from Nochiyagama to Anuradhapura is not good, under repairs etc but fully passable. There is a good carpeted stretch from Anuradhapura to Vavuniya, after that it is pot holed and broken but once again fully passable. All in all even cars can do the journey but SUV's or Jeeps with a higher ground clearence will find it easier.

There are two check points to stop and sign off one at Omanthai and another at Elephant Pass, very quick took about 2 mins each.

There are several daily busses including some luxury A/C busses that go from Colombo to Jaffna, service is supposed to be very good.

Hope this helps.

Mohammed, thanks for your detailed response, great work. So if it takes 9hrs one way, perhaps we should consider staying overnight instead of rushing back in the dark.

Would you be able to suggest a good hotel in the area please? Any recommended restaurants? Not sure if they are setup for stays due to the civil problems in the past.

Thanks again.

Yes you are lucky, I can recomend a very good hotel, although I did not stay there since I stayed at a friends house, I visited it and even inspected the rooms and met the owner, all in all very decent probably a 4 stars nice big rooms very clean etc, located in town just opposite the famous Jaffna Library.

Hotel is

Tilco Hotel Jaffna
Phone +94 21 222 5969
Owner is one Mr Thilgaraj

I also have some photos of the rooms will try to post it somewhere.

Herewith link to the photo of a room at the Tilco Hotel Jaffna.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31829627@N02/5573522353/

Thanks Mohammed.

Dear Mohammed ... are you still writing in Fodor ? Anyway can you update the road conditions to go from Colombo to Jaffna by car (Hilux smart cab) this time of the year (end of January 2014) ?

We hesitate between
1/ the ocean WEST coast ?
2/ the A9 CENTRAL road (where to join it when leaving Colombo ?)
3/ the EAST Coast but in fact this is rather to come BACK to Colombo.

?? MAny thanks :) Charles

Road to Jaffna is now in good condition all the way on A9.

Western coast road is not recommended. There is no real east road to Jaffna, at some point you will have to come back to the A9.