Shopping bags won’t be free from tomorrow
Sri Lanka’s Jaffna City has been ranked second in Lonely Planet’s “25 Best Destinations to visit in 2026,” as part of its “Best in Travel 2026” edition released on Oct. 21.
The guide praised Jaffna for its culture, cuisine, and island adventures.
Recommended visits include the restored Jaffna Public Library, Jaffna Fort, and nearby islands like Delft and Nainativu, which holds the Naga Pooshani Amman Kovil and Nagadeepa Temple.
Lonely Planet says :
Family-run homestays like the Malabar Home Stay have been reviving Jaffna as a cultural travel destination since the civil war ended in 2009. To understand Jaffna’s nuanced history, visit the restored Jaffna Public Library, which was set on fire during the war; the pentagonal-shaped Jaffna Fort, originally built by the Portuguese in 1619; and the two bunkers turned into museums at the luxury Fox Jaffna resort.
An hour-long ferry from Jaffna is tiny Delft. With a shallow reef, coral-fenced houses and homestays like the Delft Village Stay, the sleepy island is ideal to slowly cycle around between home-cooked meals.
Traveling to Jaffna is easy by cycle, tuk tuk, bus or ferry, while trains and buses connect the city with the Sri Lankan capital Colombo and direct flights operate from Chennai. But above all, hospitality runs deep here, where warm smiles, cups of frothy tea and crab curry feasts are aplenty.
