The north of Sri Lanka is a different world compared to the other more well known regions of the country. Long cut off from the rest of the island and the world for over 30 years, Sri Lanka's North and East are two fascinating lands that vary dramatically to that of the rest of the country.

Fascinating Tamil culture, delicious Indian-inspired cuisine, and old colonial forts, white sand beaches, remote coral islands — this is North and East Sri Lanka. Far less visited than the southern half of the country, it may not have the bustling surf towns, lush tea plantations, and digital nomad cafes. But the north and east of Sri Lanka certainly oozes with culture, history, and natural beauty that is worth exploring.

In terms of tourism, ‘the north’ also includes parts of the northeast which were previously inaccessible due to the war, and which actually lie in the Eastern Province north of Trincomalee. North Central Province, the heart of which for tourists is the great ancient city of Anuradhapura. The great Wilpattu National Park was also closed during the war, and it is located in both the North Western and North Central Provinces. In short, if you want to find true north and east of Sri Lanka, you will be following the right point on the compass, because there is a lot of it to discover. And a lot more still to be discovered.