Post-war Jaffna among must-see places in island

The Jaffna Peninsula is a 400-square-mile tract of colorful temples and barren, strange spectacular landscapes in northern Sri Lanka that have only recently opened to tourists after the 26-year civil war. You get to see the reminders of the war all around.
Ethnic Tamils living in the northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna are recovering fast from the devastation caused during the country’s 26-year long civil war, which ended in 2009. Large-scare development projects are under way.
Lankan Spice Gardens: Sri Lanka has always been famed for its spices and several spices gardens around the island. Take a walk through trees, plants and native herbs, all of which are the secrets behind Sri Lankan food and spices. The spice gardens have a traditional open kitchen where the spices are grinded and a mini restaurant where traditional Sri Lankan food is cooked and served.
During early historical times, Sri Lanka was well-known globally for its quality spices. In ancient times, the Greeks, Romans and the Arabic sustained their associations with Sri Lanka through the spice trade.
Spice Gardens in the hill capital Kandy, Matale and Mawanella give remarkable insight into spice production in Sri Lanka. Spices used in Sri Lankan cuisine consist of cinnamon,cardamom, pepper, cloves, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin,sweet cumin, curry leaves, lemon grass and gamboge.
Galle Fort lighthouse and ramparts: The lighthouse in Galle is Sri Lanka’s oldest light station dating back to 1848. Being a UNESCO world heritage site and well known tourist attraction, the light station is within the walls of the ancient Galle fort, making it the country’s most often visited lighthouse.
The magnificent Galle fort was initially built by the Portuguese in 1588. The fort was equipped by Dutch in 17th century and was visited by the Chinese, Greeks, Arabs and Indians for business and commercial trading purposes.
The centerpiece of Galle is the Dutch Fort. It stands majestically alongside the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The Galle Fort covers an area of 36 hectares and hems in the Dutch museum, the maritime museum, the lighthouse, a clock tower, churches, mosques and several hundred private dwellings.
Whale-watching at Mirissa: If you haven’t heard of it yet, this is the best place to see blue whales. Mirissa is one of the whale watching hubs of Sri Lanka. Many tourists visiting Sri Lanka have been taking a side trip to Mirissa to do some whale and dolphin watching.
Visitors are taken on boat rides to do the whale watching, while maintaining a distance to get a better view of the ocean inhabitants.
Chances are that you will get a sight of Blue Whales, Fin Whales and even Sperm whales in these waters along with a variety of dolphins.
Pettah commercial market: The Pettah market is one of Colombo’s most popular and hectic open-air market, where you can buy various goods including local products and food and what not.
It’s perhaps the best place in Colombo to get introduced into the local Sri Lankan hurly-burly, to gulp down the hums and aromas, and to get a taste of life in Colombo.
This fresh market doesn’t only stop at selling edibles but a combination of electronics and dvd’s, knick knacks, lots of clothing for low-prices , a huge section of fresh produce and huge crowds of people.