Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The actual pass gets its name from the hundreds of elephants which were herded
through here en route to India between 300 BC and the 19th century.
For most Sri Lankans the name is inexorably linked with the civil war; for decades the
government and Tamil Tigers contested control of this strategic spot - the gateway to
Jaffna - with particularly bloody battles waged in 1991, 2000 and 2009.
Today virtually all war reminders have been cleared except for a grandiose, vaguely
stupa-like
monument
which glorifies the role of the Sri Lankan armed forces in defeating
the enemy within and lauds the role of President Rajapaksa ('who was born for the grace of
the nation') in triumphalist language.
The wetlands surrounding the monument are unexpectedly beautiful, an aquamarine sea
fringed by patches of white sand and mangroves, with lots of wading birds in evidence.
From the monument it's a short hop south over the causeway to the Elephant Pass res-
taurant which has good-value meals (Rs 200-400), and then on to the town of
Kilinochchi
15km away.
Returning 9km back towards Jaffna there's a turnoff which heads north to the coast,
8km away. It's a gloriously isolated road, which traverses a couple of villages and a long
slender lagoon before hitting the shore at
Chempiyanpattu
. There's a stunning beach
here, a classic tropical picture of white sand, azure ocean and swaying coconut palms,
though absolutely no facilities - perfect if you really want to get away from it all. Most of
the abandoned houses visible from here all the way up the entire shoreline to Point Pedro
were destroyed by the 2004 tsunami.
If you head back from Chempiyanpattu beach, you can follow a lonely coastal road
which heads northwest up the narrow peninsula, with the shore to your east and a beautiful
lagoon on your west side. The first 7km or so is paved, then there's a 15km stretch which
is well-maintained dirt track, while the final 7km or so is paved before you hit Point Pedro.
Sections of the coastal land are controlled by the army and minefields were being cleared
here when we passed through so don't stray from the road. Expect to encounter monkeys,
monitor lizards and lots of birdlife on the way.
You'll eventually arrive in
Point Pedro
, a humdrum port of little interest, from where
you can loop back to Jaffna.
