Colombo to Jaffna Travel.

Colombo to Jaffna transport services are provided by the Government by road and train system along with private transport services. The railway is under construction and now you can make most of your travel by train up to Vavuniya town and then can continue with the road transport from CTB or private busses. According to the available news, the Jaffna Colombo train service which is under construction is expected to finish and the train service is expected to start by the year 2013.

There are many private road transport service providers who are operating between Jaffna and Colombo with luxury bus service, normal bus service and passenger vans with 10 seats. Many of the luxury busses are fully air-conditioned with bigger reclinable seats for you to have a a comfortable journey from Colombo to Jaffna and vice versa. Luxury and semi luxury busses to Jaffna are used to start from Sri lanka Navy camp next to Wellawatte Ramakrishna Mission, Colombo, Kotahena and CTB Buses from central bus stand in Pettah in the night and it will take 8 - 9 hours of travelling through the small towns, villages, farms and forests to reach Jaffna which is 396 Km from the Colombo city. Normally the bus fare ranges from US$ 5 to US$ 10 per person depending on your bus selection. The buses have the capacity to carry 41 to 56 passengers depending on the brand of the bus.

Jaffna bus seats can be booked at small vendors who have advertisement with bus pictures on both side of the Galle Road in Wellawatte, Pettah and Kotahena. Like wise Colombo bound bus seats can be booked at small vendors at the hospital road in Jaffna town. it is better to book your seat 24 hours prior to your travel to get good comfortable seat.

Small Japanese 10 seats passenger vans too operate between Jaffna and Colombo. They used to pick up the passengers from their homes, lodges and hotels in Colombo and used to drop them in their residence in Jaffna and vise versa. US$ 180 is charged for a 10 seated passenger van to take passengers one way from Colombo to Jaffna.

On the way to Jaffna City, busses used to stop at small restaurants where you can get local food, short eats, biscuits, soft drinks, mineral water, tea and coffee too. These places too offer WC for the comfort of the passengers and are not high quality ones. On the way to Jaffna from Colombo busses used to stop at Chilaw for dinner and then will stop at Murukandy Pillaiyar temple around 4.00 AM. There you can find place to wash your hands and face and a well maintained separate WC for men and women. It will take nearly 2 hours of travel further to reach Jaffna town. Take note when the bus comes from Jaffna towards Colombo the busses won't stop at Murukandy Pillaiyar temple for
break.

Also there is an army check point at the Omanthai near to the Vavuniya town where they may check your identification and bags.

There are nearly 50 numbers of Lanka Ashok Leyland busses are flying between this route as luxury A/C bus service. In Colombo they start at around 7.00 - 8.00 PM while they start from Jaffna too at the same time from the Pannai bus stand in front of the Jaffna general post office.

The seats of these busses can be adjusted by pressing the side lever or side button fitted in the seat. The side handles of the seats too can be lifted when necessary. Each passenger has their own A/C blower over their head and can be adjusted or can be closed if it is necessary.

Any how most of the busses offer high cool air, so better to keep some heavy clothes to cover you if you can't stand the high cool air inside the bus.

Earlier some busses were equipped with Air suspension and were called popularly as balloon busses. And recently all these busses are turned in to tourist industry and the currently Jaffna Colombo operating buses are spring leave supported ones. So find your seats in the front raw or in middle raw as the back side seats may send you up in the air when the bus drop in to a pot hole.

There is flight service too available to and from Jaffna town where the flight used to start from Ratmalana airport land at the Palaly air port inside the Sri Lanka army complex. The Jaffna Colombo air service is operated only by the Sri Lanka air force through special small planes or helicopters. If you like to fly then you have to arrange it very early through the Sri Lanka Air Force where its head office is located near the Lake house, Fort, Colombo.