Hi,
I reckon that Steve ( wadiwadiman ) is right regarding the uncertainty that results from the Tigers getting battered in the far north.
As the army advances in the north, then the tigers could launch more bomb attacks further south in an attempt to cause problems for the goverment
As he said, there have been a lot of killings in the Batticaloa area recently so I'd agree, visiting that area , is pointless.
Trinco, Nilavelli and Uppavelli I'd be happy to visit . I havn't been there for a few years and when I did it was still Tiger territory. We saw plenty of evidence of the war, pock marks in the walls from bullets and the bombed out ruins of a big hotel next door but were never personally threatened in any way . We were welcomed by the Tamil population as warmly as by the Singhalese down south.
Steve's point about your insurance is a valid one though. If the foreign office are advising against travelling there , that's an instant get out for the ins. company if you did have to make a claim.
Don't forget, Dec. Jan. Feb. is the time of the north east monsoon so the east coast is probably going to be wet. I know the SL. army, fighting in the north have been bogged down for weeks by excessive rain
The south coast and the west coast are the places that should be hot and sunny.
Anuradhapura I'd still visit , I've already planned to spend some time up there on my next trip, in February.. Technically, I suppose Ritigalla and Mihintale are north of the A12, even if only a little but I'll be visiting those two places.
The great thing about Sri Lanka, is it has so much variation in a smallish island that you'll easily spend your six weeks there and wish you had a lot more time.
Don't forget, the visa issued free on arrival is only for 30 days. Unless you've already arranged a longer visa, you'll need to get the 30 day visa extended .
Rod.
