The Sunday Morning Brunch visited the northern peninsula this past weekend for a three-night stay at The Valampuri Hotel, Jaffna. Located at No. 148/10, Railway Station Road, Jaffna, the hotel used to be a hotspot due to its incredibly convenient location back when the Jaffna train was in operation.
According to its management, The Valampuri Hotel prides itself in introducing a unique Sri Lankan Tamil cultural concept to its guests. The hotel and its restaurant, while keeping in line with Jaffna culture and the standards the locals have come to expect, have also gone a step beyond to ensure that the experience feels quintessentially Sri Lankan.
This four-star property is set on two acres of land in Jaffna and despite being situated in the heart of the city, maintains a considerably serene beauty. It also features the conveniences that guests have come to expect from a starred property. Having commenced in 1992, the hotel has a retro boutique hotel vibe to it which has been maintained quite well without allowing it to age.
Speaking to a few guests at the hotel, Brunch soon learned that while the venue was conveniently situated adjoining the Jaffna Central Railway Station, it was also just 15 km away from the domestic airport in Palaly. Many of the guests shared that they were repeat customers, with some even noting that on occasions where they didn’t get to stay at The Valampuri, they still tended to have their meals at the hotel.
“I came here last month because I had some work in Jaffna town but the hotel was completely booked, so we decided to walk here for our dinner instead of having dinner at the hotel we were staying in. The food is just better at The Valampuri – it is just my taste,” one guest noted.
History of The Valampuri
The Valampuri has 32 well-furnished rooms with all modern amenities including a flat screen satellite TV, free WiFi, a mini bar, electric kettle, free toiletries, and more. The management noted that since Jaffna lacked a huge selection of starred hotels, guests may erroneously assume that not much care was being expended for the upkeep of the properties. “We take pride in our careful attention to every detail of your stay. We invite you to join our numerous loyal guests who return time and again to enjoy the classic comfort of the Valampuri Hotel,” they said.
The management also proudly shared the origins of their Founder Thiyagarajah Jegaseelan, who had been born into poverty, sharing that he had been a determined young man with a dream as his only investment. Jegaseelan reportedly started his career by selling kerosene, but has now grown into an influential personality in the peninsula and the country. They also shared that Jegaseelan had helped the peninsula to develop its economy by creating hundreds of jobs.
The road to Valampuri
Travelling to Jaffna used to be simple when we could take the train, but things are a little different now. Until the railway is back on track, the most convenient method for many is the overnight bus. We recommend the overnight bus, since you can get on the bus at 12 a.m. and if you are lucky enough to fall asleep for the entirety of your commute, you will wake up in Jaffna five hours later.
However, because we had planned to stay three nights in the peninsula and hoped to explore the north at our leisure, we hired a vehicle of our own, which proved to be quite costly. Regardless, we were grateful to have transport to freely move within the peninsula.
As The Valampuri is in Jaffna, we had to travel quite a bit to get to Point Pedro and other tourist hotspots. However, the convenience of staying in the heart of Jaffna really paid off, since we could simply take a stroll to the market and get all our shopping done if we wished and have access to public transport as well.
As for The Valampuri Hotel itself, while we were truly impressed by its restaurant which served traditional Jaffna cuisine, the rooms did pose some concerns with regard to general upkeep. However, these were not major issues and were easily addressed as the staff were incredibly helpful and hospitable, which made all the difference.
After three nights at the hotel, we did feel a little fatigued as we had been seeing the same sights, smelling the same smells, and eating somewhat the same food (if only because we had chosen the breakfast buffet option, although we thankfully made the right choice in dinner à la carte). However, despite us overdoing things, we still greatly recommend a stay at The Valampuri if you ever find yourself in Jaffna.