A visual journal
An album of the North
The villa, the coast, the temples and the kitchens — photographed at quiet hours, mostly in the early morning.
We collect photographs slowly, the way the family collects most things. Some of these are ours; some are reference imagery we use while our own pictures catch up. The captions tell you which is which.
I · The villa
Inside the walls
Three suites, a courtyard well, and a small pool framed by palmyra. Photographs from the rooms, the verandahs and the quiet half-hours between meals.
II · The coast
Where the land ends
Fifteen minutes north of town the road runs out at Casuarina. The Northern coastline is wide, bright and largely empty — fishing boats at first light, palmyra leaning into the wind.
III · Heritage
The town and its memory
Jaffna's history wears on its surface. Nallur Kovil at dusk, the Dutch fort at low tide, the temples that punctuate the back lanes — a few of the places we walk guests through on the first afternoon.
IV · Kitchens
What the family cooks
Breakfast is the meal we host every day. String hoppers, three or four accompaniments, fruit from the morning market and either Ceylon tea or filter coffee. Most of the photographs are taken at the garden table.
An invitation
Begin a quiet conversation
Tell us a little about your dates and the kind of stay you have in mind. We reply personally — usually within a few hours.
Write to Abi— Abi & family, Jaffna
Until our own photography lands, this album combines original photographs with reference imagery used by owner authorisation. Wikimedia Commons and Unsplash credits apply where indicated.