Elephant Pass
Elephant Pass
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
137 reviews
Excellent
48
Very good
53
Average
27
Poor
7
Terrible
2
Gyan Fernando
Exeter, UK6,594 contributions
Mar 2020
A geographically interesting narrow isthmus which carries the railway and the A9 road into Jaffna and was of strategic importance militarily during the Civil War between the Sri Lankan forces and the Tamil Tigers.
As such it has now become a war memorial.
There is a small restaurant with reasonable toilets, maintained by the Army.
The modernised railway station is nearby.
In spite of the name there are no elephants on the pass itself.
As such it has now become a war memorial.
There is a small restaurant with reasonable toilets, maintained by the Army.
The modernised railway station is nearby.
In spite of the name there are no elephants on the pass itself.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin
Athens, Greece112 contributions
Jan 2019
If you go to Jaffna - which I highly recommend - don't go by bus. Take the midday train from to Jaffna. Don't worry, even the third class is comfortable just find a nice seat and enjoy the view. Everything will be changing around you: from the lush green rainforest to the dark blue waters of the lagoons. From thick jungle vegetation to coconut palms lining the horizon. Finally, as you cross the famous "Elephant Pass" in the late afternoon, the sun slowly sets over the beautiful lagoon and the sky is in flames. Magical.
Written February 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah R
Toronto, Ontario, Canada50 contributions
Apr 2015 • Solo
We took the Jaffna train through Elephant pass and it is really nothing but a causeway between two places. It is also the one of the places mentioned in the novel 'the road from elephant pass' written by Nihal de silva who was subsequently killed by a land mine in wilpatu park. The book basically gives both sides of the conflict in sri lanka. But for the average person Elephant pass is nothing special.
Written April 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mrsdanushkajayatunge
Cambridge, MA108 contributions
Nov 2012 • Business
This is one of the places which was damaged during the high time of the war. There is a lot of war related literature with "Elephant Pass" as the name. There is a book named "The Road from Elephant Pass". This area has a salt lake and I think that it is currently not in use. A lot of battles have taken place in this area. Once an LTTE truck had come with explosives with the intention of driving directly into the army camp which was situated at Elephant Pass and one soldier named "Gamini" (who later came to be known with the name of his village as "Hasalaka Gamini) has run towards the truck with explosives in his hand and blasted the truck thereby saving all the lives of the soldiers inside the camp. His pictures, a description of the incident and the remains of the LTTE truck are still there to be seen around this area.
Written December 1, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
richarde111
Swindon, UK96 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
Named thus by the British who brought their elephants up through this area, it is near to where the last big battle for control was fought between the Tamil Tigers and Government troops during the civil war. It is also near to the the armoured bull dozer which threatened to blow up a large number of defenders was halted due to the bravery of one NCO in the Sri Lanka government forces.
Written March 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rohana P
Colombo, Sri Lanka64 contributions
Feb 2019 • Family
I do not encourage to spend time here. It was an space where both Sinhala & Tamile people died in the war time. Sinhala people who go on trips to Jaffna become sad and Tamil people who go for their daily work become angry when they pass Elephant passage.
Written February 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malki S
Bentota, Sri Lanka58 contributions
Sep 2018 • Family
This is a place where everyone should pay a visit no matter where you are from. Please pay attention and have good behavior while visiting for this is a place which deserves highest respect. Please remember to talk to a soldier. They are always near the place to guide you through. They will explain the meaning and the importance. Please refrain from taking photos in any manner which can cause disrespect to the monument.
Written October 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vachintha Piyadasa
Colombo, Sri Lanka1,835 contributions
Sep 2017 • Friends
This iconic monument represents the glory of Sri Lankan armed forces. Its built having a few huge bronze hands holding a model of the country, surrounded by bandoleer-wearing lions. This also immortalizes the memories of fierce gun battles fought by our war heroes and the immense sacrifices they have made.
Elephant Pass is the bottleneck gateway to Jaffna peninsula which was under LTTE's control since April 2000. This was captured by Sri Lankan armed forces in January 2009, which was a significant milestone of the liberation of the country from the civil war that lasted for 30 years.
Elephant Pass is the bottleneck gateway to Jaffna peninsula which was under LTTE's control since April 2000. This was captured by Sri Lankan armed forces in January 2009, which was a significant milestone of the liberation of the country from the civil war that lasted for 30 years.
Written August 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
orchTraralgon
Traralgon32 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
this is a significant site in the civil war struggle; it commemorates the bravery of one young soldier, but also brings home the futility of war; quite solemn, quite hot too !
Written January 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
George Hindmann
Barendrecht, The Netherlands225 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
Elephant Pass has been a strategic military post in the North of Sri Lanka since 1760 when the Portuguese, Dutch and later The British developed military camps in this region.
However more recently during the Sri Lankan Civil War (between 1983 - 2009) a memorial to Corporal Gamini Kularatne who advanced the end of the Civil War, by sacrificing his life and single handedly stopping the advance of a reinforced bulldozer tank armed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - Tamil Tigers, which were advancing towards a small group / platoon of the Sri Lankan Army.
Suddenly Lance Corporal Kularatne, holding two grenades in his hands, dashed out towards the oncoming bulldozer tank, clambered up the tank's ladder and tossed the two grenades inside it, disregarding the numerous injuries he himself had suffered by then from the bullets of LTTE. Within seconds, fiery bursts of fire accompanied by a series of explosions occurred. Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne was flung to the ground and lay motionless. Sadly he died in this act of Heroism.
In recognition of his act of gallantry Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne was promoted to the rank of Corporal posthumously and honored with the award of "Parama Weera Vibhushanaya" on 10 October 1991, the highest gallantry award in Sri Lanka for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Army.
A very interesting part of the history of Sri Lanka that we could have missed but we are pleased that we didn't.
However more recently during the Sri Lankan Civil War (between 1983 - 2009) a memorial to Corporal Gamini Kularatne who advanced the end of the Civil War, by sacrificing his life and single handedly stopping the advance of a reinforced bulldozer tank armed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - Tamil Tigers, which were advancing towards a small group / platoon of the Sri Lankan Army.
Suddenly Lance Corporal Kularatne, holding two grenades in his hands, dashed out towards the oncoming bulldozer tank, clambered up the tank's ladder and tossed the two grenades inside it, disregarding the numerous injuries he himself had suffered by then from the bullets of LTTE. Within seconds, fiery bursts of fire accompanied by a series of explosions occurred. Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne was flung to the ground and lay motionless. Sadly he died in this act of Heroism.
In recognition of his act of gallantry Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne was promoted to the rank of Corporal posthumously and honored with the award of "Parama Weera Vibhushanaya" on 10 October 1991, the highest gallantry award in Sri Lanka for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Army.
A very interesting part of the history of Sri Lanka that we could have missed but we are pleased that we didn't.
Written April 3, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Elephant Pass
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Elephant Pass Information
Excellent Reviews | 48 |
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Very Good Reviews | 53 |
Elephant Pass Photos | 81 |