Chundikulam National Park

Chundikulam sits where the Jaffna lagoon meets the sea on the eastern side of the peninsula, a long spit of dune and scrub with shallow brackish water behind it. It was a sanctuary from 1938 and became a national park in 2015. The lagoons hold large numbers of wintering waders and waterfowl, flamingos among them, and the spit is used by nesting turtles. It is one of the least visited parks in the country.

What you actually see

• The wintering birds - waders, ducks and flamingos on the shallow lagoons.
• The sand spit - a long dune barrier between lagoon and open sea.
• The turtle beaches - nesting sand along the seaward shore.
• The emptiness - a park almost nobody visits.

When to go

December to March is the wintering season and the best for birds. The northeast monsoon brings the birds but also rough weather. Summer is hot and the lagoons shrink.

Honest expectations

There is essentially no infrastructure: no hides, no facilities and little signage. Access roads are rough and need a high-clearance vehicle. Birds are distant and a scope helps.

Nearby

Jaffna is northwest, and Elephant Pass is west.