By Paul Topping

I’ve visited many of the thirty-eight forts built by the Dutch and Portuguese in Sri Lanka, but the one with the biggest wow factor  is one of the smallest. To get to it is also quite exciting. Firstly, crossing the water on a small car barge/ pontoon that takes us to an island. It reminds me of crossings we did in Zambia , no luxury van then  just a Morris Minor.  

Advanced driving skills are needed as we are at an angle to shore.We are on the island of Kayts heading to the smaller island of Karainagar, near the northern tip of Sri Lanka. We head out in a navy boat to the island of Fort Hammenhiel. There is some reference to the location back in 12th century  but the fort history really  starts with the Portuguese around 1618. They named it Fortaleza do Caes. It was part of a defense structure to protect Jaffna from attacks from the sea. In March 1658 the Dutch captured the island fort and began upgrading it, creating water storage, rebuilding and extending with more foundations. When they looked at the map of the little island, for them, it was shaped like a heel of smoked  ham.  

In Dutch, “hammen-hiel, translates to "the heal of the ham". So the fort became known as Hammenhiel. This is not my first visit to the location. After  the war in 2009 there was still no public access to the island. There was just a small-restaurant looking out to the fort across the sea. Ten years ago I wondered if I would ever get on the rock .The view of this fort from the shore is quite amazing. The little restaurant has gone.  On this latest visit we find the little restaurant has become a massive complex consisting of a hotel, banquet hall, restaurant, outside deck, all set up to a high standard by the navy. Spotlessly clean plenty of staff and a lovely meal .You can even have a wedding reception in the newish built hall.

"But what of fort?" you may be asking, well the navy boat gets us to the island in less than ten minutes. The fort has undergone recent changes, it’s now a hotel with four well-equipped bedrooms, a restaurant and many prison type cells. The British in their time had used it as a prison. Unofficially I was told LTTE and Sri Lankan forces used it as a prison also. There is a delightful courtyard, with a large tree in the middle. The place is very clean and tidy. The octangle fort, run by the navy, is a photographers' paradise. I’ve been to other locations run by the navy and they are always well run, discipline is one of the key factors. It’s also a great training experience for military personnel to have work/ career opportunities post their service to the country.

For roughly fifty dollars B&B per room, we all committed to do a stay over in 2026 . My Tapophile instincts makes me sure people will have died in this location, there are no burials that we know of. I'm keen to do a ghost busting session using my app on my next visit .We return to shore, all looking out on this picturesque little fort in the middle of the sea.

"Tally Ho sailors and visitors"