Dambulla

More than 100 Buddha figures, Beautiful golden caves and hiking up to witness the beautiful view welcomes you warmly to Dambulla. Located Matale district which is 5 hours’ drive away from the bustling city Colombo the place is one of the most culturally rich towns to be in Sri Lanka. The place houses well-preserved cave temple in the country and has very nicely kept its essence intact till date. Dambulla Cave Temple also popularly known as Golden Rock Temple comprises of cave monastery and five sanctuaries. There are five main complexes namely- Maharaja Viharaya, Pachima Viharaya, Maha Alut Viharaya, Devaraja Viharaya and one general cave. Caves have beautiful sculptures and paintings of Lord Buddha including the 45-foot long sleeping Buddha statue. Words cannot do justice to these stunning cave sculptures. Apart from the Golden Temple other sites around the city include Iron Wood Forest, Rose Quartz Mountain, and the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium which is famous for being constructed in just 167 days. During your visit to Dambulla don’t forget to try the delicious authentic Sri Lankan food which is made with a lot of local spices and will leave you asking for more.

When planning a trip to Dambulla one should not miss the sight of ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ and UNESCO World Heritage Site- Sigiriya’ s ancient rock fortress. The place has a massive rock structure which is about 660 ft high and historically had a palace on top of it. Visitors are allowed to hike on top of the plateau and witness a breathtakingly beautiful view from the place. The place that had a rich historical significance is now mostly in ruins but is nothing less than magical. Cobra Hood Cave is one of the unique places to visit in Sigiriya. The place got its name because of a cobra’s fully opened hood. Minneriya National Park is another tourist attraction located 24 minutes’ drive away from Sigiriya. The park is relatively smaller in size but has a variety of habitats. The wide range of habitats ranging from dry tropical forest areas to wet grasslands.