Kandy
Noted as the last Kingdom of Sri Lanka has many places to visit, Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic being the highlight. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the sacred tooth relic of the lord Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple. Degaldoruwe Viharaya: Located at the village of Amunu...
Dambulla
Dambulla Rock Cave Temple (UNESCO world heritage site) can be reached by coming from Kandy(68km) along A9 road which runs up through Dambulla and Anuradhapura, or direct from Colombo. Located at an elevation of 1118 feet from the sea level, the Dambulugala raises as a massive rock from the surrounding plains of Dambulla. It is home to the World’s most acclaimed Cave complex of magnificent Buddha Images and Rock Paintings of vivid colours and shapes constructed and painted from around the 2nd Century BC (Anuradhapura era) and continued up to the...
Sigiriya
The Sigiriya Rock Fortress (5 th Century AD) of Sri Lanka is situated in Matale district near Dambulla. Recorded as a UNESCO world heritage, Sigirya can be reached along Colombo- Habarana highway and turning East from Inamaluwa , then proceeding about 10 km from Inamaluwa and passing Kimbissa, a rural settlement one arrives at Sigiriya. Sigiriya being a fortress citadel and had been well designed for its defences by having ramparts and moats built around it. There are several approaches to the inner city and the most prominent is the Western en...
Polonnaruwa
Another UNESCO world heritage site, according to the chronicles of the 12 th century, a prince of great metal and physical vigour hailing from the Rohana (Southern part of Sri Lanka) forced his way to the throne of Sri Lanka as King Prakrama Bahu the great. Establishing himself in Polonnaruwa, a capital worthy of authority and ambition of the ruler, he proceeded to show himself as a successful warrior and a great administrator, during which time he, through a medium of a dam nine miles long created the “The Sea of Parakrama” harvesting rain wat...
Anuradhapura
A UNESCO world heritage site and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world, Anuradhapura, founded in 380 BC by Prince Pandukabhaya according to the historical chronicle “Mahawamsa”, testify in a unique and specific way to the ancient Sinhalese civilizations architectural and irrigation prowess. The city quickly became both the capital of Sri Lanka and the sacred city of Buddhism on the island due to Mihintale, where apostle “Arahath Mahinda thero”, the son of the great Indian Emperor Asoka conveyed Buddhism to Sri Lanka. A wa...
Mihintale
Located 11 km East of the sacred city of Anuradhapura is referred by many as the “cradle of Buddhism” in Sri Lanka, as this is the very place where nearly 2,350 years ago, the great disciple of Lord Buddha, Arahath Mahinda Thero preached the Buddhist doctrine to the King “Dewanampiyatissa” of Sri Lanka. From then on the “mountain of Mahinda” is identified throughout the ages as a great monastic city for Buddhism. A flight of stairs consisting of 1840 steps will carry you to the summit of this sacred mountain with a breath taking site of the sur...
Ritigala
Covered in a blanket of haze and rising out to a height of 766 m above the sea-level from the dry north central plains, the lone hillock of Ritigala is the highest mountain in the north- central province of Sri Lanka. located 188 km north-east of Colombo, at Ganewalpola, near Kekirawa/Maradankadawala of north-central plains of Sri Lanka and, The mountain is about three miles long at the longest point and about two miles wide is covered with dense jungle inhabited by wild Elephants, leopards, bears and has been declared a Strict Natural Reserve...
