Dambulla
Five cave chambers carved into a granite massif hold 153 statues and 2,100 square metres of murals spanning 22 centuries of continuous Buddhist art – the oldest from the 1st century BCE, the most recent from the 18th. The ceiling murals alone justify the climb.
Kandy
Sri Lanka’s cultural capital – a highland city built around a ceremonial lake and defined by the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, whose three daily puja ceremonies have continued without interruption for centuries. The Esala Perahera festival in July and August, a ten-night candlelit procession of elephants and drummers, is one of Asia’s most […]
Polonnaruwa
Sri Lanka’s medieval capital at its artistic peak – the Gal Vihara rock sculptures carved from a single granite face are the finest Buddhist artworks on the island, and the flat cycling paths between monuments make this one of the most enjoyable heritage sites to explore. The ancient reservoir that powered the entire civilisation is […]
Anuradhapura
One of the ancient world’s greatest capitals, home to the Sri Maha Bodhi tree grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi tree in 288 BCE – the oldest documented human-planted tree on earth, still circled daily by pilgrims. Best by bicycle at dawn when the site belongs entirely to the birds and the devotees.
Sigiriya
A 5th-century royal palace on the sheer face of a 200-metre volcanic rock – ancient water gardens at the base, frescoes painted into the cliff face, and a summit view across the forest plain that nothing quite prepares you for. Go at dawn, before the heat and crowds arrive.