National Museum
This museum once housed Kandyan royal concubines and now features royal regalia and reminders of pre-European Sinhalese life. There are some interesting objects housed here and it could be a very interesting museum, but its sadly let down by very poor lighting, labelling and genera
Turtle Watch Rekawa
From April to September, green, hawksbill and occasionally even leatherback turtles struggle ashore at night to lay their eggs on Rekawa Beach. Tours are run by volunteers from the non-profit Turtle Conservation Project and locals. The emphasis is on protecting the turtles, so came
Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Art Museum
This surprisingly interesting museum includes the house where respected Sinhalese author Martin Wickramasinghe (1890–1976) was born. The exhibits are well displayed, with information in English. Among them is a good section on dance (including costumes and instruments), puppets, ko
Dambatenne Tea Factory
A few tea factories in this area are happy to have visitors. The most popular, Dambatenne, was built in 1890 by Sir Thomas Lipton, one of the most famous figures in tea history. The tour through the works is an education on the processes involved in the fermentation, rolling, dryin
Tissa Dagoba
This large much-restored dagoba looming between Tissa town centre and the wewa is believed to have been originally built around 200 BC by Kavantissa, a king of Ruhunu, which was centred on Tissamaharama. The white dagoba has a circumference of 165m and stands 55.8m high. It is thou
Abhayagiri Dagoba
Dating back to the 1st century BC, this colossal dagoba was once the ceremonial focus of a 5000-strong monastery. Originally over 100m high, it was one of the greatest structures in the ancient world, its scale only matched by the pyramids of Giza (and nearby Jetavanarama). Today,
Sri Maha Bodhi
The sacred bodhi tree is central to Anuradhapura in both a spiritual and physical sense. It was grown from a cutting brought from Bodhgaya in India and is said to be the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world; tended by an uninterrupted succession of guardians for over
Archaeological Museum
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Monks’ Refectory & Relic House
On the second landing is the monks’ refectory with huge stone troughs that the lay followers kept filled with rice for the monks.Nearby, at a place identified as the monastery’s relic house, are two inscribed stone slabs erected during the reign of King Mahinda IV (r 975–91). The i
Gal Vihara
This is a group of beautiful Buddha images that probably marks the high point of Sinhalese rock carving. They are part of Parakramabahu’s northern monastery. The Gal Vihara consists of four separate images, all cut from one long slab of granite. At one time each was enshrined withi
Adisham Monastery
This beautiful Benedictine monastery once belonged to tea planter Sir Thomas Lester Villiers. To recreate his English lifestyle he developed some English country-cottage gardens which are still enchanting visitors today. Inside, visitors are allowed to see the living room and libra
Peradeniya Botanic Gardens
At one time these beautiful botanical gardens were reserved exclusively for Kandyan royalty. Today even commoners are allowed into what are, at 60 hectares, the largest and most impressive botanic gardens in Sri Lanka.The many highlights include a fine collection of orchids and a s
Cave Temples
The beautiful Royal Rock Temple complex sits about 160m above the road in the southern part of Dambulla. Five separate caves contain about 150 absolutely stunning Buddha statues and paintings, some of Sri Lankas most important and evocative religious art. Buddha images were first c
Yapahuwa Rock Fortress
Rising 100m from the surrounding plain, the impressive granite outcrop of Yapahuwa (pronounced yaa-pow-a) has some fascinating features and history. Between 1272 and 1284, King Bhuvanekabahu I used the rock fortress as his capital and kept Sri Lanka’s sacred Buddha tooth relic here
Buduruwagala
About 5km south of Wellawaya, a side road branches west off the Tissa road to the beautiful, 1000-year-old, rock-cut Buddha figures of Buduruwagala. Surrounded by smaller carved figures, the gigantic standing Buddha (at 15m, it is the tallest on the island) in the centre still bear
Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains is a beautiful, silent, strange world with some excellent hikes in the shadows of Sri Lanka’s second- and third-highest mountains, Kirigalpotta (2395m) and Totapola (2357m). The ‘plains’ form an undulating plateau over 2000m high, covered by wild grasslands and inters
Doing business & staying in touch while in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Doing business & staying in touch
Sri Lanka Weather, Climate and Geography
Sri Lanka Weather, climate and geography
Sri Lanka History, Language and Culture
Sri Lanka History, Language and Culture
Sri Lanka Travel Guide and Travel Information
Sri Lanka Travel Guide
