Dambulla
Five cave shrines cut from a single granite outcrop in the 1st century BC and in continuous use for over two thousand years – the largest cave contains over 150 gilded Buddha statues and painted ceiling murals covering every surface of the rock above them. A UNESCO World Heritage Site that rewards those who arrive […]
Kandy
Sri Lanka’s last royal capital and the site of the Sacred Tooth Relic – the most venerated Buddhist shrine in the world beyond Sri Lanka’s borders and the spiritual centre of an island that has been Buddhist for over two thousand years. The lake, the cloud forest above the town, the Kandyan dance tradition and […]
Polonnaruwa
The medieval royal capital that succeeded Anuradhapura – best explored by bicycle through the ruins of the royal palace complex, the sacred quadrangle and the Gal Vihara with its four monumental Buddha figures carved directly from a single granite face. A more compact and navigable site than Anuradhapura and one of the most rewarding half-days […]
Anuradhapura
Sri Lanka’s first royal capital – founded in the 4th century BC, continuously inhabited for over a thousand years and home to the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree, a direct cutting of the original Bodhi Tree planted in 288 BC and the oldest documented living tree on earth. The scale of the dagobas, monasteries and ancient […]
Sigiriya
The 5th-century royal fortress rising 200 metres above the surrounding jungle – a hydraulic water garden at its base still partially functional after 1,500 years, frescoes of celestial maidens painted directly onto the sheer rock face, a mirror wall inscribed with devotional poetry spanning a thousand years and panoramic views across the entire Cultural Triangle […]