Ask the uninitiated about Sri Lanka, and they’ll likely come up with “tea” and “cricket”. After all, it’s almost impossible to have enjoyed a nice cuppa without noticing where those cherished leaves originated from, or to have even a passing interest in the “gentleman’s game” without knowing that the onetime British colony got rid of the colonisers but clung feverishly to their national sport. And yet, while visitors to Sri Lanka can certainly enjoy an authentic cup of Ceylon tea or catch some quality cricket played in a stadium or on the street, this “jewel of the Indian Ocean” has so much more to offer the more adventurous traveller.
With hundreds of miles of often-scenic railways – another legacy of colonial rule – and a well-developed, if at times impressively potholed, road network, this compact island invites visitors to give the picturesque beaches and luxury hotel chains a break, and venture into its historic temples, sprawling wildlife sanctuaries, and charismatic, bustling cities.
1 DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLE
Sri Lanka has no fewer than eight properties inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and one of the most important is the mind-blowing cave-temple complex at Dambulla in the country’s centre. If you only visit one temple in Sri Lanka, make it the Dambulla Cave Temple.
Dating back to the first century BCE, the cave monastery has been transformed over the centuries by local kings and forest-dwelling Buddhist monks into one of the largest and most outstanding Buddhist complexes in the Southern and South Eastern Asian region. While there are more than 80 known caves in the surrounding area, the major attractions are concentrated in five cave shrines containing various statues and murals.
It is said that Valagamba, a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, sought refuge in the caves after he was overthrown by a rebellion and an invasion from South India. After 15 years, he organised a large army to attack Anuradhapura and defeat Dathika, the last of the invading Tamil leaders. The story goes that to show his gratitude to the monks that sheltered him, the king had the caves enlarged and embellished. Subsequent kings further improved the temples, Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa gilding the caves and adding around 70 Buddha statues in 1190. The caves were enhanced with arched colonnades and gabled entrances in the 20th century.
The temple’s five caves contain three statues of kings and four of gods and goddesses, but it’s the Buddha statues, numbering more than 150, that really impress foreign visitors as well as hold great significance for the locals, many of which come to Dambulla to pray. The biggest cave, the Cave of the Great Kings, is huge, measuring a little over 50 metres from east to west, nearly 25 metres from front to back, and some seven metres tall at its highest point. Here, you’ll find statues of Valagamba
