Dambulla
The Dambulla Royal Cave Temple was a Buddhist monastery in the times of King Walagamba. These caves have unique wall art which can be only found in these Dambulla Caves. This fantastic cave temple complex is renowned due to its immense historical value. The temple complex is famous for its beautiful paintings and sculptures. There are five caves (shrine rooms) and all of these caves are full of colourful Buddha statues and paintings. Being a UNESCO heritage site, this temple draws tourists and pilgrims from all around the world. The stunning Buddha statues and attractive cave paintings show the Sri Lankan cultural heritage.
Close to Dambulla, Popham Arboretum is one of the exciting places that you should not miss if you are a nature lover. Also, Ibbankatuwa Megalithic tombs, Kaludiya Pokuna, and the Hurulu Forest Reserve are the other places of importance around Dambulla that many tourists love visiting.
There are plenty of good accommodations matching your standard in this area: from friendly guest houses to beautiful top-class hotels and stunning Boutiques.
Ritigala Forest Monastery
One of the still-standing forest monasteries in Sri Lanka is Ritigala. Hiking to the Ritigala Monastery with an expert guide gives you the perfect reflection from the past as to how monks used to live, meditate, and maintain their lifestyles.
The Ritigala mountain range is the highest mountain in northern Sri Lanka and is surrounded by many mysteries and folklore. One of the more popular beliefs is that Lord Hanuman accidentally dropped a chunk of medicinal herbs he was carrying back from the Himalayan Mountain to Sri Lanka to help Lord Rama’s brother, Prince Lakshman, who was wounded during a battle. This story accounts for the pocket of vegetation of healing herbs and plants at the strange mini-plateau at the summit of Ritigala, distinct from the dry-zone flora of the lower slopes and surrounding plains. Hike through the Ritigala forest monastery that spreads across 700 acres of land. Home to forest monks who lived a simple way of life removed from the material world back in the day, Ritigala has since been abandoned. Shaded by a thick canopy of jungle and stone pathways built into existing rocks, Ritigala is unlike any other experience. The incline to the peak of the mountain is gradual and is surrounded by sites of ruins of structures that were once used by the monks.
