We loved our stay in this very unique luxury boutique hotel near Nuwara Eliya. It’s set high on a hilltop surrounded by tea estates. It was a picturesque approach, even though the sun didn’t appear the entire time we were there! The building used to house the Hethersett Estate Tea Factory, which closed in […]
Blue Field Tea Gardens
It would be challenging to drive through Hill Country and not visit at a tea plantation. Sri Lanka , formerly named Ceylon, is the world’s fourth largest producer of tea after China, India and Kenya. Tea accounts for 15% of the GDP. On our way from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, we stopped at the country’s oldest […]
Kandy
Kandy is the largest city in Central Sri Lanka. It’s notable for being the last capital of the ancient Sinhalese kingdom. We didn’t see a lot of Kandy, but the city’s centerpiece is picturesque Kandy Lake.
Hill Country
Though this region was only a few hours from the Cultural Triangle, it was an entirely different topography, weather and ambiance. We started climbing the windy, steep, narrow roads and marveled at the lush tea plantations, thick foliage and gushing waterfalls. Fog blanketed the region, and the temps were chilly enough to warrant jackets. […]
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa)
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy houses Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic: the Buddha’s tooth (incisor, if you’re curious). This is another USECSO World Heritage Site. This is a must-see for Sri Lankan Buddhists, as worshipping here improves their karmic fate. Offering/prayer sessions occur three times per day. Loud drumming opens the […]
Minneriya National Park
We went on a day safari in Minneriya National Park. The park is part of the elephant corridor that connects Kaudulla and Wasgamuwa National Parks. Visitors can see Asian wild elephant herds all year. I could make this an elephant-only post, but all they did was eat and look at us. Two monkey species live […]
Sigiriya
It’s unsurprising that Sigiriya is UNESCO’s 8th Wonder of the World. It’s a stunning sight – a hardened plug of an eroded volcano rising 200 meters from an unremarkable landscape. Natural cave shelters and rock overhangs hint it was likely inhabited in prehistoric times. It was probably a Buddhist monastery until King Kasyapa built his […]
Gal Vihara
Gal Vihara is a group of Buddha images, likely marking the high point of Sinhalese rock carving. 4 Buddha statues carved into a single large granite slab. They were originally part of the Alahana Pirivena monastic complex. The sockets cut into the rock behind the statues show where wooden beams would have been inserted, giving […]
Polonnaruwa: Hatadage
The Hatadage was originally two stories high, built of stone, brick and wood, with a tiled roof. Three Buddha statues represented past, present and future, though only one remains, standing atop a lotus plinth. Some of the 54 stone pillars remain. It is one of the oldest structures, having been constructed by Vijayabahu (the first […]
Dambulla Royal Rock Temple
Dambulla Royal Rock Temple is a great example of Sinhalese Buddhist art. This temple dates back to the 1st century when King Valagamba was driven out of Anuradhapura by Tamil invaders. He took refuge here for 14 years before regaining the throne and converting the caves to rock temples. Later kings in the 17th and 18th centuries had […]
