Sri Lanka Sights: Sacred, Colonial, Wild

Sri Lanka’s sights fall into three families, and each one wants a different kind of day: still and respectful, wandering and shaded, or early and outdoors.

Sacred sites

Buddhist temples and stupas are active places of worship. Wear clothing covering shoulders and knees, remove shoes and hats, and walk clockwise around stupas.

  • Dambulla. Five rock-cut caves hold 157 gilded statues and about 2,100 square metres of painted ceilings. Entry is roughly LKR 2,000 to 3,000, so confirm at the gate.
  • Polonnaruwa. A foreign adult ticket is US$30, about LKR 10,000. Gal Vihara has four 12th-century granite Buddhas, including a 14 m reclining figure.
  • Anuradhapura. Also US$30, valid on the day of issue. Three great stupas stand among ruined monasteries, and a bicycle is a calm way to cover them.
  • Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy. LKR 3,000 for foreigners, open 05:30 to 20:00, with ritual offerings at 05:30, 09:30 and 18:30. Footwear and bags are checked and shorts or sleeveless tops are turned away.

Never pose with your back to a Buddha, and cover any Buddha tattoo. Arrest and deportation have followed both, in 2014 at Colombo airport and in 2012 for three French visitors.

Tickets to the main ruins are priced in US dollars and paid in rupees at the gate rate. The Cultural Triangle round ticket for Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and museums lasts 2 months from first use; check prices at the Central Cultural Fund .

Colonial streets

  • Galle Fort. A Portuguese and Dutch walled peninsula with a 1939 lighthouse, Dutch Reformed church and warehouses turned cafes. The ramparts are free to walk.
  • Colombo. Fort and Pettah contrast banking-quarter colonial buildings with bazaars, and the National Museum holds the crown jewels of the last Kandyan king.
  • Kandy Lake. A 3.2 km shaded loop built in 1807.

To add a local explanation to the fort, compare Galle Fort walking tours on GetYourGuide .

Wild places

  • Sigiriya and Pidurangala. Sigiriya is US$35 for foreign adults. Pidurangala is about LKR 1,000 and gives the postcard view of the rock.
  • Minneriya. The elephant gathering peaks from August to October.
  • Udawalawe. Elephants all year, and the nearby Elephant Transit Home is the better choice over Pinnawala, which has faced welfare criticism.
  • Horton Plains. Open from 06:00; be at World’s End before the mist at about 09:30.

Yala blocks close in dry spells, so check with the Department of Wildlife Conservation first.

Timing

Southwest monsoon rain from May to September falls on the south, west and hills, and the northeast monsoon from October to February falls on the north, east and ruins.

The places guide lists more towns to build around.

Verdict: if you can only afford two heritage tickets, take Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa, then spend the savings on a guide at Dambulla.