Hire a bike and head out to this little-visited ruined monastery. Trails take you past a stupa, the standing monolithic stones of a prayer hall, several rock inscriptions and caves, a small tank and many fabulous trees. It'll likely be only you and the monkeys there.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Gal Vihara
19.61 MILES
Part of Parakramabahu I’s northern monastery, Gal Vihara is a group of beautiful Buddha images that probably marks the high point of Sinhalese rock…
Quadrangle
19.09 MILES
A short stroll north of the Royal Palace ruins, the area known as the Quadrangle is literally that – a compact group of ruins in a raised-up area bounded…
Yapahuwa Rock Fortress
29.16 MILES
The steep ornamental staircase of this dramatic rock fortress is perhaps its finest feature, and once led to the Temple of the Tooth. One of the lions…
Cave Temples
5.93 MILES
The beautiful Royal Rock Temple complex sits about 160m above the road in the southern part of Dambulla. Five separate caves contain about 150 absolutely…
Summit
5.57 MILES
The spectacular terraced summit of the rock covers 1.6 hectares. This is thought to be the site chosen by King Kasyapa for his fortified capital after he…
Lankatilaka
19.46 MILES
One of the most evocative structures in Polonnaruwa, the Lankatilaka temple was built by Parakramabahu I and later restored by Vijayabahu IV. This massive…
Royal Gardens
5.54 MILES
The base of the Sigiriya rock is a beautifully landscaped area dotted with formal water features, terraced gardens and natural boulders that were once…