A nice place to relax in busy and crowded Colombo. Diyatha Uyana is located in Polduwa Junction of Battaramulla town, just next to the Water’s Edge hotel. It is constructed on a marshy lands on the banks of the Diyawanna Oya. The park gives opportunity for visitors to hang around, have chats and even for jogging as there are jogging paths. You can go on boat ride and also there is floating restaurant which you can reserve for private functions.  The floating restaurant can accommodate 36 to 55 persons. Many people visit Diyata Uyana in evening hours. There number of good food stalls Read more...

The Jetavanaramaya is one of the Eight Sacred places known as “Atamasthana”. It is located in the Sacred City of Anuradhapura in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The Jetavanarama Stupa was built by King Mahasen (276-303).   During the reign of King Mahasen, this has become a center of Sagalika sect (also it is said that the Sagalika sect has started in Jetavanaramaya). This stupa was rehabilitated for the last time by King Parakramabahu in the 12th century. It is believed that this stupa has enshrined a part of a sash or belt tied by the Lord Buddha. Read more...

The Adisham Bungalow or Adisham Hall is located about 3km away from Haputale town, Badulla district. It is a  monastery run by Benedictine Monks. The bungalow attracts every eye that falls on it. This place was created by Sir Thomas Lister Villiers, came to Ceylon as a trainee on Elbedde Estate, Bogawantalawa. Visit http://www.adisham.org for more information. Read more...

Meemure is a village in Kandy district in Central province of  Sri Lanka. It is located near the border between Kandy District and Matale District in the Knuckles Mountain Range. The village is rich with natural beauty. The Lakegala mountain, which is part of the Knuckles Mountain Range is also located in Meemure. According to the legend, Lakegala is the place King Ravana landed his historical airplane called Dandu Monara. Read more...

Ridi Viharaya (which has the English meaning of “Silver Temple”) is a Buddhist temple located in Ridigama, in Kurunegala District of North Western Province. The history of this temple is dates back to the reign of King Dutugemunu (161 BC to 137 BC).  A silver (in Sinhala; “Ridi”) ore deposit found in this place has provided the funds for the construction of the Ruwanwelisaya Stupa. In return, King Dutugemunu has built this Ridi Viharaya on the same location where the silver ore deposit was located. The gold-plated Buddha statue, which has been brought from India also a donation of the Read more...

This is another beautiful creation of mother nature. The height of the Doowili Ella Waterfall is 63 feet and it is part of the Walawe River. The waterfall is located in the Kalthota area of Ratnapura District in Sabaragamuwa Province.  The term “Doowili” (in Sinhalese) has the meaning of dust. It is believed that the name “Doowili” is given due to the vapor spread out in the vicinity of the area by the waterfall. Read more...

This building has been identified as the Council Chamber of King Nissankamalla (1187 – 1196 A.D.). An inscription on the lion figure made of the stone itself identifies as the throne of the king. And the inscriptions on the pillars indicate the seating arrangement of the respective ministers and state officials. This Council Chamber is located in the Dipauyana premises in Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. You can access it through the Archaeological Museum or by the footpath (Royal Palace Pathway)  which is starting in front of the entrance to the main archaeological site. Read more...

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a Sacred Bo-Tree in the Mahamewna Gardens, Anuradhapura District, North Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is said to be the southern branch of the historical Sri Maha Bodhi at Buddha Gaya in India under which Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment. Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi was brought to Sri Lanka by the Theri Sangamitta, daughter of Emperor Asoka, and was planted in the Mahamewna Gardens in Anuradhapura in 288 BC by King Devanampiyatissa. Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with known planting date. Today it is one of the Read more...

Kaudulla National Park was designated as a national park on April 1, 2002. It is located in the Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province Sri Lanka. The park is spread over 6,900 hectares. You can reach the park by Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Trincomalee highway and it is around 190km away from Colombo. The Minneriya National Park, another park where you will find the Elephants in large numbers are also located close to this park. However, Kaudulla is less crowded compared to Minneriya and therefore some tourists prefer to visit Kaudulla. Kaudulla is another great place to see elephants in their natural Read more...

Gadaladeniya temple is an ancient Buddhist temple located in the Pilimathalawa area in Kandy District of Central Province, Sri Lanka. The temple was done by king Bhuvanekabahu IV ( reigned from 1341 to 1351) in 1344. According to the historical evidence, the temple was done by a South Indian architect named Ganesvarachari. Therefore, the temple has built according to the South Indian tradition. External Links Department of Archaeology Read more...

Korathota Raja Maha Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Kaduwela, Colombo District of Sri Lanka. This temple, which dates back to 2000 years, is one of the few ancient temples found in the Western Province, sited on the top of a mountain next to the Belungala Rock in Kaduwela. This temple boasts of having the oldest and longest cave inscriptions in the Colombo district. Enter your current location in the search box below the map to find the best route to the Korathota Raja Maha Viharaya. Click here to find a list of accommodations around Kaduwela, Sri Lanka. Read more...

Bambarakiri Ella is located beside the Matale – Illukkumbura-Pallegama Road. When you are approaching Riverston peak or Knuckle Conservation Forest from Matale side along this road, the waterfall is on the right-hand side and it is only 6km away from Rattota Town. The waterfall is popular among local tourist and it is one of the location they wait to refresh and have bath when they are coming back from the Riverston tour. Read more...

Kandy Lake (Bogambara Weva) is located in the heart of the Kandy City next to Sri Dalanda Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth). It was built in 1807 by king Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe.   Read more...

Gregory Lake is one of the main tourist attractions in Nuwara Eliya city. The lake was built during the period of British Governor William Gregory in 1873. You can experience a boat ride or you can hire a Swan paddle boat. This is a nice place to have an evening walk. Read more...

Polonnaruwa Vatadage belongs to the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. It is a structure which is built encircling the stupa for protection. It is believed that the structure was built during the reign of King Parakramabahu I (1123–1186) to hold the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. However, this has been renovated during the reign of King Nissanka Malla (1187 – 1196). One of the four Buddha statues on the upper platform This is the most famous Vatadage among the other Vatadage structures found in Sri Lanka. It has two stone platforms and only single entrance is there to access the lower platform. Read more...

Eth Pokuna or Elephant Pond is a huge man-made ancient pond located in the Sacred City of Anuradhapura District in North Central Province. It is 52.7 m in width and 159 m in length. The depth of the pond is about 9.5 m. Supplying of water to the pond has been done by underground channels from the Periyakulam Tank. These water-supplying channels are still in working condition even after hundreds of years. The pond is surrounded by a number of ruins belongs to the Abhayagiri Monastery. Therefore this pond also may be built for the use of monks belongs to Read more...

This image house is located in the Dalada Maluwa premises in Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Although it is known as Thuparama Image House, the ancient name or the builder is not known. The image house is categorized as Gedige type as its walls and the roof is completely built with bricks. This is the only monument among those in Polonnaruwa where the roof is well preserved. A large seat thought to be the base of a giant seated Buddha statue can be seen inside the image house. The ornamentation of the exterior walls shows the influence of the Read more...

According to the inscriptions found, this pillared structure has identified as the Nissanka Latha Mandapaya. It is located in the place known as Dalada Maluwa in Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. This building was constructed by the King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 A.D.). According to an inscription, this is the place where the King Nissankamalla listened to Pirith Chanting (a recitation or chanting of the word of the Lord Buddha). The building is surrounded by a stone railing and the entrance is also protected by a stone doorway. The stone pillars in this building are a unique design. These pillars are Read more...

Pigeon Island National Park is one of the two marine national parks of Sri Lanka. It is located in 1km off the coast of Nilaveli in Trincomalee District in Eastern Province and the total area is 47,429 hectares. You can reach the island by 15 minutes boat ride from the Nilaveli beach. The coastal length of the island is 8.34km. In 1963 it was designated as a sanctuary and redesignated as a National Park in 2003. The name of the Island “Pigeon” was derived from the Rock Pigeons which colonized it. This national park contains some of the best remaining Read more...

Pidurangala Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist monastery located in the Matale District of Central Province, Sri Lanka. The monastery was built by the King Kashyapa (473-495 CE) to relocate monks who were residing in Sigiriya rock before the construction of the fortress.  Also, it is believed that this monastery has been served as the royal monastery during the reign of King Kashyapa. Pidurangala is a massive rock similar to Sigiriya, said to be just four feet short of the height of Sigiriya. From certain places at a distance, one can see the view of both Sigiriya and Pidurangala. Surrounding the Pidurangala Read more...

Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya is one of the greatest ancient Buddhist monasteries located in the Hambanthota District in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. The history of the monastery dates back to 2nd century BC. It is believed that this place was built by King Kawanthissa ( 205–161 BC). According to Buddhist literature, this place was a center for Buddhist education for Buddhist monks, and once there had been 12,000 arhat monks around this location. Many caves, temples, images, houses, stupas, and ponds located around this large area bear witness to this story. Read more...

The Sri Pada mountain (Adam’s Peak/ Samanala Kanda) is venerated by four religions. Accodring to the Sri Lanka’s chronicles, Lord Buddha at his third visit to Sri Lanka, placed his foot imprint on a rock at the top of the mountain on the invitation of God Sumanasaman. Sri Pada is the second highest (height: 2,243m) mountain in Sri Lanka. It is located along the border of Central Province and Sabaragamuwa Province. According to the Survey Department of Sri Lanka, the mountain is belongs to the Ratnapura District of Sabaragamuwa Province. The annual Sri Pada pilgrimage season is begins on Poya Read more...

Atadage was constructed by King Vijayabahu I to place the Sacred Tooth Relic in the 11th century. It is located in Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name “Atadage” has the meaning of “house of eight relics”.  What remains here today are the foundation and 54 stone pillars. The Tooth Relic has been kept on the upper floor made out of wood on top of these stone pillars.   External Links Journey of the Sacred Tooth Relic In Sri Lanka   Read more...

Abhayagiri Stupa is the second-highest stupa in the country and it is located in Anuradhapura District of North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is one also of the Eight Sacred places known as “Atamasthana”. The stupa was built by King Valagamba was also known as Vattagamani Abhaya and Valagambahu in 1st century BC. According to legends, the king has built this stupa to commemorate some incident that happened while he escaping from one fight with Tamil invaders.  According to this legend, a Jain monk called Giri has shouted at the king saying “the great black Sinhalese is fleeing”  while he was passing Read more...