Sri Lanka, like many colonial countries, has a great mix of cultures, architecture, and history. And each of these aspects is divided into three parts: ancient (before colonial time) times, colonial times, and independent times. To dive into the country’s culture you need to learn about all of these times and that is how your adventure in Sri Lanka should start as well.
In the middle of the island is Kandy – the ancient capital of the old kings. It was the center of the Kingdom of Kandy and the last independent kingdom on the island after the Portugese invaders arrived on the coast of Sri Lanka. Here is where I started my adventure through the heart of Sri Lanka, and recommend you do as well.
Note: Getting to Kandy from Colombo is best done by train, which is extremely easy to do. The train system is quite good throughout the whole country.
Kandy – The Ancient Capital Of Sri Lanka
The most important site in Kandy is The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The temple is a former residence of the old kings of the kingdom of Kandy and nowadays it is a UNESCO site. There are a few old beliefs about the relic. The main one is that whoever has the relic has the power to rule the country.
Another place which is not of the same importance, but is extremely beautiful, is the temple of Buddha or the Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue. It is located on one of the tallest hills in the city and offers a magnificent view of Kandy. To get there you can go by a tuk tuk or by walking yourself. Although you should know that you will need to bring a lot of water, wear comfortable shoes, and that it is best to start your climb when the sun isn’t high.
To dive deeper into the culture don’t stay at the luxury hotels. It might be comfortable, but you won’t get the same experience as when you are staying with a local family, eating food that they cooked for you like authentic chicken devel, listening to their stories, and learning their ways.
Sigiriya – A Royal City A top A Rock
Since you came to Kandy to explore the real Sri Lanka, find a local taxi driver and negotiate a price for a day trip to Sigiriya rock. On top of Sigiriya rock, or the Lion Rock as it is also known, was built a king’s (king Kashyapa) residence. It was used as a buddist temple after the king’s death.
The climb to the top of Sigiriya will take a while and will be quite tiring, but the amazing view is worth the walk. But that is not the only location you need to visit on this day trip, there is also the Pidurangala rock and Dambulla Cave Temple.
Pidurangala rock is located a few kilometers away from Sigiriya and it is a more adventurous experience. There is of course a nice walking path to the top of Pidurangala rock with steps and trails, but it ends around 2\3 of the way up. From here you’ll need to do a bit of scrambling to reach the top. Be prepared to jump, get scratched, and even injured if you are not paying attention to where you are going (it can be very slippery). The top of Pidurangala is quite smooth and way bigger than you would imagine. And you have probably guessed by now, that right at the top of this rock you will get a great view of Sigiriya.
Dambulla Cave Temple – Hundreds Of Buddhas Inside A Mountain
I know that you probably think: “great, Dambulla Cave Temple, sounds like I don’t need to climb up anymore”, but that is not the case. The Cave temple is located on another mountain, quite high and steep I must say. If you are going to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple on a rainy day then be extremely focused and careful. At the top of the hill for some reason the steps seem to dissolve into the rock and there is a very smooth and slippery section that you have to climb or you’ll fall down.
You may think that I am exaggerating, but I am not. On my way to the Dambulla temple, on a rainy day at that very spot, I basically went down the slope while standing on my own two feet. That is how slippery it can get. And for anyone who is scared of heights like myself that was quite terrifying.
Once you are inside the temple (and remember like all the Buddist temples you cannot enter the temple wearing shoes) you will see a big courtyard that takes you around the upper part of the mountain. There you’ll find a long white building that you might think is a temple, but it is actually just a nice entrance to the caves. Once inside the caves you will see statues of Buddha along with amazing writing and images on the walls and ceiling of the caves. Maybe because of the rainy day or how difficult it was to get to the temple, but the whole place seemed extremely dramatic and at the same time very spiritual.
Nuwara Eliya – British Colonial Time And The Sri Lanka Tea Industry
Nuwara Eliya was the favorite city of the British when they came to Sri Lanka, and as it happens they also established this city. There were a few reasons to choose this location:
- Nuwara Eliya is the coolest region of Sri Lanka, which was more similar to Great Britain.
- The altitude of this place allows farmers to grow the best kind of tea. Even nowadays Nuwara Eliya is the most important region for the tea industry. Unfortunately, due to the cool weather or difficulty to get to, many tourists often skip this town.
To get to Nuwara Eliya you can and should go by train. Yes, the famous Kandy to Ella train that everyone talks about. This is in fact the train that many want to get great photos hanging out of the train door. What many tourists miss is that the whole train ride is just fantastic.
The entire experience of this train ride is unique and magnificent due to the possibility of hanging out of the train (well, of course, where in Europe are you allowed to do that)?
You will see amazing scenery of charming green tea fields, thick forests and sometimes waterfalls. Throughout the ride you will constantly stare out the window afraid to blink and miss some unbelievable beauty of natural wildness.
Between Kandy and Ella the train conveniently stops at Nuwara Eliya. You can stay here a day or half a day but do not skip this place. It is such an important place to learn about British Colonial times and the tea industry that completely changed Sri Lanka.
In Nuwara Eliya you need to explore the city, tea fields and a few waterfalls that are around this area. In the city you can walk through Victoria Park and exit not far from the old post office (they say it is the oldest post office in Sri Lanka). And of course visit the luxury Grand hotel, a great example of Victorian architecture. You can simply get a tea at the terrace of this hotel, they do have a great selection.
To explore the tea fields and find hidden waterfalls you can do so by talking to a local taxi driver and negotiating a few hours trip with him. The driver will take you to some of the tea factories and the best spots with an amazing view of the tea fields. The local taxi drivers know all the great places to visit. One of the great spots I went to was the Ramboda waterfall. It is quite a hidden place and you would never find it on your own.
The drivers will usually drop you at the bottom of the hill next to the river. What you need to do is take a path up the hill (long and difficult) and although you may feel that you will never find this waterfall, you will. I have one word for it – “magnificent”. All that hard work was rewarded with a beautiful waterfall and a charming hidden lake.
You can swim or just enjoy the view; it is entirely up to you. However due to the high altitude the water can be quite cold. From the end of the trail to the open space with a lake you will have to climb through some slippery rocks. Be careful to not to hurt yourself and also to not to destroy your electronics by dropping them into the water.
Ella And The Nine Arch Bridge
When it is time to leave Nuwara Eliya just take the same train route and continue your journey on the “Kandy to Ella” train. Ella will be your next stop of course.
It is interesting that Ella is quite a recent addition to tourist’s bucket lists. It is quite a small town with not a lot to do, except for admiring nature and visiting the Nine Arch Bridge.
Ella has become a very special place for me personally, and it is not because of how pretty the area is, but because of the people we met. As usual we stayed at a local guesthouse, which was quite far from the center of the city. But the best part was that it overlooked the Nine Arch Bridge – exactly what we wanted.
There we met Mister Winston who was our host and cook. He was just the best. Every day he taught us how to make Sri Lankan national dishes. And he wasn’t just explaining, he actually allowed us to work with him in the kitchen. The food of course was fantastic and his kindness and good sense of humor was a big part of our Sri Lanka impression. While at night we had great dinners, during the day we explored Ella.
My advice for you is to start your full day not at the Nine Arch Bridge, but at Little Adam’s Peak. It is a hiking spot with an amazing view of Ella Rock. The hike will take you an hour or two, or three (like me). It all depends on how you will start your adventure. The problem is that if you are going to walk by yourself and use Google Maps, you probably will get lost, as did me and a few other people I met along the way.
There are two trails that you can take. The one that is shown on Google Maps as the right one will take you all the way through the tea plantation (which is absolutely beautiful and I didn’t regret getting lost, except for feeling a bit stupid) to the bottom of the hill, but there is no way to hike it from that side.
The hike to Little Adam’s Peak is quite easy and at the top there is a local person that sells water. The price is a bit higher, but the convenience is worth the money.
In the afternoon you can relax by going down to the Nine Arch Bridge, sitting in the shade with a coconut, and waiting for the train to pass so you can take some great photos. There are a few scheduled times when the train is passing by, although due to unexplained reasons there are times the train does not come and everyone leaves disappointed. That is another reason to stay close to the bridge and not in the center of the city.
Even if you plan to spend most of your Sri Lanka trip by the beaches, I highly recommend adventuring into hill country and getting a more authentic Sri Lanka experience.