Things to do in Arugam

Scenery: Don't have too high expectations; the infrastructure isn't great, as shown in the pictures. Fun: Quite fun. Value for money: Very good; the price is reasonable, a must-do for tour groups. Suitable for group tours.

Fantastic visit and the highlight of our 1 day tour from Colombo. There is a water station halfway if you need to refill your bottle and on less busy days there is some limited shade at the top. Breathtaking views from the top.

Kandy Lake, nestled in the heart of Kandy, Sri Lanka, is a serene and picturesque destination perfect for a leisurely stroll. Surrounded by lush greenery and historic sites, the lake offers breathtaking views, especially at sunrise and sunset. The peaceful atmosphere, diverse birdlife, and charming lakeside benches make it an ideal spot to relax. While the walk around the lake is pleasant, occasional traffic noise can be a minor drawback. Overall, it’s a must-visit for nature lovers.

We visited Minneriya hoping to see the famous elephant gatherings, but there were surprisingly few. The park’s terrain is mostly forested, with limited open plains for wildlife viewing. In contrast, Yala National Park offered a much richer experience with more wildlife sightings, including elephants.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage offers a unique chance to see rescued elephants up close. Watching them bath in the river was a highlight. Arrive early to avoid crowds and get the best views from nearby cafés. Such a memorable experience!

“The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy is a sacred Buddhist site with beautiful architecture and deep cultural significance. It houses the relic of Lord Buddha’s tooth and offers a peaceful, spiritual experience. The evening prayer ceremony is a highlight. A must-visit for those interested in history and culture.”

If you want to learn about the history of Sri Lanka this is a great place to start. The museum shows pre-historic finds and the earliest civilization of Sri Lanka as well as the Colonial era and the history or resistance to those colonial powers. As a history teacher I really enjoyed the museum.

The Dambulla Caves, a world cultural heritage, is the largest, most famous and best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. A half-day tour of the caves was arranged, and 4 impressions are still fresh in my memory. 1. The antiquity of the caves. The Dambulla Caves were built in 89 BC (some say 1st-2nd century AD), earlier than the Mogao Caves built in 366 AD in my country. After more than a thousand years of unremitting efforts, a spectacular pattern of 5 caves connected to each other was formed between the rock walls on the hillside of the giant stone (186 meters high). 2. The beauty of the statues. The 2,100 square meters of murals and 157 Buddha statues in the caves are all treasures of Buddhist art. The most beautiful murals. The Buddha murals in Cave No. 2-Great King Cave, from the cave ceiling to the cave wall, are completed in one go, and are magnificent. The most beautiful statues. The 14-meter-long reclining Buddha in Cave No. 1-Heavenly King Cave is huge in size, peaceful in expression, and graceful in lines. 3. Fun of monkeys. It takes more than 20 minutes to walk up the mountain road with more than 400 steps from the foot of the mountain to the cave. All the way up, the view is wide, the air is fresh, and monkeys can be seen everywhere in groups, playing, being coy, or exercising, which are very cute. The locals told us: the reason for depositing shoes is not to prevent people from stealing, but to prevent monkeys from snatching them. 4. Pain in feet. You can only enter the cave after taking off your shoes to show your piety. The hot sand and the stones hurt your feet. My feet hurt so much... No one ever reminded me to wear thick socks.

The holy city of Kandy, also known as Mahanuwara, is located in the capital of Sri Lanka's Central Province. It is the second largest city in Sri Lanka and one of Sri Lanka's cultural triangles. Kandy is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has beautiful scenery. UNESCO has listed Kandy as a cultural heritage and included it in the World Heritage List. The Millennium Temple of the Tooth Relic, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kandy Lake, and the Kandy National Museum are worth visiting...