Dambulla is just 5 hours from the bustling Colombo. Located in the Matale District, Central Province, Dambulla is famous because it houses the Dambulla Cave Temple, the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in the country. This World Heritage Site includes a cave monastery as well as five sanctuaries. There are more than 80 Buddhist caves within 2000 feet of the temple’s premises, but there are five main complexes that have paintings and sculptures of the Lord Buddha, including the beautiful 45-foot sleeping Buddha statue.

Though tourists mostly visit the city just to see these caves, there are other beautiful sights around the city, like the Rose Quartz Mountain, Iron Wood Forest, and the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, which was built in just 167 days. Most travelers combine a visit to Dambulla with a visit to Sigiriya’s ancient rock fortress. This 660-foot column of rock is in the middle of a thick green tropical forest and is called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Everything in Dambulla is reasonably priced, including the delicious authentic Sri Lankan food that is made with generous amounts of herbs and spices.