Dambulla’s five cave shrines were first used in the 1st century BC and have been in continuous use and renovation ever since. The ceiling murals cover every surface in imagery spanning two thousand years of Buddhist devotion. Cave 2 has the finest paintings, and the light inside is diffused and gentle in the afternoon.
Kandy
Sri Lanka’s last royal capital - still the cultural heart of the island
Kandy carries a weight the other cities don’t quite match - the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic at its centre, the lake beneath the hills, the Kandyan dance tradition and the Esala Perahera in July and August, when the streets fill with elephants, drummers and fire. The Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya are among Asia’s finest.
