Aluvihara Rock Cave Temple

Aluvihara Rock Cave Temple (also called Matale Aluviharaya) is located in Matale district, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist temple which history dates back to 3rd Century B.C to the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. The temple is the place where Tripitakas, namely Vinaya Pitakaya (Basket of Discipline), Sutta Pitakaya (Basket of Discourse) and Abhidarma Pitakaya (Basket of Metaphysics) wrote in Ola leaves during the reign of King Walagamba.   The Museum     Balumge    

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.

Sembuwatta Lake is a man made lake situated at Alkaduwa in Matale District of Sri Lanka. The lake is created from natural spring water and it is about 9-12 m deep. At one end of the lake there is a natural swimming pool. Currently the lake belongs to the Elkaduwa Plantations and maintained by the same.

The Riverston peak is a part of the Knuckles Conservation Forest which is the first forest reserve in Sri Lanka. Riverston peak is belongs to Matale District of Central Province, Sri Lanka. The Riverston peak is famous among the visitors due to the high speed wind flow at the wind gap (video bellow will give you some idea about the wind speed). The misty mountains, evergreen forest, beautiful streams, waterfalls and biodiversity present in this forest reserve will surely amaze you.  

Mini World’s End is a deep escarpment located in Pitawala Pathana of Knuckles Conservation Forest. This is another attractive location where you can have panoramic view of nature’s beauty. You can access this location by the easy designated nature trail across the Pitawala Pathana and it is about 750m away from the main road. You can easily access the Pitawala Pathana from Matale – Illukkumbura-Pallegama road and it is 33km away from Matale city. If you are traveling from Matale side,  you will meet Bambarakiri Ella Waterfall and Famous Riverston Peak before Pitawala Pathana.

Nalanda Gedige is a building completely built with stone located in Matale District of Central Province Sri Lanka. The building was estimated to have been constructed between  8th & 10th centuries and has the influence of the Pallava architecture. The building has designed like a Hindu temple. However, the building said to have been used as a temple by Buddhists. The building has richly decorated by stone carvings. Front View Rear View Pavilion Entrance Rock Carvings at Nalanda Gedige Rock Carvings Rock Carvings Rock Carvings Rock Carvings Rock Carvings Rock Carvings Rock Carvings Rock Carvings

Dambulla Cave Temple or the Golden Temple of Dambulla can be considered as the best-preserved largest Buddhist art gallery belongs to the Kingdom of Kandy. And it has been a sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries. Also, it is the largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. According to the legend, these caves were initially developed as a temple by the king Walagamba (in 1st century BCE). The temple is located in Matale District of Central Province. It can be reached by Kandy-Jaffna road ( better known as A9 road). If you are coming from Colombo side it can be easily accessed by Ambepussa-Kurunegala-Trincomalee Road (Use map option on this page to get direction from your current location). Among the number of caves, there are 5 caves which contain the majority of the attractions. The king Nissanka Malla (1187–1196) has gilded these caves and added about 70 Buddha statues in 1190. As a result,  the temple also titled as Golden Temple of Dambulla. There are 157 ancient Buddha statues and other statues in these caves. The caves have been renovated by Kandyan Kings in 18th century. Currently, the caves are decorated with paintings. The paintings in these caves belong to the Kandyan Era, the style of painting proves that. The paintings cover an area of around 2,100 m2 Because of these significances of the temple, the UNESCO has recognized it as a World Heritage Site in 1991.

The Kandalama reservoir is one of the most beautiful ancient reservoirs in Sri Lanka. It is located in Dambulla, in Matale District of Sri Lanka, about 8 km away from the famous Dambulla Cave Temple. The reservoir has been a famous tourist destination for both local and foreign tourist, even during the British colonial period. This is a popular bathing location among local travelers. You can arrange wonderful hot air balloon ride over this site and there few companies who provide the service. The Kandalama reservoir is also a testament to the ancient architectural knowledge of Sri Lanka. it plays a major role in the irrigation and local fishing industry. Click here to find a list of accommodations around Kandalama, Sri Lanka on Booking.com