It was a lunch invitation and Dambulla is a long drive from Colombo. So we left home early in the morning around 2 am and reached the hotel by 5.30 am, as the groom to be our friend Indika wanted us to be there early. Yes we were stopped by the traffic police closer to Kurunegala due to violation of speed limits. Well, we did bribe the police officer; else it could have been another trip to Kurunegala to collect the driving license.
After the wedding we start our journey to Kandy. We drove to Kandy through A9 – Kandy Jaffna Highway: Dambulla, Naula, Madawala, katugasthota, Kandy.
Road throughNaula, Matale is breathtaking. You need to stop for a while to enjoy the environment, fresh air, flora & fauna.
It was dark by the time we reached Kandy. A friend of ours arranged us a room right above the Kandy Lake. But we didn’t like it. Still since was late & didn’t want to make our friend unhappy either, so we decided to spend one night over there. We had dinner at Dinemore with our friend & his family.
Day01
First thing next morning, we checked in to our planned room. It was a great place.
Plan for the day was to visit some old temples in Pilimatalaawa; a small town about 10 km away from Kandy, a village famous for Traditional Brassware.
Galadeniya
- A Temple built by king Wickramabahu in 1344 during Gampola Kingdom time.
- Temple is located in a small hilltop, but easily climb from the main road. If you are coming by a small vehicle like a car or a van, you can just drive up.
- This temple has some features of the south Indian architecture. The 638-year-old jak wood doors still exhibit their original paintings.
- A fine example of a Buddhist-Hindu shrine of the fourteenth century.
Embekke
- The columns, pillar and doors are decorated with wood carving and even the roof was done with the special design. Specialty is that they use wood for everything, without any metal parts. Nails are wooden nails too.
Then in the night, we went to the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Day 2
We hiked in Hanthana, beautiful delightful set of hill tops which are stunning with lush panoramic views. A good hike for a beginner
In the evening we were tired & rested in the room.
Day 3
We drove back to Colombo; Kandy Peradeniya, Kadugannawa, Mawanella, Kegalle, Bulath kohupitiya, Avissawella, Kosgama, Maharagama
On the way we visited Gatambe temple and stopped at Kadugannawa to enjoy the view.
