Dambulla Rock Cave Temple

The amazing Dambulla cave temple complex is the most impressive and awe-inspiring example of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist, cultural and ancient royal heritage to be found anywhere in the country. The murals and statues in the five main caves—there are more than 80 caves in the area, including those of the 525ft (160m) rock tower—are a venerated World Heritage Site. As well as 153 Buddha statues, three of Sri Lankan kings and four of gods and goddesses, and two of Hindu gods Vishnu and Ganesh, there are 23,000sq ft (2,100sq m) of exquisite painted murals. The Dambula caves were also home to prehistoric Sri Lankans long before the arrival of Buddhism on the island, with burial sites containing 2,700-year-old human skeletons adding to the history of Dambula.