Dambulla Cave Temple
Group of caves in a large rock, filled with painted ceilings and many Buddha statues. It has been a place of worship for over two thousand years and is a UNESCO site.
Sigiriya
Rising from the jungle, this ancient rock fortress belongs to the Cultural Triangle, and Dambulla's cave temples are close by.
Attractive locations
Pidurangala Rock
Rock with an old Buddhist temple at its base. A steep climb leads to a summit with a clear view across to Sigiriya rock and the forest.
Minneriya National Park
Park around a large reservoir, known for gatherings of wild elephants on its shores in the dry season. Visits are by jeep safari.
Gal Vihara
Rock temple at Polonnaruwa with four large Buddha figures carved from a single granite face, including a reclining one. The carvings are from the 12th century.
Avukana Buddha Statue
Tall standing Buddha carved from a rock face, more than ten metres high and over a thousand years old. It stands near an ancient reservoir.
Sigiriya Rock Fortress
A huge rock column rising from the plains, topped by the ruins of a 5th-century royal palace. The climb passes painted frescoes, a mirror wall and the lion-paw gateway.
Polonnaruwa
The ruins of Sri Lanka's medieval capital, with brick temples, a circular relic house, palace remains and giant rock-cut Buddhas. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Airports
China Bay Airport TRR
It is about 80 km in a straight line from Sigiriya.
Batticaloa International Airport BTC
It is about 105 km in a straight line from Sigiriya.
Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport CMB
It is about 129 km in a straight line from Sigiriya.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Sri Lanka page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan24.0 °C91 mm
- Feb25.1 °C72 mm
- Mar27.0 °C86 mm
- Apr28.1 °C145 mm
- May27.6 °C114 mm
- Jun27.2 °C42 mm
- Jul27.2 °C38 mm
- Aug27.3 °C55 mm
- Sep27.3 °C87 mm
- Oct26.6 °C230 mm
- Nov25.3 °C273 mm
- Dec24.4 °C238 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Oct, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 29% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 119. Ambulance 1990. Tourist police hotline 1912.
local government
Sri Lanka Tourist Police
Helps with: Sri Lanka Tourism's emergency page lists a Tourist Police number in Colombo for visitors, alongside the national police emergency hotline 118 / 119.
Who qualifies: Tourists and other visitors in Sri Lanka.
Phone: 011-2421052
local government
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA)
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national tourism authority. Its tourism hotline 1912 gives visitor information, and its website links to a tourist complaints page.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Sri Lanka or planning a trip there.
Phone: 1912
Email: [email protected]
Address: No. 80, Galle Road, Colombo 03
local government
Suwasariya ambulance service (1990)
Helps with: A national ambulance service that Sri Lanka's tourism authority lists for tourists. Dial 1990 for an ambulance.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Sri Lanka, including tourists, who needs an ambulance.
Phone: 1990
ngo
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national Red Cross society. Its national headquarters is in Colombo, with contacts for 25 district branches listed on its site.
Who qualifies: People in Sri Lanka who need to reach the Red Cross national headquarters or a district branch.
Phone: +94 11 2694487
Address: 106, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 7
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Sri Lanka
Helps with: The UN migration agency's country office in Colombo. Contact it about migration matters in Sri Lanka.
Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +94 11 2112 600
Email: [email protected]
Address: 9th Floor, Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka Building, No. 80A, Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 08
embassy
Foreign embassies and high commissions in Sri Lanka (official list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy or high commission. The Sri Lankan foreign ministry's Diplomatic Corps page lists missions in Colombo with addresses and phones.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or high commission.
local government
Disaster Management Centre (DMC)
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national disaster management centre. Its call centre 117 is the public line for disasters, and it runs an emergency operation centre.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Sri Lanka affected by a disaster or reporting one.
Phone: 117