Last revised on March 7, 2017.

Previous Post: Walking In Sri Lanka’s Hill Country and Cultural Triangle

Early this year, I avoided over three weeks of an unusually bitter Toronto winter by visiting Sri Lanka for the first time. For two weeks, I joined a small group organized by Exodus Travels, a UK small group adventure travel company. I did a walking tour of the island’s hill country (see here for the tour description at the Exodus website).

I followed that up with another week of visiting “the cultural triangle” on my own.

Sri Lanka’s “Cultural Triangle”

I found a fascinating multi-layered society with welcoming people, stunning scenery, and a rich – and yes, somewhat tortured – history.  What follows is a collection of some of what caught my eye as the tour unfolded. Individual posts on various topics will eventually make their way to the blogosphere!  In the meanwhile, click on the first image to enter the slide show format and see why Sri Lanka is back on the list of “must” countries to visit.

Tip: Click on the first image to start the slide show…

Dambulla Cave Temple #1

The Knuckles Range

breakfast on the banks of the Thelgamu Oya

(Knuckles Range) The Thelgamu Oya at dawn

Knuckles Range trail

Knuckles Range pathway

rice field in the Knuckles Range

walkers and ploughman in the Knuckles Range

Mini World’s End – Knuckles Range

the view from the Oruthota Chalets

Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth

candle chamber outside the Temple of the Tooth

devotees lighting candles

Kandy – newsstand

Kandy -traditional dance performer

bamboo trucks

Dickoya tea plantation

near Upper Glencairn Bungalow – Dickoya

gazing at Sri Pada from Dickoya

Dickoya dirt path

Warleigh Church near Dickoya

toursits at dawn on the side of Sri Pada

a dawn view from Sri Pada

Nuwara Eliya park sign

Nuwara Eliya pond

local dog and rejected kibble

Nuwara Eliya street corner

on the way to Horton Plains

Sri Pada from the east

Horton Plains – World’s End view!

World’s End with a bit of cloud

fellow travellers

train at the Pattipola station

Ambewela Railway Station

tea pickers seen from the train to Ella

railway station arrivals

railway bend to Ella

a view from Ella’s Grand Hotel

Ella Rock and the Gap from the Grand Hotel

railway tracks outside of Ella

village shrine in the hills near Ella

Ella Rock summit – custodian!

resident cat at Ella’s Dream Cafe

cricket/volleyball/football field at Ella

looking south from Ella

dagoba on the outskirts of Tissamaharama

Tissa hotel room – deluxe!

Yala National Park – bird

same, same…but different Yala

spotted deer at yala N. P.

elephant at Yala

eagle at Yala

Yala monkey

Yala N.P. elephants

leopard spotting time – dusk at Yala

stupa at Kataragama

Kataragama wall with peacocks

entrance to Kataragama shrine

Buddhist monk residence with flags

fruit offerings for sale

the South Coast

Unawatuna beach

Unawatuna beach

Unawatuna beach from the stupa

a view of Colombo harbour from the Grand Oriental Hotel

bridesmaid and small boy

Check out the Sri Lanka section of the Easy Travelling folder in the header for any of a dozen posts for more on the various places I visited during my too-short stay!