Herbivore Odyssey: The Golden Temple of Dambulla

We hired a tuktuk for half a day, and set off for Dambulla. Our driver was a good salesman, and was very proud of his deluxe tuktuk with extra room at the back. We paid LKR 1,200 for the half day - although we think we probably paid a bit much.

Our trip from Sigiriya to Dambulla took about 20 minutes. Compared to sleepy Sigiriya, Dambulla was a bustling town, but we passed through on our way to the Golden Temple.

Like many Sri Lankan tourist attractions, the Golden Temple complex was an expensive affair: it cost us LKR 1500/person to get in. One quirk was that one needs to buy tickets underneath the giant golden Buddha before ascending the many steps to the cave complex. While your ticket is checked at the top, you can't buy tickets there.

We bought our tickets and began walking up the hill. On the way we made friends with monkeys and dogs. They were pretty friendly and didn't appear dangerous at all. But you need to be careful as sometimes the groups of monkeys will fight each other near the stair on the way up to the Cave.

To get to the cave we needed to climb 300++ step. There are beautiful views around. We tried to walk off the track and take some good pictures.

Because July is a hot month here, don't forget to keep your hat and bring a bottle of water.

Ther Rock Temple at Dambulla is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It dates back to the first century BC and contains no fewer than 157 images of Buddha. Mostly these are in amazing condition, given their immense age.

The caves themselves were cool, dark and quiet. You're not allowed to turn your back on Buddha when taking photos, so selfies are out of the question. There are some good photos to be had though, although you need to turn the flash off on your camera.

Here we tried to take our pic and follow the rules. You can try our pose too.

Mrs. H love this place because it was full of coloured statues. The style reminded her of the Tibetan style of buddhism. And the way that people so long ago carved and drew on the cave walls is so amazing. Just imagine what kind of paint they use in the past!