Sri Lanka's best cultural experiences

Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean, is famous for its white sand beaches and vast wildlife-filled jungles, but it also has a very rich cultural history. I had endless opportunities for adventure after arriving in Colombo on the west coast, travelling south around the coast and looping back up to the country’s Cultural Triangle in the Central Highlands and North Central Province.

There is a lot to learn about the mystic connection between Buddhism and Hinduism at Sri Lanka's exceptional UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Anuradhapura, Kandy, and Dambulla. 

Here are eight must-see Sri Lankan experiences I recommend adding to your itinerary.

Buddhist Temple

Dambulla Golden Temple

You are literally embarking on a spiritual journey as soon as you arrive in Sri Lanka. This pear-shaped country’s official religion is Buddhism, and taxi driver Saman, who picks me up from Bandaranaike International Airport, is happy to chat about his faith.  His life has been steered by studying the four noble truths, which point to the path to suffering's end.

In the capital city, Colombo, I take off my shoes to enter the 19th-century Gangaramaya Temple complex and find out more about the Buddha, born around 563-483 BCE, and his teachings.  The Sacred Hair Relics that are kept here in the domed stupa are believed to belong to the Supremely Enlightened One because Buddha shaved off his hair as a symbol. Intriguingly, some of the Buddha statues on display have thick curls, while others are bald. The ancient Greeks referred to Sri Lanka as Taprobane because it was a stop along the maritime trade route known as the Silk Road. Guide Nandana says, "Hellenic statues of the god Zeus influenced these curly-haired sculptures." Within Gangaramaya is the ‘floating’ temple of Seema Malaka, the work of Sri Lanka’s celebrated architect, Geoffrey Bawa, created on three platforms on Beira Lake.  It surprises me that it has shrines to Hindu deities, but Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka are open to people of all faiths, and Buddhism and Hinduism are inextricably linked.

Geoffrey Bawa’s designs

The Lunuganga Bawa estate

Architect Geoffrey Bawa (1919-2003) loved views over water and was influenced by colonial and traditional Ceylonese architecture, uniting indoor and outdoor spaces with Tropical Modernism.  In Colombo, his home and studio at No. 11, 33rd Lane, Bagatelle Road can be viewed on pre-arranged guided tours.  In a quiet cul-de-sac, the bright and airy house draws people from all over the world. Over a year in advance, fans book overnight stays in the guest suite. Bawa’s elegant 1934 Rolls-Royce is parked at No. 11 alongside his 1953 Mercedes-Benz (the garage integrated into the house,) and the designer’s presence can still be felt.  I sit in a mid-century Scandinavian white pedestal chair and enjoy afternoon tea served on his innovative concrete dining table. Bawa returned from his global travels with ergonomic furniture finds and used these pieces to inspire his own blueprints.

Lunuganga became his final resting place after Bawa purchased an abandoned 25-acre rubber plantation in Bentota, Sri Lanka, in 1948. This country estate is a lovely place to take a garden tour and have lunch at the terrace restaurant beside aromatic frangipani trees.