Pidurangala Rock and Dambulla Royal Cave Temple

The most beautiful view in Sri Lanka – Pidurangala Rock

Pidurangala Rock has offered us one of the finest landscapes we have seen in Sri Lanka, this landscape being at the end of a trail of just a few minutes. Although we knew we were going to have a wonderful view, we did not expect that it will actually be much better than what in any picture. But let’s start with the beginning, how we got here, where we stayed and what we visited.

We stayed in Dambulla, which is very close to Pidurangala Rock and Sigiriya Rock. (which is the main attraction in the area). We arrived in Dambulla from Negombo (the city where the airport is located) after a bus journey that lasted a few hours.

Why did we choose Pidurangala Rock, to the detriment of Sigiriya Rock? Positioning wise, they are next to each other. Below we compared the two tourist attractions:

Pidurangala Rock vs. Sigiriya Rock

1. View – The first criterion is won by Pidurangala Rock. It is more beautiful from Pidurangala than from Sigiriya. This conclusion came after studying several blogs and vlogs from both locations. If you climb Sigiriya Rock, you will not enjoy such a beautiful view as from Pidurangala Rock. But we can bet that once you get to Pidurangala Rock you will have a moment when you will not believe what you see.
2. The second criterion, to which Pidurangala also won, is the ticket price. If for Pidurangala Rock you pay about $3, for Sigiriya Rock you pay about $30. Because of this, if you have a lower budget and you are a backpacker with a fixed budget (as we were), then the best option is to go to Pidurangala Rock and enjoy the silhouette of Sigiriya Rock.
3. While Pidurangala Rock wins when it comes to the view, Sigiriya Rock wins detached when it comes to what you can visit at the top. On the way to Pidurandala Rock peak, you have only a small temple that you have to pass by (with no footwear) on your way to the top and also some ruins on the trail. On the other hand, Sigiriya Rock offers you the opportunity to stroll through an extraordinary complex. A complex with gardens, terraces and one of the best-preserved ancient fortresses, that is part of UNESCO’s patrimony since 1982.

4. If you think about how hard it is to get to the top, then both are at equality. While Sigiriya is an organized climb, and the same difficulty is maintained all the way, Pindurangala is another story. In the first half you have steps and a well-defined alley, followed by a second half that is increasingly difficult. The climax of climbing is just before you reach the plateau at the top of the mountain. Here you have to slip under a rock (or jump over a big rock) and have a strong grip. But overall both climbs are just as difficult and take almost the same time.

Dambulla Royal Cave Temple

In Dambulla, we also visited the Royal Cave Temple. Tourists tickets were 1,500 Sri Lankan rupees, and then at the entrance to the yard, you would pay 100 rupees for sarongs. (if you have shorts that do not cover your knees, and if you have sleeveless shirts).

Besides these two taxes, you are forced to leave your shoes in a specially arranged place that also have a tax. We put our slippers near that place (along with other tourists) to find that all the shoes have been moved and that we have to pay … But once we explained the situation and explained that we would not pay anything, they left us alone.

The temple is consists of 7 caves, of different sizes, where you will discover a lot of amazing statues and paintings. A cave was in reconditioning, so we could only enjoy six caves. You will see Buddha represented in 7 positions, we manage to identify only 5 or 6. 😀

Because you are barefoot in the temple, you will have a small problem with the sun that will bring the surface you are walking on to at considerable temperature. That’s why we recommend visiting this temple in the morning and avoiding the lunch hour.