Things to do in Matale

A cave temple among great boulders where the Buddhist Pali Canon was first committed to writing in the 1st century BC.

Roadside herbal and spice gardens where guides walk you through cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg and Ayurvedic plants.

A small, complete ancient stone temple blending Buddhist and Hindu architecture, near the geographic centre of Sri Lanka.

A montane grassland plateau ending abruptly at a sheer cliff drop known as Mini World's End.

A windswept viewpoint on the western edge of the Knuckles Range, with sweeping views over montane grasslands and valleys.

A strikingly clear man-made lake ringed by pine forest and hills in the highlands above Elkaduwa.

A 5th-century royal citadel atop a 200-metre granite monolith, famous for its frescoes, mirror wall and lion-paw gateway.

A vividly painted Hindu temple in the town centre with a towering gopuram covered in hundreds of Dravidian figures.