The AncienT
(^) c
iT
ies
The Ancien
T
(^) c
iT
ies
INF
o
r
M
A
tI
o
N
The Ancien
T
(^) c
iT
ies
M
A
tA
l
E
8 Information
Head to Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/
sri-lanka/the-ancient-cities) for planning advice,
author recommendations, traveller reviews and
insider tips.
CULTURAL TRIANGLE TICKETS
t ckets are needed to visit the major Cultural i
t riangle sites as well as a few of the minor ones.
Most are run by the Central Cultural Fund (CCF),
which has a good website (www.ccf.lk).
Round Tickets (which offered substantial sav-
ings) are no longer available. Admission tickets
to the main sites are steep, and cost as follows:
Anuradhapura US$25
Dambulla US$10
Medirigiriya Vihara US$10
Mihintale US$4
Polonnaruwa US$25
Ritigala US$10
Sigiriya US$30
8 Getting Around
t he towns and cities of the Cultural triangle are
well connected by public and private buses, and
in some cases by train. Distances are not great
and most roads are good, so getting around the
main destinations by public transport is relatively
straightforward (although buses can be very
crowded at certain times of day and during hol-
iday periods). Departures between major towns
and tourist sites are fairly frequent.
As always, the easiest way to tour, however, is
with a car and driver. You can reach the area by
train or bus and then arrange for a car and driver
on a daily basis through your accommodation.
For a reliable driver (around rs 6000 per day)
to cover the sites around the Cultural triangle,
and beyond, Let’s Go Lanka (%077 630 2070;
http://www.letsgolanka.com) and Nadee Lanka Tours
(%077 999 8859; http://www.nadeelankatours.com)
are recommended.
three-wheelers are readily available for short
hops, too.Matale
%066 / POP 46,000
This midsize regional city at the heart of
the island lies in a broad, fertile valley at an
elevation of 300m. Matale is a featureless ur-
ban sprawl with a congested one-way system
of roads, so you’re unlikely to want to linger
long. However, the road north of town is
lined with dozens of spice plantations (which
welcome visitors) where vanilla, rubber, cin-
chona, jackfruit, cocoa and cardamom thrive.
The area is also famous for kohila (a type of
watercress) and small, mild chillies.
A drive east through Knuckles Range,
east of Matale, presents some remarkable
mountain views. The B38 heads uphill from
the north end of town to a pass near Ratto-
ta, while other roads head southwest to the
hill villages of Elkaduwa and Karagahandala
before winding down to Kandy and the Vic-
toria Reservoir.SPICE GARDENS
The A9 highway between Matale and Dambulla is famous for its spice gardens, with over 30
dotted along the road. All offer free tours of their gardens with an English-speaking guide
who can explain the merits and health properties of herbs, spices and plants including
cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, coffee, nutmeg, pepper, cardamom, aloe vera,
iriweriya and the henna plant.
Most visitors enjoy the tours and find them educational but note that these spice gardens
are very much commercial operations, surviving on profits from in-house shops that sell
powders and treatments. Some of the prices asked for products range from eye-watering to
rip-off; expect a medium- to hard-sell and some fanciful claims for health properties of the
produce.
Euphoria Spice (%270 9107; http://www.euphoriaspice.com; h8.30am-4pm) Offers very detailed
tours of its spice garden and has a shop selling all kinds of creams, potions and lotions that
are said to help everything from sleeplessness to low sex drive. Staff are welcoming, there’s
a cafe, and cooking demonstrations are also performed. Located 15km north of Matale on
the road to Dambulla.
Heritage Spice & Herbs Garden (%205 5150; 130 Center land, Madawala Ulpotha; h8am-
5pm) With an attractive, shady garden, this spice specialist runs informative tours and has a
cafe for snacks and drinks. Around 15km north of Matale.