Things to see and do
This small island of only 270 km long and 140 km wide has the most diverse activities to do on your gap year in Sri Lanka. Each activity will be an unforgettable experience you will take home with you. The following list has suggestions made by former gap year volunteers:
- Kandy: The second largest city in Sri Lanka has many sights to offer - botanical gardens, Temple of the Tooth, Kandy Lake and the Udawattakelle Sanctuary. Check our section on Kandy to plan your own gap year travel.
- Dambulla: The Dambulla cave temples are about 2,000 years old and contain hundreds of statues and wall paintings of Lord Buddha. It is a remarkably peaceful environment, save for the mangy monkeys chattering loudly outside the caves.
- Temples around Manikhinna: Ask Dhammalokha (the head monk at Manikhinna) to set up a trip for you to see the temples in his area. There are at least a dozen worth visiting, some are comparable to Dambulla in their history and artwork but as a gap year volunteer you will be one of the first tourists ever to see them.
- Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage: Pinnawela, about 80 km northeast of Colombo, is regarded as the biggest herd of captive elephants in the world. This is a refuge for orphaned and abandoned elephants set in a 24 acre land. A definite must do when you are on your gap year in Sri Lanka.
- Sigiriya: The ruins of a fortress built on a large mountain with spectacular views.
- Unawatuna: A great spot if you decide to go to the South coast for a weekend away from your gap year volunteer project. To get there, take the bus or train from Kandy to Colombo and then from Colombo to Unawatuna. It is a 6-hour journey, but since the tsunami we have been encouraging any willing gap year volunteers to travel to the south, even for brief trips, to support the recovering tourist industry.