Activities in Sri Lanka

Special booking: Escorted clients on a pilgrimage to the Gujarati holy site of Palitana, in northwestern India. They climbed 4,000 steps to the temple

Antique furniture, Buddhist bronzes, and royal dress are all on display. There are live puppet shows on weekends in the first-floor Children's Museum.

All five frescoed caves are located 330 to 500 feet above Dambulla's southern road, the Colombo-Trincomalee.

What Lies Beneath: Hundreds of gilded Buddhist statues, some 50 feet long, sit, stand, and lie beneath 21,000 square feet of tapestry-like cave painti

Excited about: For the ultimate culture fix, head to the Festival of the Tooth, in Kandy, Sri Lanka, a celebration in July that commences with the pla

The UNESCO-preserved fort, built by the Dutch in 1663 on Galle's southern isthmus, completely surrounds the city's Old Town.

Visit this peaceful temple in Colombo, near Beira Lake; the resident elephant is a highlight.

Insider tip: The Chandrabhaga Cattle & Camel Fair near Jhalawar, India, happens on the same full moon as the Pushkar festival; it easily attracts as m

Founded in the 16th century, the largest botanic garden in Sri Lanka is 2 1/2 miles from Kandy, the country's second-biggest city.

The ruins of Sri Lanka's medieval capital can be toured on foot or bicycle. Several buses make the trip from Kandy to Kaduruwela, the closest bus stop

The Mount of Remembrance, originally a king's fortress, sits atop a 560-foot-high rock. Buses depart hourly from Dambulla.

Erected in the 18th century to guard the Buddha's sacred tooth, the pink temple is open 24 hours; there are daily prayer sessions, and a museum open t