Sri Lanka Travel Diary | Car Repair, Dambulla, Heritance Kandalama Hotel

Sri Lanka Travel Diary, February 21, 2025, Day 6 in Sri Lanka. Years of experience have taught me to let go while traveling and not obsess over checking off every tourist spot. Today, I gave up the idea of climbing the mountain opposite Sigiriya before dawn to watch the sunrise and take cool photos. I had to deal with a tire issue caused by a tuk-tuk driver the previous night. I used Google Maps to find a highly-rated car repair shop in Dambulla. The photos made it look professional, and it had many reviews. The owner spoke excellent English and had a mechanic check the tire. It seemed fine, but they took it in for a closer inspection, inflated it, and told me there was no problem. The mechanic even helped me remove the spare tire and put the regular tire back on. I asked the owner if he'd encountered situations where foreigners' cars were damaged. He said no, but acknowledged that bad things do happen. When he heard we paid 1,000 rupees (USD 25) for the spare tire change, he shrugged. The average monthly income in this country is only USD 120. I asked him how much the repair cost, and he said, "Free." What a kind person! I quickly gave the shop a five-star rating on Google Maps and left a positive review. I missed out on the Instagram-worthy photo spot, but I met a great person. For me, travel stories are more interesting than checking off any tourist attraction. Years from now, I may not remember the scenery of a particular Sri Lankan landmark, but I will definitely remember the stories of interacting with the locals. After the car was fixed, I still had some time, so I made a last-minute decision to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, a World Heritage Site, which wasn't originally on my itinerary. After climbing four hundred steps, I reached the top of the rock where several caves had been carved out, containing brightly colored Buddha statues. There were many Western and local visitors. Everyone had to enter barefoot, and the ground was scorching hot from the sun. At noon, I arrived at Heritance Kandalama, the only five-star hotel on this trip. Recommended by National Geographic as one of the "50 Best Hotels in the World," it's a masterpiece by Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's national treasure architect. Bawa is considered one of the most influential architects of the 20th century and a pioneer of tropical modernism. When I opened the door to my room, a mother monkey and her baby were on the balcony—absolutely adorable! I quickly went for a swim. The view from the main pool was stunning. Lying by the pool, I could see the reservoir and Sigiriya in the distance. In the evening, an old man played the flute on a rock. The hotel is enveloped by plants and incorporates many large rocks into its design, creating open spaces where swallows flit in and out. Although it's 31 years old, it's still very comfortable. For dinner, we chose a four-course set menu, priced at USD 240, and the quality was excellent. If there's anything to complain about, it's the price, which has doubled since before the pandemic and increased by 40–50% compared to a year or two ago, depending on the season. If you choose upscale hotels and restaurants in this country, it's no longer cheap. This doesn't correlate with the local economic level. Because of their past financial crisis and need for US dollars, most accommodations require payment in USD. All entrance fees for foreigners are also very high.