6 Places to Visit in Tissamaharama on a Long Weekend - Make the best of your trip to Tissamaharama

Yala National Park is the most popular national park in Sri Lanka, and this is also home to the largest number of Sri Lankan leopards. If you are staying at a Tissamaharama hotel, you will be able to travel to Yala for the safari. The national park is only about half an hour away from Kithala Resort.

Located in Tissamaharama itself, this monastery is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries on the island and many Buddhist devotees visit this place annually. The trip to the monastery itself is exciting as you will likely get to see some gentle giants crossing the roads or heading back to their herd. The monastery is located on a large natural rock that was used by the monks. Later on, buildings were created to make life easier for the monks. The view from the top of the rock is exceptional as you get to see the entire city with a panoramic view.

Diyalamu Falls in Sri Lanka is one of the most popular of its kind because of its mesmerising views. It is located between the stretch of Wellawaya and Koslanda and it is known to be the second largest waterfalls in Sri Lanka. The mist rising from the cascading water creates picture-perfect scenery and if you are fortunate, you will be able to witness some elephants that have come to the area to cool off after a warm day under the scorching sun. Due to the rising mists, this waterfall is also known as the smoking waterfall.

The Tissamaharama Rajamaha Viharaya is a popular temple for those living in Tissamaharama. Located amidst the paddy fields in the area, the pagoda of this temple creates a post-card-worthy scenery set against the lush greenery. Located close to the Kataragama Temple, which is another popular temple on the island, this temple is popular as it is said to be the temple where Arahat Mahinda Thera arrived at.

Kirinda is a small town located a few kilometres away from Tissamaharama town and it is a must-visit place for those who love the ocean and its underwater gems. There are several areas where you can go snorkelling and diving in Kirinda but there are no diving centres in the Kirinda town itself so the diving centres around such as Hikkaduwa and Mirissa can take travellers to this spot as well.

If you love food and learning about different cultures and traditions, then you are bound to thoroughly enjoy this excursion. This activity will allow you to explore the process of curd making in Sri Lanka as Buffalo Curd with treacle or sugar is a popular dessert around the island. The best buffalo curd in Sri Lanka is said to be made in the town of Tissamaharama.