One of the most atmospheric ancient sites in the east — a 2nd-century BC temple complex hidden inside the jungle just outside Lahugala. Legend has it this is where King Kavan Tissa married Queen Viharamahadevi, and the site is still known locally as the "wedding temple."
The moonstone at the entrance is one of the finest in Sri Lanka — unusually, its elephants are shown with mahouts on their backs, a detail you'll see nowhere else. Beyond it you'll find stone pillars, bathing pools, a dagoba and the remains of an old monastery, all half-swallowed by roots and forest.
Ten minutes from the kitchen. Quiet, shady and rarely crowded — a good stop after breakfast or in the cool of late afternoon.