Tissamaharama

A lakeside gateway to Yala and Bundala

In Tissamaharama (usually shortened to Tissa), eyes are automatically drawn upwards and outwards — upwards to the tip of its huge, snowy-white dagoba, and outwards, beyond the town's confines, to nearby wildlife reserves crawling with creatures large and small. With its pretty lakeside location, Tissa is an ideal mellow base for the nearby Yala and Bundala National Parks.

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Places to Explore in Tissamaharama

Discover the historic landmarks, cultural attractions and hidden gems that make Tissamaharama special.

Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara

Followers of Buddhism can't ignore a visit to the ancient Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara temple, near Kataragama in Sri Lanka's Southern Province. Being one of the four ancient Buddhist monasteries in Sri Lanka, it is always rushed by devotees. It is believed the temple was built when Arahant Mahinda Thera arrived on the island, and its importance is best judged by the fact that Lord Buddha himself blessed the site during his third visit to Sri Lanka. Since the 3rd century, this monastery has remained a hugely popular Buddhist enlightenment centre. The temple is believed to date to the 3rd century BC, during the reign of King Mahanaga of Ruhuna, shortly after Buddhism was established on the island, though it was King Kavan Tissa who brought the temple to its present state in the 2nd century BC. The gargantuan stupa stands 156 feet tall, making it the largest temple in the southern region, and ancient scripture states that the site was consecrated by the Buddha himself during his third visit — one of the holiest sites in the Buddhist world. Surrounded by lush greenery, it stands out from any other building in the Hambantota area, and history shows it was one of the few temples constantly restored by successive kings, even after being pillaged by invaders from India in the 13th century AD.

Yala National Park

Yala National Park is the second-largest national park in Sri Lanka and one of the most visited in the country. There are 32 recorded species of reptiles and various kinds of birds, giving you the chance to witness the diverse wildlife of Sri Lanka — hop on the jeep and get ready to spot leopards during your safari.

Diyaluma Falls

Often called Diya Heluma, Diyaluma Falls is another amazing site of attraction, located close to the A4 road between Wellawaya and Koslanda. It is considered the second-largest waterfall in Sri Lanka. Apart from the waterfall itself, there are accessory sites of attraction around it, including small rock water pools and smaller waterfalls, and if luck is on your side you may even spot elephants in the area. It is also often called the fall of smoking water because of its appearance, breaking in the Poonagala Oya.

Sithulpawwa Buddhist Monastery

One of the ancient Buddhist monasteries, Sithulpawwa's panoramic view is absolutely breathtaking. It's a religious place with archaeological significance dated to be centuries old, and the journey there is filled with excitement, since one gets to see elephants and other wild animals along the way.

Kirinda

Just 10km away on the southeast coast of Tissa lies the picturesque village of Kirinda, home to a pristine beach and a Buddhist shrine on the rocks. Alongside its natural beauty, this special diving spot also shelters the Little and Great Basses wrecks — best visited between March and April. There's no diving centre in Kirinda itself, but the dive centres in Hikkaduwa and Mirissa can take travellers out.

Udawalawe National Park Safari

As one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sri Lanka, Udawalawe National Park is framed by soaring highlands on its northern boundary and is one of the world's best places to see wild elephants. Largely comprised of grasslands and bush forest, it's also one of the best national parks in Sri Lanka for game spotting. Udawalawe is accessed right from the town of Udawalawa in central Sri Lanka, about a 2-hour drive from Mirissa, 1.5 hours from Ella, or 4 hours from Colombo. If you plan on spending a night or two, there are plenty of hotels and guesthouses in the area, or you can go on a day tour from places like Colombo, Galle, Ella or Hikkaduwa. On safari, elephant sightings are essentially guaranteed — the park is one of Sri Lanka's smaller national parks at only 308.2 sq km, but it's estimated over 500 elephants live within that space, so a smaller area with a higher density of elephants greatly increases your chances of seeing them, babies included. Bear in mind that Udawalawe draws crowds of jeeps too, so a peaceful, private safari experience is rare, and the elephants here have grown so accustomed to daily traffic that they behave far more tamely than truly wild elephants elsewhere. You'll also likely see water buffalo, monkeys, crocodiles, lizards, birds and insects — but no leopards; for those, you'll need to head to Yala or Wilpattu instead.