photogenic
Ambuluwawa Tower
A vertigo-inducing spiral tower on a hilltop near Gampola whose staircase narrows to shoulder width and ends with no handrail, giving a 360-degree view over the central highlands.
2 km · about 5 min drive
AsiaSri LankaCentral Province
Gampola
Central Province, Sri Lanka · Asia
About Gampola
Gampola is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Kadugannawa, 40km from Adam's Peak (Sri Pada).
Gampola is in Central Province, Sri Lanka, with about 24,000 people. The nearest town is Kadugannawa, about 11 km away.
Gampola (Sinhala: ගම්පොල, Tamil: கம்பளை) is a town located in Kandy District, in Sri Lanka's Central Province. The town is governed by an Urban Council. Gampola was made the capital of the island by King Buwanekabahu IV, who ruled for four years in the mid-fourteenth century. The last king of Gampola was KingRead more
Buwanekabahu V, who ruled the island for 29 years. A separate city was built in Kotte during this time by a noble known as Alagakkonara. The longest sleeping Buddha statue in South Asia is located in the Saliyalapura Temple, Gampola.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Gampola?
Within an hour or so of Gampola: Ambuluwawa Tower (2 km), Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (16 km), Ramboda Falls (18 km), Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) (40 km).
Where is Gampola?
Gampola is in Central Province, Sri Lanka, about 11 km from Kadugannawa.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 24,283
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Region
- Central Province
- Timezone
- Asia/Colombo
- Coordinates
- 7.1643, 80.5696
Tags
Worth the detour from Gampola
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist temple, housing a relic of the tooth of Buddha in the hillside city of Kandy.
16 km · about 20 min drive
waterfall
Ramboda Falls
A 109 m waterfall in two tiers falling right beside the A5 at Ramboda Pass, on the tea-estate road between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Visible from the highway without leaving the car.
18 km · about 20 min drive
natural wonder
Adam's Peak (Sri Pada)
A 2,243 m conical peak sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike, climbed overnight by pilgrims up thousands of steps to reach the summit footprint shrine at dawn.
40 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
World's End, Horton Plains
A sheer escarpment in Horton Plains National Park dropping about 1,200 m straight off the edge of the highland plateau. Best before 10am, before cloud fills the void.
49 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Gampola
- 63 kmNine Arch Bridge, DemodaraA soaring colonial-era railway viaduct of brick and stone curving through tea-clad jungle near Ella. A short drive-and-walk brings you trackside as blue trains rumble across its nine arches.
- 65 kmLipton's SeatThe ridge above Dambatenne where Thomas Lipton surveyed his tea empire, at 1,970 m. The narrow road climbs through Lipton's own estate and on a clear morning the view runs to the southern coast.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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