Experience Travel Group

Sri Lanka

1-888-577-8452
020 7924 7133
ABTA
ATOL

Aukana Standing Buddha, Habarana Sri Lanka, Cultural Triangle

  • Info
  • Holidays
  • Map

The 12 m high standing Buddha at Aukana is the subject of legends. Apparently sculpted during the reign of Dhatusena in the 5th century, the statues pose, ashiva mudra, signifies blessings, whilst the burst of flames above its head represents the power of total enlightenment.

The statues name translates as sun-eating and dawn, and when the first rays of the day light up the huge statues finely carved features the sight is quite phenomenal.

Today, the statue is visited by pilgrims from all parts of the country. Make sure you get here early in order to see the statue glow with the rising sun.

You can book this experience on its own, with flights or as part of an Experience Travel Holiday Itinerary.

Here are some of our popular holiday tours or we can create bespoke itineraries specifically tailored to you...

Family Adventure Sri Lanka

An action packed family trip perfect for adventurous families with teenage children.

Highlights & Beyond

3 week tour taking in Sri Lanka's main highlights whilst staying in eco-retreats, luxury hotels and cottages.

Luxury Sri Lanka - Sheer Indulgence

Relaxed 16 day tour encompassing the best of Sri Lanka, with some of the finest hotels in Asia.

Relaxed Sri Lanka Family Holiday

Discover Sri Lanka's natural beauty and enjoy family-time away from the tourist trail. Unique accommodation and experiences tailored to your pace.

Sri Lanka's Natural Wealth

Discover Sri Lanka's spectacular and diverse nature, landscapes and wildlife with unique, tucked away places to stay.

Sri Lanka: The Boutique Itinerary

This classic suggested holiday takes in the best of Sri Lanka staying in small characterful and boutique hotels.

Why not give us a call
We'll get back to you asap

020 7924 7133

Customer Feedback
This was an excellently organised, tailor-made trip. We stayed in friendly hotels in a number of different locations, including a mud house in the jungle, beside a lake and in the hills among the tea plantations. We had a wonderful guide/driver and visited some amazing temples, spectacular world heritage sites, lovely villages and ate delicious, freshly harvested and cooked local food. It was a fabulous holiday!

- Kathy, February 2015

Customer Protection

abta
atol
aito

The air holiday packages shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 9324. Please see our booking conditions for more information.

  • Destinations
    • Sri Lanka
    • Vietnam
    • Cambodia
    • Myanmar
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Thailand
    • Borneo
    • The Maldives
    • Malaysia
    • Indochina
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • England Cricket Tour 2018
  • How it works
    • Why Choose Us?
    • Trip Planning Process
    • Common Questions
    • How Much Does it Cost?
  • My Booking
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Story
    • Client Comments
    • Bonding
    • Media Mentions
    • Contact
  • Brochure
    • General Brochure
    • Family Brochure

Holidays in Sri Lanka

  • England Cricket Tours 2018
  • Classic Holidays
  • Family Holidays
  • Luxury Holidays
  • Sri Lanka & Maldives Holidays
  • Insight Holidays
  • Relaxed Holidays
  • Nature & Wildlife Holidays
  • Special Interest Tours
  • May - September
  • Hotels
    • Boutique & Character Hotels
    • Deluxe & Luxury Hotels
    • Eco & Unique
    • Top Beach Hotels & Spas
    • Family Hotels
    • Villas & Hideaways
    • Best of the Rest
  • Experiences
    • Cultural Experiences
    • Outdoors & Adventure
    • Unique Experiences
    • Wildlife and Nature
    • Sightseeing

Info on Sri Lanka

  • Weather & When to go
  • Nature and Wildlife
      Overview
    • Bundala National Park
    • Flood Plains National Park
    • Gal Oya National Park
    • Horton Plains National Park
    • Kumana National Park (Yala East)
    • Lahugala National Park
    • Lunugamvehera National Park
    • Maduru Oya National Park
    • Minneriya National Park
    • Somawathiya National Park
    • The Knuckles Range
    • The Sinharaja Rainforest
    • Udawalawe National Park
    • Wasgamuwa National Park
    • Wilpattu National Park
    • Yala (Ruhunu) National Park
  • Sri Lanka By Region
      Overview
    • The Cultural Triangle
    • Colombo, Negombo & Around
    • Kandy and Around
    • The Hill Country
    • The West Coast of Sri Lanka
    • Galle and Around
    • The Deep South
    • Puttalam and the North West
    • The East Coast
    • Jaffna & The North
  • Getting Around
      Overview
    • Vehicle Travel
    • Helicopter in Sri Lanka
    • Internal Flights
  • Honeymoons in Sri Lanka
  • Sri Lanka Weddings
      Overview
    • Weddings Abroad
As Featured In

Experience Travel Blog

GET A QUOTE IT'S FREE & TAKES 30 SECONDS

Cultural Triangle Hotels:

Kalundewa Retreat, Dambulla
Vil Uyana, Sigiriya
Jim's Farm Villas, Dambulla
Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana
Sigiriya Jungles , Sigiriya
Kandalama, Dambulla
Brook Boutique, Melsiripura
Lake Lodge Kandalama, Dambulla
Chaaya Village, Habarana
Ulagalla Resort, Anuradhapura
Kumbukgaha Villa, Sigiriya
Travel Tip #141
Go bananas! Sri Lanka has an almost infinite variety of tasty bananas - including sumptuously sweet little ones!
Customer Feedback
Harriet provided a truly excellent level of service and recommended to us after numerous patient discussions with myself the absolute perfect villa.... In my opinion there can be no higher praise in your line of business than the "word of mouth reccommendation".

- Andrew

About: Essential Sri Lanka - Deluxe

How it works
  • Why Choose Us?
  • Trip Planning Process
  • Common Questions
  • How Much Does it Cost?
  • My Booking
About Us
  • Our Team
  • Our Story
  • Client Comments
  • Media Mentions
  • Contact
  • Jobs
Useful
  • Small Group Tours
  • Bonding & Peace of Mind
  • Responsible Travel Policy
  • Travel Insurance
  • Our Rating System
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Data Protection Privacy Policy
  • Suggested Reading & Purchases
  • Exclusive Signature Experiences
  • Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) Travel Advice
  • Site Search
Get Social

facebook.com/experiencetravel twitter.com/ExpTrav Google+ instagram.com/experiencetravelgroup

  • Visit us on Facebook
  • View @ExpTrav Twitter Feed
  • Visit our Travel Blog
  • Follow our Instagram page

© Experience Travel
Registered in England, Company No. 5071391 | ABTA Member | 9324 ATOL Protected
Site by Livingstone Creative

Experience Travel Group
QuoteClose Call
  • Quick Enquiry
  • Full Quote
Experience Travel Group

020 7924 7133 Get in touch

  • Destinations
    • Sri Lanka
      • England Cricket Tours 2018
      • Classic Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • Luxury Holidays
      • Sri Lanka & Maldives Holidays
      • Insight Holidays
      • Relaxed Holidays
      • Nature & Wildlife Holidays
      • Special Interest Tours
      • May - September
    • Vietnam
      • Classic Vietnam Holidays
      • Vietnam & Cambodia Holidays
      • Vietnam With A Difference
      • Vietnam Family Holidays
      • Luxury Vietnam Holidays
      • Mekong River Journeys
    • Cambodia
      • Cambodia & Vietnam Holidays
      • Luxury Holidays
      • Classic Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • Cambodia & Thailand Holidays
      • Indochina and Beyond
      • In Depth Tours
    • Myanmar
      • Classic Holidays
      • Myanmar with a River Journey
      • Multi-Country Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • In Depth Holidays
    • India
      • Classic Holidays
      • Luxury Holidays
      • Wildlife Holidays
      • Off The Beaten Track
      • Insight Holidays
      • Holidays with Beach
      • Family Holidays in India
      • Southern India Holidays
      • North and Central Regions
      • Himalayan Holidays
    • Indonesia
      • Classic Indonesia Holidays
      • Luxury Holidays
      • Wildlife Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • Multi-Country Holidays
      • Bali and Lombok Holidays
      • Holidays in Java & Beyond
      • Flores and Komodo
      • Holidays In Sulawesi
      • Borneo and Beyond
    • Laos
      • Classic Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • In Depth Holidays
      • Multi Country Holidays
      • Honeymoon & Luxury
    • Thailand
      • Classic Thailand Holidays
      • Family Thailand Holidays
      • Luxury Holidays
      • In Depth Holidays
      • Honeymoons
      • Multi-Country Holidays
    • Borneo
      • Borneo Holidays with Beach
      • Luxury & Adventure Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • Wildlife Holidays
      • Borneo & Malaysia
      • All Island Borneo Holidays
    • The Maldives
      • Sri Lanka & Maldives Holidays
      • Family Holidays
      • Honeymoons
      • Island Hopping Holidays
      • Insight & Culture Holidays
    • Malaysia
      • Classic Holidays
      • Malaysia & Borneo Holidays
      • In-depth holidays
      • Wildlife Holidays
      • Luxury Holidays
      • Multi-country holidays
      • Family Holidays
    • Indochina
      • Classic Indochina Holidays
      • Luxury Indochina Holidays
      • Family Indochina Holidays
      • Indochina with A Beach
      • Overland Indochina Holidays
      • Indochina and Beyond
  • Holidays
    • England Cricket Tours 2018
    • Classic Holidays
    • Family Holidays
    • Luxury Holidays
    • Sri Lanka & Maldives Holidays
    • Insight Holidays
    • Relaxed Holidays
    • Nature & Wildlife Holidays
    • Special Interest Tours
    • May - September
  • Hotels
    • Boutique & Character Hotels
    • Deluxe & Luxury Hotels
    • Eco & Unique
    • Top Beach Hotels & Spas
    • Family Hotels
    • Villas & Hideaways
    • Best of the Rest
  • Experiences
    • Cultural Experiences
    • Outdoors & Adventure
    • Unique Experiences
    • Wildlife and Nature
    • Sightseeing
  • England Cricket Tour 2018
  • Country Info
    • Nature and Wildlife
      • Bundala National Park
      • Flood Plains National Park
      • Gal Oya National Park
      • Horton Plains National Park
      • Kumana National Park (Yala East)
      • Lahugala National Park
      • Lunugamvehera National Park
      • Maduru Oya National Park
      • Minneriya National Park
      • Somawathiya National Park
      • The Knuckles Range
      • The Sinharaja Rainforest
      • Udawalawe National Park
      • Wasgamuwa National Park
      • Wilpattu National Park
      • Yala (Ruhunu) National Park
    • Sri Lanka By Region
      • The Cultural Triangle
      • Colombo, Negombo & Around
      • Kandy and Around
      • The Hill Country
      • The West Coast of Sri Lanka
      • Galle and Around
      • The Deep South
      • Puttalam and the North West
      • The East Coast
      • Jaffna & The North
    • Getting Around
      • Vehicle Travel
      • Helicopter in Sri Lanka
      • Internal Flights
    • Honeymoons in Sri Lanka
    • Sri Lanka Weddings
      • Weddings Abroad
  • Weather & When to go
    • Sri Lanka
    • Vietnam
    • Cambodia
    • Myanmar
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Thailand
    • Borneo
    • The Maldives
  • Search
    • Sri Lanka
    • Vietnam
    • Cambodia
    • Myanmar
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Laos
    • Thailand
    • Borneo
    • The Maldives
    • Malaysia
    • Indochina
  • How it works
    • Why Choose Us?
    • Trip Planning Process
    • Common Questions
    • How Much Does it Cost?
  • My Booking
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Story
    • Client Comments
    • Bonding
    • Media Mentions
    • Contact
    • Jobs
  • Brochure
    • General Brochure
    • Family Brochure
  • Contact Us
  • Small Group Tours
  • Blog