In Dambulla, a 100-foot gold-plated statue of Lord Buddha peers peacefully down upon visitors of the Golden Temple, which serves as the main entrance to the Royal Rock Temple, a series of Buddha-filled caves.

Sri Lankan newlyweds stroll the beach at Negombo at sunset after taking wedding photos. Weddings are big events in Sri Lanka, lasting over 2 days. The day after the marriage, the bride wears red as a symbol of her newly married status.

Miraculously, Seenigama Temple was not damaged in the 2004 tsunami that hit Sri Lanka's southern coast especially hard, despite its precarious location on a rocky outcrop in the Indian Ocean.

At the summit of the 656-foot Sigiriya rock lay the remains of the ancient palace of an exiled king, Kaspaya, said to have had 100 concubines whose images are still visible on frescoes that adorn the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Not only a home to Sri Lanka's protected wildlife, Yala National Park, bordering the Indian Ocean, is also an important pilgrimage site for Buddhist monks visiting an ancient shrine.

Ramboda Falls is one of 2 waterfalls in Sri Lanka's hill country, the other is Rawana Ella. Both are spectacular features amid rolling green farmland and tea plantations.

In a country primarily Buddhist by faith, the Seetha Amman Temple is a colorful, shining Hindu shrine, marking the place where the evil demon-king Ravana imprisoned Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, in Sri Lanka and where she prayed to be rescued.

Tucked under the natural outcrop of the Dambulla rock are a series of 5caves paying tribute to Lord Buddha. The Royal Rock Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, features 150 painted stone statues of Buddha.

Sri Lanka is home to at least 5 species of monkeys. This one sits in a tree at the top of the ancient Sigiriya rock surveying amazing 360-degree views.

Buddhist pilgrims and tourists flock to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy for a glimpse of Lord Buddha's canine tooth encased in a gold, jewel-encrusted cone. The temple is a former palace filled with elaborate paintings and carvings, and topped with a golden roof.