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Moi Dambulla by DBI is a small boutique hotel in Dambulla, about 1.7 kilometres in a straight line from the Dambulla Cave Temple, with a large pool in a quiet garden. One of the five Moi hotels run by the Sri Lankan group DBI, it is built as a calm base for the Cultural Triangle: cave temples at dawn, Sigiriya by midday and a swim before dinner.
Rooms are in modern two-storey blocks around the garden and pool, simply furnished with polished cement floors, cane blinds and a playful elephant motif. Each has air-conditioning, a TV, a kettle, a small fridge, a wardrobe and a private bathroom with hot water and refillable eco-friendly toiletries, and Wi-Fi is free. The names below are the ones you will see when you choose a room.
Children can share with their parents in the Standard and Deluxe rooms. If you would like a room close to the pool, mention it when you book.
It is a quiet, low-rise place set back among trees, with a long rectangular pool flanked by frangipani, lawns and paved walks, a terrace with outdoor tables and parking on site. With only a handful of rooms it feels more like a guest house than a resort, and the staff are used to helping guests plan their days around the heritage sites.
The restaurant cooks Sri Lankan dishes and international plates, served indoors or on the terrace. The kitchen will make early breakfasts for guests heading off to climb Sigiriya, serves high tea, and can cater for vegetarians and allergies if you tell the hotel when you book.
The Dambulla Cave Temple, five caves of painted ceilings and Buddha statues high on a granite outcrop, is the closest sight, with the town of Dambulla around it. Sigiriya is about 17 kilometres north-east in a straight line, and the neighbouring Pidurangala Rock is the place to watch the sun rise over it. Kandalama Reservoir lies a few kilometres north-east of the town. Further afield are the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the elephant gatherings of Minneriya National Park in the dry season, the forest monastery ruins of Ritigala, the standing Aukana Buddha and, to the south, the small stone temple of Nalanda Gedige.
Dambulla is in the middle of the island, about 110 kilometres north-east of Bandaranaike International Airport in a straight line, and there is no railway station in the town. The simplest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to Moi Dambulla, which takes you all the way to the door.
It suits couples, solo travellers and small families on a Cultural Triangle tour who want a clean, quiet room and a good pool, rather than a big resort. The hotel suggests two or three nights, enough for the caves, Sigiriya and one more site before moving on to the hills or the coast. For more choice in the area see our places to stay in Dambulla, or the other DBI hotels around the island.
Bookable activities, tours, and tickets within a 25 km radius.
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Pre-book a private vehicle for arrival, departure, or onward travel.
