Unsolicited guide at Dambulla cave entrance demanding a donation receipt — pay, tip, or go straight to the ticket booth?
Someone with a badge-looking card intercepted us on the path, said a donation was required before tickets, and got annoyed when we hesitated. Official booth looked further up. What is the actual order — ticket first, optional guide later?
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4 Answers from travellers
Go to the official ticket counter first. Temple/site tickets are sold at the proper booth, not by someone stopping you on the approach with a donation speech. Guides can be hired separately if you want one — that is optional. A hard-sell "mandatory donation receipt" before you have reached the counter is a classic pressure tactic at busy sites. Polite "no thank you, we will buy tickets at the counter" and keep walking. Same energy as gem-shop detours in other towns: smile, decline, move.
Sigiriya approach has the same soft-voice helpers. Counter first always.
Walked to the booth, bought tickets, no donation drama. He found another couple behind us.
I tell Cultural Triangle guests: official tickets, then decide on guiding. Never pay a stranger for access on the footpath.
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