A cave monastery, local arts and crafts, and spice gardens are what makes the town of Matale an interesting place to visit.
When here, I recommend spending one or two hours in one of the spice gardens located at various locations along the road leading to the town centre. When I visited, I learned some of the secrets of Ayurvedic medicine, a thousand-year-old traditional science from Sri Lanka. Fans of wellness tourism may be able to experience a spice balm massage, depending on the specific site visited. However, don't purchase any spices, creams or ointments from the shops at the gardens: prices are often much higher there than at the traditional markets or stores.
If, like me, you've opted to travel between Dambulla and Kandy by bus, stopping off at Matale will give you the chance to take a break and get some air. Because they're paid by the journey, Sri Lankan bus drivers often drive like racing drivers and pay little heed to the rules of the road.