Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Ultimate Location Travel Guide

For Raiders of the Lost Ark locations follow this link:
http://ultimateindylocations.blogspot.fr/

For Last Crusade locations follow this link:
http://lastcrusadeultimatelocationguide.blogspot.co.uk/

There are relatively few locations to visit for Temple of Doom as much of the action was filmed at Elstree Studios. Moreover, the Temple of Doom locations still in existence are some of the most challenging to get to. This is namely because the majority of location work was shot in the country known as "The Pearl of the Indian Ocean"... Sri Lanka.

Club Obi Wan

While the interiors for "Club Obi Wan" were created at Elstree Studios, the exteriors were filmed in Macau, China. The Club Obi Wan building has since been demolished and the site redeveloped.  Prior to its demolition, the club stood at Praca De Ponta e Horta, Macau grid coordinates: 22°11'37.70"N 113°32'8.86"E. Here is a useful link: http://hongkongandmacaufilmstuff.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/indiana-jones-and-temple-of-doom_18.html#comment-form 

The ensuing car chase was filmed on the nearby street of Avenida de AlmeidaRibeiro, near the intersection with Travessa de Felicidade, coordinates: 22°11'41.40"N 113°32'17.50"E. Here is an excellent resource for finding the spot: http://hongkongandmacaufilmstuff.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/indiana-jones-and-temple-of-doom.html

Shanghai Airport

Apparently free from the clutches of Lao Che, Indy arrives at the former Hamilton Air Force, Hanger Avenue, Novato, CA coordinates:  38° 3'36.46"N 122°30'55.04"W.

 It proved impossible to get the exact angle as residents gardens occupy the area where the camera was placed.

 

The area has been redeveloped but the hanger still remains amongst many; hangar number 9 is the one used for filming (it really looks like a 3 in the film, but the left vertical downstroke of the 9 is very faded). The Ford Tri-motor plane can be found at the Fantasy of Flight Museum 1400 Broadway Blvd. S.E., Polk City, FL 33868 , USA, coordinates:  28° 9'58.75"N  81°48'23.81"W https://www.fantasyofflight.com/collection/aircraft/currently-not-showing-in-museum/golden-age/1929-ford-5at-tri-motor/

Mayapur Village

It is hot wearing a leather jacket in the tropics.

There is no doubt that this is one of the hardest locations to find. I am only aware of one other individual who had made the trip before my journey in Feb 2015. That credit goes to Jean Christophe Quenot, whose excellent blog provided a source of guidance: http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.jones-jr.com/tod_sri_lanka.html&prev=search (Subsequently, I have found out that a Norwegian Indiana Jones fan, "Chiliana Jones", made the trip a couple of months before my pilgrimage. You can read his story here: http://raven.theraider.net/showthread.php?t=23511 and his story has featured in an issue of "Indy Mag")
I opted for car rental from Columbo, Sri Lanka to get to Kandy (a 137km journey, straight out of the airport at 3am) so I might find the two key locations in the area. Driving in Sri Lanka can be challenging and is not for the faint hearted, road conditions, weather and Sri Lankan driving all conspire to make it an interesting experience. An International driving permit is required which must be certified by the AA in Columbo. I rented a car through the following company: http://www.malkey.lk/ who assisted with certifying the driving permits and provided a very good service. I rented their cheapest car, a small Suzuki which survived the rigours of our trip, albeit in dry conditions, and used with great caution when traversing off road. If you can afford it, a 4x4 may provide a greater chance of success and a more comfortable ride.
Be warned, when driving around Sri Lanka, their maps and Sat Navs/GPS's have a tendency to be out of date or simply not match what is on the ground. We spent 30 miles on a "road" that appeared on my GPS and the rental cars Sat Nav, but was in reality in the process of being built, most of it was simply a pothole-ridden mud track.
Another option is to hire a car with a driver, which costs a similar amount to a car with a driver - though you will have to take into consideration their boarding for the night. Or you can rent a "tuk tuk", or auto-rickshaw (The 3 wheeled taxi used in much of Southern Asia), for the day, if you can find a good driver who is happy to take you where you want to go.
After hours spent pouring over Google Earth, I had narrowed down the location to within a few hundred square yards. However, a driver with good linguistics to act as a translator with locals would be useful, as seems to have been the case with Jean Christophe.

Sankara Stone Shrine

Due to the jungle reclaiming the location, it was impossible to match film stills accurately.

Believe or not these are the same rocks after 32 years.

Clearing the "shrine" with a machete.

 Below, the mountain top in the film is visible in the picture.

The location can be found in the Hantana Tea Estate near Kandy.

Travel to Pankot Palace

As time was limited, we did not attempt to search for the travel montage shots to Pankot Palace. Many of these scenes were shot at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Kegalle Rambukkana Rd, Rambukkana 71100, Sri Lanka. Due to animal welfare issues (http://www.bornfree.org.uk/campaigns/zoo-check/captive-wildlife-issues/pinnewala-elephant-orphanage/) we chose not to visit the orphanage, instead opting to see elephants at Yala National Park, where the animals have some choice as to how much time they wish to interact with humans.

Originally the Amer Fort Jaipur, India was considered for Pankot Palace. However, as permission to film in India was not granted, production moved to Sri Lanka and the palace was created using a Matte Painting. The Amer Fort at Jaipur is well worth a visit, though again there are animal welfare issues regarding elephant rides to the fort.

 Pankot Palace

 Amer Fort Jaipur, India, (photo flipped for movie comparison) the inspiration for Pankot Palace

The set, including the entrance exterior was built at Elstree Studio.

Rope Bridge

The rope bridge location is perhaps the most challenging of all locations to visit. The location is near Kandy, Sri Lanka and is located a few hundred yards south of Victoria Dam at coordinates: 7°14'15.48"N 80°47'19.12"E. To the northern side of the dam, where there is a visitor centre, it's a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Kandy. To the southern side of the dam is a 50 minute drive from Kandy. At the time of my visit the dam was not accessible to the general public, and cannot be crossed by car, or foot, without the permission of the security forces in the area.

View towards bridge location.

We then drove onto the base of the dam (above); an impressive structure in its own right (The perspective is deceptive in this picture).

The above "piers" are all that remains of a bridge that once spanned the river and was used as a platform for filming the rope bridge scenes from. 

From the base of the dam we drove a few hundred yards back up the slope towards the eastern side of where the bridge once stood. I wondered what, if anything, remained of the bridge. After wading through tropical foliage and wet, slippery algae-covered bed rock atop the cliff, I found what I had been searching for: the two "stone" pillars used for the bridge.

The pillars used for the rope bridge. Actually made of concrete with a steel I-beam core for reinforcing.

A life times ambition come true.

View through undergrowth to west side of canyon. The bridge pillars on the other side are still there.

View to river below. from near to pillars.

 Remains of steel cable and anchor points for the bridge.

Indiana Jones archaeology. Remember it's the search for fact... not truth.

The bridge pillars can be found if you follow the fence line down and to the right into the undergrowth; as seen in the picture above.

Due to 32 years of plant growth, and the dangerous terrain, it once again proved difficult to match screen shots. However, here is a selection:

"Let em' go Mola Ram"

Rope bridge span. This picture was taken from the centre of the dam, it is now impossible to recreate the film still, as the bridge used for filming has been demolished.

The cavalry saving the day.

This (above) is a view of Victoria Dam from the visitor centre. The rope bridge was built by British construction company Balfour Beatty, which were building the dam during the production of the movie. The Queen officially opened the dam in 1985.

View looking south down the canyon.

The western side of the canyon is very over grown and was not accessible at the time of my visit. A massive thank you to the Sri Lankan Forces for enabling access and providing a "VIP" tour of the area.

Enjoying a drink at the end of the day in the Hotel Suisse, 30, Sangaraja Mawatha, Kandy 20000, Sri Lanka. This was the very hotel that Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and Kate Capshaw stayed in whilst making the film. Needless to say we couldn't actually afford to stay there.

Sri Lanka is truly a stunning country which is well worth a visit, the Indiana Jones locations can be covered in a day leaving plenty of time to explore the rest of the Island. I would recommend taking a trip to Sigiriya in the "Cultural Triangle" and taking in the south eastern coast, which is spectacular with vast expanses of tropical sandy beaches fringed by coconut palms and yet to be tarnished by mass tourism. Yala National Park is a must-see for anyone interested in wildlife, with the highest density of Leopards to be found anywhere in the world. You can also take day trips to see Blue Whales from Mirissa. I recommend yu try and get away from the tourist hot spots and try to interact with the locals. We found the people of Sri Lanka to be incredibly friendly and excited to share their beautiful country.

Incan Rope Bridge

For my money, the most authentic Indiana Jones rope bridge experience available today means a trip to Peru, and the Incan rope bridge over the Apurimac river at Qeswachaka.The bridge can be found at coordinates:  14°22'52.72"S  71°29'2.43"W. The bridge is rebuilt every year during the second weekend in June, with construction completed on the Sunday, assuming that factors such as the weather have not affected the build. The bridge is built by local communities providing a quota of grass rope that is spun together to form the bridge. 

I visited the bridge at the height of the festivities on a Sunday, you pay a small fee (tourists pay more if a particularly rat like military official happens to be watching) to cross the bridge. I assume if you visit once the festival is over there will be no fee, and the bridge will be much quieter with greater opportunity to enjoy the structure and take pictures. 

There are no obvious towns with accommodation near Qeswachaka, therefore I would recommend using Cuzco as a base. Cuzco is an amazing city, filled with history, and an excellent jumping off point to visit many attractions in Peru, including Machu Piccu. 

To get to the bridge you can join an organised tour, these are very expensive, and can be found using internet search engines. I asked numerous locals, from tour guides to hotel owners, about getting to Qeswachaka and was astonished that no one had heard of the bridge. No hostels or tour groups run more affordable trips from Cuzco (that I could find) and the Lonely Planet does not mention the bridge. I tried hiring a car with a driver but the price was prohibitive at $200 US. This left car hire for around $45 US a day, which provided a more personal, less expensive, trip with a much greater sense of adventure.

 The Lonely Planet Peru book gives the impression that suicide is preferable to car hire in Peru. Whilst it is true that Peruvian drivers are some of the worst in the world, there is no reason, if you are a confident driver, with your wits about you, not to hire a car. We rented a vehicle through Hertz online expecting a Hyundai Getz however, the agent arrived with a massive Toyota 4x4 including roll cage. We were however, billed for a Getz. It is approximately 3 hours drive through stunning Andean scenery to Qeswachaka. Keep very alert for Peruvian drivers, they are unpredictable and prone to dangerous and fast driving. If you hire a car for more than a day the Lonely Planet recommends keeping it in a locked garage overnight, as theft is not uncommon.

 

Qeswachaka rope bridge Peru

When we visited we only saw 2 other tourists among the multitude of Peruvians at the bridge festival, and for now at least, the bridge feels like a true adventure to be a part of. There are so few amazing places left in this world that are not in some way devalued by tourism, though I appreciate I am part of that problem. Peru is an astonishingly geographically diverse country, from tropical rainforest to mountain glaciers, it is packed with the history of Pre Columbian civilisations, and I could not recommend a visit to the country more highly.

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