Sigiriya

As you may already know by now, one of Sri Lanka’s cultural spots has an amazing place that is known as Sigiriya.

Which is with a history that goes back to the 5th century AD.

Anyway, when you visit here, you’ll get to see some incredible archaeological sites, beautiful places to visit, and lots of wildlife areas to look at.

Actually, the whole area shows off the best of Sri Lanka’s past. And you’ll find everything from giant rock fortresses to ancient temples that are away in caves from this guide.

Speaking of which, we have selected five amazing places. That you can visit in Sigiriya to get the best experience of Sri Lankan culture.

Therefore, without giving you a broader introduction, let’s get into the details.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress

The Rock Fortress, which people also call as the Lion Rock has a great history in it. 

In fact, UNESCO considers it so special that they made it as a World Heritage site for people to visit. 

Speaking of which, it’s massive and rises 200 meters up from the ground, and it’s really something amazing to see. 

Looking back in history, King Kassapa built it as his palace between 477-495 CE. And even today, engineers and architects are appreciating the work by how it was built.

Anyway, when you climb up, you’ll see all sorts of interesting things. 

Moreover, at the bottom, there are some water gardens that still work when it rains. Trust us, you wouldn’t find anything like this anywhere.

On the other hand, as you go up, you’ll come across these beautiful paintings of celestial nymphs on the rock face. Whereas the colours are still bright after all these years. 

In addition to that, there’s also this thing that goes by the name Mirror Wall. That was completely shiny as the king could see himself in it. 

Something that is also relatively rare to see in many places.

Pidurangala Rock

Right next to the famous Lion Rock, there’s another rock that goes by the name Pidurangala. That’s just as interesting but doesn’t get as much attention. 

However, if you want the best photos of Sigiriya Rock Fortress, this is where you need to go. 

Isn’t it quite interesting to say that something else can be much more useful than its actual purpose?

Anyway, the climb is a bit tougher than Sigiriya. As you’ll need to do some scrambling over rocks, but it’s worth it.

This is because, there’s an old Buddhist monastery at the bottom that’s still active. 

Inside, you’ll find a big reclining Buddha statue that is up with bricks and plaster. 

Moreover, the monastery has been there since Sigiriya’s time, whereas King Kassapa actually moved the monks here when he was building his palace. 

Speaking of which, the temple has a peaceful feeling that is quite nice to feel before you start the climb.

Dambulla Cave Temple

About 17 kilometers from Sigiriya, you can find the Dambulla Cave Temple complex. 

Here’s a simple question for you: Did you know that Dambulla Cave Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site as well?

Well, the answer is yes, and it’s easy to see why. 

In fact, there are five caves that are with 157 Buddha statues, other religious figures, and statues of Sri Lankan kings. 

Moreover, the walls are covered in paintings – about 2,100 square meters of it. 

Due to this reason, and because it’s so much peaceful around, people have been coming here to worship for over 2,000 years.

Plus, each cave is different and special that you would see something amazing on each. 

Speaking of which, the first one has a huge 14-meter reclining Buddha statue that has been carved right out of the rock. 

Then, the second cave is the biggest and most impressive, with 16 standing and 40 seated Buddha statues. 

And going forward, other caves are quite impressive as the first two as well.

Minneriya National Park

If you want to see the wildlife, then this is the place that you must check out. 

If you are around Sigiriya, it is just a short drive from there to this amazing place. 

Speaking of which, the park is famous for gathering of aimals between June and September.

Which means that hundreds of elephants come together around the Minneriya Tank.

It’s actually the biggest gathering of Asian elephants that you’ll see anywhere in the world.

Also, the park centers around a huge reservoir that King Mahasena built way back in the 3rd century AD. Thanks to that, the water attracts all kinds of animals. 

In fact, besides elephants, you can spot different types of deer, monkeys like toque macaques and purple-faced langurs, and over 160 kinds of birds as well. 

Now, you might be thinking about the size of this park.

Well, the park isn’t huge, roughly it’s about 8,889 hectares – which means that you can have a good chance of seeing animals up close.

Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Tombs

Just a few kilometers from Sigiriya, you can find these old burial grounds that are known as the Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Tombs. 

Looking back in history, those were from the Iron Age (700-400 BCE), before Buddhism came to Sri Lanka. 

In fact, there are more than 40 burial chambers made of stone, and those tell us a lot about how people lived back then.

Speaking of which, the tombs are built with big stone slabs, and archaeologists have found all sorts of things inside of those. That includes clay pots, iron tools, and beads. 

As a matter of fact, these discoveries supported each and every archaeologist to understand what life was like during that time. 

Anyway, this could be an opportunity for you.

Since not many tourists come here, you can go through this place without interacting with a crowd if you’re interested in history.

From our guide, we hope that you understand that there’s so much to see and do in Sigiriya. 

In fact, the area has everything that includes adventure, spiritual places and wildlife, along with the Sri Lankan history. 

Anyway, remember that people are still discovering new things of these places, while doing a good job of protecting the area. 

Therefore, you will find out more amazing places that are nearby the tourist spots around Sigiriya in future.

So, make sure to plan your trip by now and in fact of doing so, you might find something more interesting on your next visit to this amazing place.