Day 3. Sigiriya
Overnight – Water Garden
Fortress in the Sky. Prepared to be awed as you proceed to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sigiriya. Although the Sigiriya Region has had a human presence for about 5000 years, the first signs of mankind on the rock are of Buddhist Monks from the 3rd Century BCE. The nation’s capital was moved here in the 5th Century CE and the resulting citadel was developed into an impregnable fortress, with features that made the city within one of the world’s best planned cities of its time.
Lion Gate. About halfway up the rock is the famous Lion Gate. On Sigiriya’s summit are the foundations of the spectacular palace and garden, including a swimming pool. At one time the gigantic rock had incredible frescoes covering its massive sheer walls, but today, the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting has survived in the form of beautiful life-sized frescoes of ladies on one of the citadel’s stairways. Explore the ancient structure and its many attractions until it is time to head back down and break for lunch.
Dambulla Cave Temples. After lunch you will enjoy an exploration of the Dambulla Cave Temples, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest and best-preserved ancient cave temples in Sri Lanka, the five main large temples (out of a total of about 80 caves) mainly contain amazing statues of the Lord Buddha, and vivid murals and frescoes depicting the life of the Buddha cover about 23,000 sq. feet of the caves. These wonders inside the caves were created in the 1st Century BCE and are still an active place of pilgrimage for local and visiting Buddhists.
Optional Batik Craft Visit. On the way back to your lodge, you have the option to stop at a local Batik manufacturing center. You will get to observe each fascinating stage of the process of creating the fabrics. The people at the facility will make a bit of an effort to try to sell you some of their creations after you finish observing the process, but this is not required.
Fortress in the Sky. Prepared to be awed as you proceed to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sigiriya. Although the Sigiriya Region has had a human presence for about 5000 years, the first signs of mankind on the rock are of Buddhist Monks from the 3rd Century BCE. The nation’s capital was moved here in the 5th Century CE and the resulting citadel was developed into an impregnable fortress, with features that made the city within one of the world’s best planned cities of its time.
Lion Gate. About halfway up the rock is the famous Lion Gate. On Sigiriya’s summit are the foundations of the spectacular palace and garden, including a swimming pool. At one time the gigantic rock had incredible frescoes covering its massive sheer walls, but today, the only known ancient work of Sinhala secular painting has survived in the form of beautiful life-sized frescoes of ladies on one of the citadel’s stairways. Explore the ancient structure and its many attractions until it is time to head back down and break for lunch.
Dambulla Cave Temples. After lunch you will enjoy an exploration of the Dambulla Cave Temples, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest and best-preserved ancient cave temples in Sri Lanka, the five main large temples (out of a total of about 80 caves) mainly contain amazing statues of the Lord Buddha, and vivid murals and frescoes depicting the life of the Buddha cover about 23,000 sq. feet of the caves. These wonders inside the caves were created in the 1st Century BCE and are still an active place of pilgrimage for local and visiting Buddhists.
Optional Batik Craft Visit. On the way back to your lodge, you have the option to stop at a local Batik manufacturing center. You will get to observe each fascinating stage of the process of creating the fabrics. The people at the facility will make a bit of an effort to try to sell you some of their creations after you finish observing the process, but this is not required.