Cultural Triangle
Sigiriya
The lion-rock fortress in the sky.
A granite monolith rising two hundred metres from the forest, crowned by the ruins of a fifth-century royal citadel and approached through some of the oldest landscaped gardens in Asia.
Climb early, before the heat and the crowds. The frescoes and the mirror wall are halfway up; the summit gives you the whole Cultural Triangle laid out below.
Highlights
What you do here.
The dawn climb
On the steps at opening, ahead of both the heat and the tour buses, with a guide who knows the history.
Pidurangala at first light
The neighbouring rock, an easier scramble, and the only place to photograph Sigiriya itself.
The water gardens
Symmetrical pools and fountains that still run in the monsoon, fifteen centuries after they were cut.
