Sri Lanka
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Your highlights for the first day are the Sigiriya Rock and the Dambulla Cave Temples, two of Sri Lanka's UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Pidurangala Rock: Sigiriya’s most famous viewpoint
Pidurangala Rock gives you an incredible 360-view on the world-famous Sigiriya Lion Rock. Get up early and catch the sunrise from the top. It’s magical to see the morning mist clear from the surrounding jungles and you will have the best panoramic view over Lion’s Rock. It’s a 30/40 minute hike up to the top with a bit of climbing at the final part. The hike starts by passing a white temple, and along the way you will pass beautiful murals and the Buddha statue. Pidurangala Rock vs Lion’s Rock: - Less tourists: the hike up is a bit hard, strong incline and some rock climbing. - Lower price: entrance fee is only 1000 LKR for Pidurangala Rock vs 4500 LKR for Lion’s Rock
or Tuktuk
First Sri Lankan dinner at Pradeep Restaurant
Pradeep is a humble and small restaurant, serving very tasty local food at very reasonable prices. If you want to experience the very local Sri Lankan tastes immediately on your first day, you must try the Kottu Roti. This is a delicious famous local dish consisting of chopped roti, a (meat) curry dish of choice, mixed with scrambled eggs, onions and other vegetables.
or Tuktuk - 30 minutes drive from Sigirya. You can do either from Sigiriya or as a stop on your way to Kandy.
Dambulla
Dambulla is not the best place to stay in Sri Lanka, but it’s a nice stop along the way when going from Sigiriya to Kandy. Dambulla itself is a small and quiet town only 30 minutes from Sigirya and 2 hours from Kandy. Dambulla is especially populair for the cave temple. It’s an iconic religious site with over 150 Buddha statues located inside a cave complex. This ancient Buddhist pilgrimage is the largest and best preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The caves are decorated with huge colourful paintings and murals, making it one of the must-visit tourist places in Dambulla. At the entrance of the cave temple, there is a big golden Buddha statue. This is also the entrance of the Dambulla Museum. Tip: don’t forget to cover your shoulders and legs inside the temple site.
