5 Things to do in Sigiriya – revel in the cultural legacy

Visiting this place is journeying to Sri Lanka in the 5th century. Before visiting here, you need to know a bit of its history. That 200-metre lump of granite stands aloof majestically over the flat central plains. From Colombo, it will occupy you for about three and half hours to reach here.

There is one strong reason to visit here. You are setting foot on Asia's oldest landscape garden. While rest of the world struggled with their survival, here is some place where they focused on lush greenery and landscape!

And on the walls, you can take delight on those half-naked maidens. That is a wall covered with graffiti which can be traced at least 1000 years ago.

How could they have made this a world heritage site? You will realize it quite well if you care to talk a wall in the premises. The premises will teach you so many things. Its history is amazing. What remains of the history is even more amazing – astonishing, to be more precise. Take a close look at those paintings on the rock. But be careful when you reach the peak of the rock – it might blow you out.

If you stay at Aliya Resort & Spa, one of the Nature Resorts in Sri Lanka, it will be easy to frequent your visits here.

And beware the wasps. They are known culprits!

If you go to Vil Uyana, you might be able to spot some rare loris. But loris are not a common sight even though you may come all the way here. At the same time there is a possibility of viewing them at a close range, if you are a bit more patient.

And loris are not the only creatures you will spot here. If you take time to walk in leisure, you might be lucky spot other cute creatures such as monkeys. Loris are a bit like monkeys, though there is a big difference.

The museum offers you insights into the rich history of Sigiriya. You will get more information about the city you are travelling. Though the information may not be deep, you can get a brief idea about all the aspects of the rock. The whole museum could be covered in half an hour. If you visit Sigiriya for cultural importance, you must not miss the museum.

Another fascinating experience is to reach where Sleeping Buddha status remains. If you go further, you will come across a small passage. You can reach the top through that passage, but there won't be stairs. If you take a little trouble to climb up, you won't be disappointed. The view up there is quite amazing, and it is one ideal place to view the Sigiriya Rock. All your pains have not gone in waste, you will realize.