The Complete Travel Guide to Anuradhapura – All you need to know

After Jaffna, this is the northernmost tourist destination in Sri Lanka. For those coming to Anuradhapura from Colombo, the train and the bus are both options. If you opt for the train, it is a five-hour journey from Fort to Anuradhapura. The bus also takes about five hours but could take more time or less time. It all depends on the traffic on the route. If you are travelling from Kandy, you can take the direct bus to Anuradhapura.

When it comes to places to stay, you will not find a whole host of luxury hotels waiting for you. Instead, you will have to opt for hostels if you want to go cheap. The hostels here are extremely cheap but provide just the very basic requirements like air conditioning and wifi. Be warned though, the signals in Anuradhapura are quite low. It is rare that you will find villas in Anuradhapura. However, hotels like Ulagalla do offer such luxuries. You will have to do a lot of research on places to stay before actually picking one.

The main thing to do in Anuradhapura is to visit the archaeological site. This place was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, therefore there will be an entrance fee. The artefacts here are hundreds of years old, but some of the artwork looks as glorious as ever. There are temples to visit here as well with plenty of ancient sacred relics passed down from the kings of Sri Lanka. Best is to rent a bike and explore at your own pace.

When it comes to magnificent temples, you will never be short of Buddhist religious sites in Anuradhapura. Visit the Sri Jaya Maha Bodhiya which is home to some of the most ancient trees in the world and is also a very sacred ground. Abhayagiri Dagoba this is a massive monastery that was said to have been built in the 2nd century. The Moonstone is one of the islands best-preserved relics and worth a visit. the Jethavanaramaya is the world's tallest stupa standing at a height of 122 metres. Isurumuniya Rajamaha Viharaya is a temple built into the rock and is home to famous carvings like Elephant Pond, Royal Family and Isurumuniya Lovers.

As mentioned earlier in this article, you could simply rent a bike for the day and explore. You can also explore by tuk-tuk but beware of dishonest drivers. Always make sure you head to the ticket office to purchase your ticket. You can opt to rent a car as well to beat the heat. Walking is an absolute no because it is too hot and vast to do so.