Anuradhapura
One of Asia’s greatest ancient capitals for over a thousand years, Anuradhapura is home to the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree, grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi tree and tended without interruption for 23 centuries. Three of the ancient world’s largest brick stupas rise from the surrounding landscape in a living religious city […]
Yapahuwa
A 13th-century rock fortress rising dramatically from the flat plains, Yapahuwa is the Cultural Triangle’s most overlooked major site and, for that reason, one of its most rewarding. Travellers who make the detour will almost certainly have the place to themselves.
Dambulla Cave Temple
Five interconnected cave chambers hold 153 Buddha statues and 2,100 square metres of painted murals spanning 2,000 years of Buddhist art. The paintings are extraordinary in their density and craftsmanship, and the cave atmosphere rewards slow, attentive exploration.
Sigiriya
A 5th-century royal palace built on the vertical face of a 200-metre volcanic rock, complete with ancient frescoes, mirror wall poetry, and water gardens that represent the engineering ambition of an entire civilisation. No photograph prepares a first-time visitor for the physical reality of standing at its summit.
Polonnaruwa
Sri Lanka’s medieval capital at its peak of artistic achievement, Polonnaruwa left behind monuments of extraordinary scale and elegance, from the Gal Vihara rock sculptures to the perfectly proportioned Vatadage. Best explored by bicycle at dawn before the heat builds and the monuments feel entirely your own.