5 Best things you can do at SigiriyaJungles hotel in Sigiriya

Located in Kimbissa, Sigiriya on a picturesque 10-acre land, amidst lush green vegetation, and built as individual chalets, SigiriyaJungles hotel not only provides world-class hospitality, but it also offers you a wide range of activities that you can indulge in both Sigiriya and its neighboring cities. The following are some of the interesting things you can do while staying at SigiriyaJungles hotel.

Exploring Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka and preserves the ruins of the ancient Sinhala civilization.  It is located on the banks of the historic Malvathu River and is one of the eight world heritage sites in Sri Lanka. The following are the top things to do in Anuradhapura

Exploring Polonnaruwa:

Polonnaruwa is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in the North-Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is the second most ancient city of Sri Lanka’s kingdoms. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site. Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa is known as one of the best planned archaeological relic cities in the country, which is evidence of the greatness of the Kingdom’s first rulers. The following are the important places of interest to see in Polonnaruwa

  • Gal Viharaya – A Rock Temple
  • Vatadage – An ancient structure
  • Polonnaruwa ancient city
  • Parakrama Samudra
  • Hetadage – An ancient relic shrine
  • Angemedilla National Park
  • Rankoth Vehera – A stupa
  • Nissanka Latha Mandapaya – A unique structure called, Mandapa
  • Lanka Thilaka Viharaya – a Buddhist temple
  • Wasgamuwa National Park
  • Somawathia Chaitya – A Buddhist stupa
  • Archaeological museum
  • Lotus Pond – an ancient pond that looks like a bloomed lotus flower.
  • Statue of Parakrama Babhu – A stone sculpture

Visiting Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sigiriya which means ‘the Lions Rock’ is an ancient rock fortress near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. This rock is approximately 180 meters high from the ground and holds great historical and archaeological significance.

King Kashyap built his palace on the top of the rock in (477 – 495 AD). Sigiriya is one of the most important urban planning sites of the first millennium. The Sigiriya site is made of three areas– the ruins of an upper palace located on the flat top of the rock, a mid-level terrace containing the Lion Gate, and the mirror wall with its frescoes. The site was a palace cum fortress. 

The three most important features of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress are as follows

Mirror Wall:  This is made of brick masonry and covered in highly polished white plaster which is now is now partially covered with verses scribbled by visitors, some of them dating from as early as the 8th century.

Frescoes

The entire western face of the rock, an area 140 meters long and 40 meters high is covered by paintings of ladies.

Gardens

The Gardens of the Sigiriya city are among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. The gardens are divided into three distinct but linked forms: water gardens, cave and boulder gardens, and terraced gardens.

Visiting Dambulla Cave Temple

This is a cave monastery containing five sanctuaries which is the largest and best-preserved cave complex in Sri Lanka. This has been a sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries. The Buddhist mural paintings in an area of 2,100 sq. meters and 157 statues of Buddha are very significant. Located in Central Sri Lanka, this temple has been inhabited by forest-dwelling Buddhist monks since the 3rd century BCE. These caves have been transformed continuously throughout the historical period into one of the most outstanding and largest Buddhist complexes in the Southern and the South-Eastern Asian region. One can see innovative approaches to layout and interior design. There is a uniqueness in the preservation of the cave shrine, their painted surfaces, and statuary. The monastery houses significant masterpieces of 18th-century art in the Sri Lankan school of Kandy.

Witnessing Minneriya Elephant Gathering

Minneriya National Park, which has been declared as a wildlife sanctuary is in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka.  It has been declared as a protected area to protect the catchment of the Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The elephant population of the surrounding forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts relies on the park for food during the dry seasons. Minneriya is also an IBAs (Important Bird Areas) of Sri Lanka. 

During the dry seasons, many elephants head towards the grass fields of the park. Usually, 150 – 200 elephants visit this area, and sometimes it may be as high as 700 elephants. Tourists visit Minneriya National Park mainly because of elephants, especially during the dry season.

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