Mount Sigiriya, otherwise known as the lion rock, was built in the 5th century AD and is a must-see for any visitor touring the cultural triangle in Sri Lanka or heading north of the airport…
Most people visit either early morning or late afternoon when the temperature is less oppressive. Depending on your guide (and perhaps more so on your own enthusiasm for history and architecture) it can take up to half a day to see it all. Tony Robinson from Time Team may want to stay a while, but two to three hours was enough for me!
The paths are muddy and can be slippery when wet so my top tip is to wear shoes or trainers with a good grip. My old trustworthy Havaina flip flops seemed like a good idea at the time (it was a very hot sunny day), but I ended up falling over on my bum on the way down. Whilst this didn’t do a lot for my street cred, more importantly it was hard to concentrate on all the fascinating history from my guide when I felt like I’d wet myself and people were staring and laughing at my derriere. So wear shoes – no matter what the weather is like!
The tour itself starts at the base of the rock where the moat, water gardens, pools and the boulder gardens, which are a little further up, are all located. In some places, one side of the symmetrical gardens has been excavated to reveal them as they would have looked centuries ago whilst the other half has been left (to an extent) so you can see how wild nature has helped preserve the city for an astonishing 7,000 years.
As you begin to climb the steps and move your way up through the boulder and terrace gardens, you reach two spiral staircases which lead you up the sheer rock face to a series of painted frescoes. Flash photography isn’t allowed here and if you suffer vertigo and your legs are already quivering at this point then probably best you don’t attempt the summit further on.
After this you’ll pass the mirrored wall with graffiti dating back to the seventh century. No tags, stick men or Banksy style artwork here, but a lot of ancient Sinhalese script. Still quite impressive though.
Continue steeply up a load of limestone steps and you reach the Lion Platform where two enormous paws carved out of the rock are all that remain of a gigantic lion statue. This is a good place to stop, catch your breath and take a photo before embarking on the final staircase that leads up to the summit.
Oddly, there is a large cage at the base of the steps. Apparently this has been erected as hornets have recently been nesting in the rock face. Should they attack visitors, the cage is to act as a safeguard. So if you’re allergic to bee stings then definitely take an antihistamine pen with you. You don’t want to be caught out at this height!
Vertigo sufferers may need some Dutch courage to climb the summit as the staircase feels incredibly narrow when you’re at such a height and the only support is a steel railing. However despite feeling vulnerable, it is definitely worth the climb. Just take is slow and steady and you’ll be more than rewarded by the magnificent views from the top.
The summit is home to the palace - the foundations of which are all that remain. Whilst it’s utterly fascinating to hear how the palace was constructed and learn about the ingenious hydraulic system which was installed using windmills to channel fresh water up to the temple, it’s really the views that are the main attraction.
After coming back down via the same narrow staircase along the edge of the rock face (it’s always worse coming down!) the path then takes you along a different route past the Cobra Hood Cave and another royal cave temple. It was at this point that I slipped in the mud so I don’t remember any significant historical value to either of these places of interest!
The tour then finishes back at the car park. Expect to be bombarded by children and adults selling the usual tat. My only purchase was a coconut so I could have a drink - so refreshing!
Don’t plan too much after your visit as you’ll no doubt be hot and sweaty (and in my case incredibly muddy) after your trek around the rock. So give yourself time to head back to your hotel and relax and freshen up before moving on elsewhere.
Most people visit either early morning or late afternoon when the temperature is less oppressive. Depending on your guide (and perhaps more so on your own enthusiasm for history and architecture) it can take up to half a day to see it all. Tony Robinson from Time Team may want to stay a while, but two to three hours was enough for me!
The paths are muddy and can be slippery when wet so my top tip is to wear shoes or trainers with a good grip. My old trustworthy Havaina flip flops seemed like a good idea at the time (it was a very hot sunny day), but I ended up falling over on my bum on the way down. Whilst this didn’t do a lot for my street cred, more importantly it was hard to concentrate on all the fascinating history from my guide when I felt like I’d wet myself and people were staring and laughing at my derriere. So wear shoes – no matter what the weather is like!
The tour itself starts at the base of the rock where the moat, water gardens, pools and the boulder gardens, which are a little further up, are all located. In some places, one side of the symmetrical gardens has been excavated to reveal them as they would have looked centuries ago whilst the other half has been left (to an extent) so you can see how wild nature has helped preserve the city for an astonishing 7,000 years.
As you begin to climb the steps and move your way up through the boulder and terrace gardens, you reach two spiral staircases which lead you up the sheer rock face to a series of painted frescoes. Flash photography isn’t allowed here and if you suffer vertigo and your legs are already quivering at this point then probably best you don’t attempt the summit further on.
After this you’ll pass the mirrored wall with graffiti dating back to the seventh century. No tags, stick men or Banksy style artwork here, but a lot of ancient Sinhalese script. Still quite impressive though.
Continue steeply up a load of limestone steps and you reach the Lion Platform where two enormous paws carved out of the rock are all that remain of a gigantic lion statue. This is a good place to stop, catch your breath and take a photo before embarking on the final staircase that leads up to the summit.
Oddly, there is a large cage at the base of the steps. Apparently this has been erected as hornets have recently been nesting in the rock face. Should they attack visitors, the cage is to act as a safeguard. So if you’re allergic to bee stings then definitely take an antihistamine pen with you. You don’t want to be caught out at this height!
Vertigo sufferers may need some Dutch courage to climb the summit as the staircase feels incredibly narrow when you’re at such a height and the only support is a steel railing. However despite feeling vulnerable, it is definitely worth the climb. Just take is slow and steady and you’ll be more than rewarded by the magnificent views from the top.
The summit is home to the palace - the foundations of which are all that remain. Whilst it’s utterly fascinating to hear how the palace was constructed and learn about the ingenious hydraulic system which was installed using windmills to channel fresh water up to the temple, it’s really the views that are the main attraction.
After coming back down via the same narrow staircase along the edge of the rock face (it’s always worse coming down!) the path then takes you along a different route past the Cobra Hood Cave and another royal cave temple. It was at this point that I slipped in the mud so I don’t remember any significant historical value to either of these places of interest!
The tour then finishes back at the car park. Expect to be bombarded by children and adults selling the usual tat. My only purchase was a coconut so I could have a drink - so refreshing!
Don’t plan too much after your visit as you’ll no doubt be hot and sweaty (and in my case incredibly muddy) after your trek around the rock. So give yourself time to head back to your hotel and relax and freshen up before moving on elsewhere.
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