Sigiriya (The Lion Rock)

Located to the north of Dambulla, surrounded by the jungle emerges an imperial tower of gneiss rock 370 meters tall, upon which the parricidal King Kassapa built his fortress Sigiriya. This rock is one of the major attractions in Sri Lanka. King Kassapa built this fortress to protect himself from his half brother Mogallana, the rightful heir of the throne. Visiting Sigiriya would be a rock climbing expedition of sorts, visitors need to allocate 2-3 hours to explore all features of the rock and the best times to climb the rock would be early morning and late afternoon.

The fountain garden, water garden, boulder garden, the Deraniyagala cave containing the frescoes of the Sigiriya damsels, the Cobra Hood Cave that has faint inscriptions of Brahmi script, floral designs and preserved lime plaster, the mirror wall carrying the oldest graffiti which dates back to the 7th century, the Lion platform and finally the summit which bears the square brick platform of what was once the Royal Palace; are the unique facets of Sigiriya, that makes it a World Heritage Site.

In the afternoon take an optional Elephant Back Safari through the forests and villages of Habarana. A wooden platform large enough to hold four people is secured on top of an elephant. From this unique perch enjoy Habarana and the surrounding wilderness as the elephant waddles his way through.

Access: 15 minute drive from Cinnamon Lodge Habarana.
Location: 14Km from Habarana.