A lot of travelers visiting Sri Lanka tend to go straight to the Southern beaches and get stuck there. Not a surprise of course when you go straight to paradise. Who wouldn’t just stay there sipping coconuts all day? Unfortunately, you are missing out on some gems in the north of Sri Lanka, Sigiriya (map) in specific.
Sigiriya Views
So Sigiriya basically is this big rock with an ancient fortress on top of it and is part of the Unesco World Heritage Site. Built by an obsessed monarch in the 5th century who was scared to get caught, the fortress oversees the whole green valley as far as the eye can see.When we got there we got the delight of walking up this rock with about a zillion school kids frantically running around and looking at us strange tourists. Honestly, this place is a bit overpriced (freekin’ 30USD and you have to climb the whole damn thing yourself! Not even a welcome drink at the end…), but the views will make you forget that pretty quickly.
Sunset Sessions
We chose to walk up there end afternoon, so we could enjoy the magnificent views with a sunset on top of that. Bring some snacks and drinks and you’ll have a blast. While monkeys are trying to steal your food, the sky turns golden, and the views only get better and better. The more colors the sky gets, the fewer people there’ll be on top of the rock. By the time the sky’s a zillion shades of purple and pink, we were literally the last two souls around, showing off on some yoga moves. There’s something about sunsets (and sunrises for that matter) that just make me so in awe of nature. No place makes me happier than the ones with gorgeous sunsets. And Sigiriya definitely delivers.
Sigiriya town
The town of Sigiriya is no place to stick around for days, but this highlight is definitely one you shouldn’t miss. There are plenty of places to stay, and plenty of local eateries. Unfortunately didn’t find one that actually sticks out, so it’s rice, rice, and rice for dinner no matter where you eat. However, after sweating your ass off and climbing those endless stairs, the rice will taste heavenly and any bed will make you sleep like a baby.
Love,
Marthe
Photos by: M. Barends & T. Barends ©
Sri Lanka looks better than I imagined! Thanks Marte, ive liked all your travels but south America has gone up a notch after seeing sone of your photos.
Cheers
Sheldon
Sri Lanka is truly amazing! And there’s still so much I haven’t seen there.. You should definitely check it out! Hope all is well! 🙂