Between 1983 and 2009, a brutal civil war threatened to tear Sri Lanka apart at the seams. Waged primarily between the island’s Sinhalese majority government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the conflict claimed over 100,000 lives. The war only came to an end when the army killed the LTTE’s charismatic leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, after a bloody campaign ...
Hotels in Jaffna Like a feather in Sri Lanka’s cap, the Jaffna Peninsula pokes out of the top of the island, pointing towards India. The long, narrow peninsula is separated from the rest of the country in about every way imaginable: culturally, ethnically, religiously, linguistically and geographically. We took the bus from Anuradhapura, sitting in the back row (the only ...
Our Travel Blog in the News A few kilometers east of Anuradhapura is the small town of Mihintale, famous as the place that Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka. While on a hunt in the woods, the reigning Sinhalese King Tissa encountered a monk named Mahinda, who had been sent to the island by the Indian King Ashoka to spread ...
Dambulla Hotels An extensive complex of ancient cave temples is found in Dambulla, a bustling town just twelve kilometers from Sigiriya. It’s awfully convenient that two of Sri Lanka’s best cultural sites are within such easy access of each other, and we visited one right after the other. The Dambulla Temple was constructed in the 1st century BC and inscribed ...
For our three-day road trip that would bring us to Ritigala, Sigiriya and Dambulla, we needed a lot of energy. Luckily, we couldn’t have chosen a more restful place to spend our down hours: The Back of Beyond Eco Lodge in Sigiriya. Located just past the temple which sits in front of Pidurangala Rock, Back of Beyond lives up to ...
Book your Sigiriya Hotel Here After our tiring ascent to the summit of Sigiriya Rock, we deserved to spend the rest of the day lounging around the hotel. But too many people had recommended a climb up Pidurungala Rock. Sigh, I don’t know. But then, it’s right next to our hotel. But I’m so tired. We debated, deciding to skip ...
Snake Bite Extractor Pump Kit An unavoidable prelude to any journey, is convincing my mother that the destination is safe and that I won’t suffer an agonizingly slow death in a foreign land, far from those who love me. In this respect, Sri Lanka presented more of a challenge than usual. Oh, did I pick and choose the statistics which ...
Order Sri Lankan Tea Here We had reached the large terrace which marks the half-way point on the ascent to the summit of Sigiriya Rock. Before continuing, we took a break and surveyed the remaining path in dread and awe. The next flight of stairs was framed by an enormous pair of stone paws. Because of its profile, Sigiriya had ...
Hotels in Sigiriya Sri Lanka’s most iconic paintings are the Sigirya Damsels, found halfway up the Lion Rock. When they were originally painted in the 5th century, around 500 naked ladies adorned the wall in a massive mural which spanned 450 feet in length and 130 in height. Only twenty-one damsels have survived into the modern day, though the passage ...
Nature’s awesome beauty and the ingenuity of mankind come together majestically at Sigiriya Rock. A massive 320-meter granite stone set incomprehensibly in the jungle, the “Lion Rock” was attracting admiration long before King Kassapa built his castle on top of it, and continues dropping jaws today. Sigiriya is probably the top touristic sight in all Sri Lanka, and for good ...
Hotels in Sigiriya Prince Kassapa had always harbored a secret jealousy towards his half-brother Moggallana. Upon the demise of their father, King Dhatusena, the throne would surely pass to Moggallana, whose mother was the Royal Consort. Kassapa, on the other hand, had been born of a common concubine. But he was not the sort of youth who resigns himself to ...
Did you Enjoy our Travel Books? We would be very happy about a review. The enigmatic remains of the Ritigala Monastery are tucked away on a mountain in the middle of a strict nature reserve. Difficult to reach and largely skipped by tourists, the archaeological site is the kind of place in which it’s easy to imagine Indiana Jones hunting ...
Book A Hotel With Overlooking Elephants in Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, you’re bound to encounter a lot scenes that would be impossible at home. I mean, Elephants Crossing? I’m pretty sure we’re not in Germany anymore! Here is a random collection of some of the funnest, most beautiful and strangest pictures we’ve taken during our first six weeks in ...
Our Published Travel Books We had just arrived at the Isurumuniya Temple at the southern end of Anuradhapura’s Sacred City, and were scoping out the grounds. The temple is set in a large rock near the Tissa Wewa lake, and just to the left of the main shrine was a small cave. “Hey, check this out!” I shouted to Jürgen ...
Please Like Us on Facebook Without the presence of three large lakes near the city center, Anuradhapura would never have been able to flourish as it did. Tissa Wewa, Nuwara Wewa and Basawakkulama ensured that the populace would always have rice and fresh water, even during the long months between monsoons. Not only were they vital to the city’s prosperity, ...
Book Your Travel Health Insurance Here Good morning, class, and welcome to Advanced Sri Lankan Driving. I’ll be your substitute instructor today, as Mr. Pinnaduwa was fatally injured in a brutal head-on crash last night. Let’s get right to it, shall we? Lesson One: Honking Before starting the engine, make sure to test your car’s horn. It’s your most important ...
Fun Travel Gadgets Of the three monasteries which define the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, our favorite was the Abhayagiri, towards the north. We spent hours roaming the sacred grounds, talking to the people who worship there, and getting lost among remnants of the distant past. In the first century BC, a Sinhalese King by the name of Vattagamini Abhaya had ...
Buddha Statues It can’t match the Sacred City for ancient splendor, and by itself wouldn’t warrant a visit on even the most comprehensive itinerary, but the New Town of Anuradhapura is unavoidable on any visit to the city. We spent a lot of time here, shopping, drinking and eating, and visiting the wonderful weekend market. Like the Sacred City, the ...
Please Visit Our Bolivia Blog Found at temples, on hills, in caves, or just along the side of the road, the dome-shaped structures called stupas are one of the hallmarks of Sri Lankan Buddhism. They range in size from modest to monumental, and pop up all over the island, but the ancient stupas of Anuradhapura are the most impressive of ...
Learn Sinhala The only thing more abundant in Anuradhapura’s Sacred City than monkeys, is ruins. Pools, prayer halls, refectories, temples, residences; ruins great and small, in varying states of decay. These vestiges of the past serve as silent testaments to the former glory of Anuradhapura. The former capital of Sri Lanka was defined by three great Buddhist monasteries. The Mahavihara ...
