Sigiriya Rock is perhaps the most photographed attraction in Sri Lanka. The 600 foot high rock sits in the Matale District but the ruins of the royal palace are what make it unique. Arthur C Clarke described King Kashyapa’s royal palace (500 CE) as the 8th wonder of the world and, in its day, it must have been stunning. It is still a sight to behold with the water gardens, rock gardens, cobra hood frescoes, mirrored wall, lion’s gate, and the remains of the palace at the summit.
Sigiriya Rock was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and is part of the Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle along with Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, and Kandy. This region of Sri Lanka has been inhabited for a long time as evidenced by the nearby Megalithic Burial Sites and the rich history of the ruins of Polonnaruwa. Visiting Sigiriya Rock is an obvious addition to our best of Sri Lanka guide.
Guides and popular literature will tell you how Sigiriya was part pleasure palace and part fortress. Walking the grounds and climbing the rock, I found clues that point to a different interpretation of the facts. Could it be that Sigiriya is actually Alakamandava, the legendary city of the gods from Sri Lankan folklore? I’ll present the clues as I saw them, and let imagination and deduction guide you.
King Kashyapa’s Bloody Succession
Some parts of King Kashyapa’s story are very well known from Buddhist writings. For centuries, the monks compiled a history of the monarchy in a comprehensive book called the Culavamsa. The Culavamsa tells about King Dhatusena, who had two sons, Kashyapa and Moggallana. Moggallana was of royal blood and the rightful heir to the throne while Kashyapa’s mother was a commoner.
King Dhatsena’s nephew, Migira was a powerful royal. He was an army commander who begrudged the king for the execution of his wife. He conspired with Kashyapa and together they pulled a coup. With shades of Edgar Allen Poe, Kashyapa entombed his father alive and seized the crown. The rightful heir, Moggallana, fled to India, fearing for his life.
The facts of what happens next are well known. Kashyapa moved the capital from the well established Anuradhapura on the banks of the river Malvathu Oya to SigiriRock in the middle of a deep and inaccessible jungle. The whys of this move were not recorded. Perhaps, as the popular tale goes, he feared an attack from Moggallana. Our guide alluded to the poisoned politics in Anuradhapura and Kashyapa seeking a fresh start in a new capital. What else could a fresh start bring?
Another book, the Ravana Watha, describes a King Kassapa, son of Daathusena who selected Cithranakuta as his home. Cithranakuta is also known as Alakamandava, the city of the gods. The slightly different names for the monarchs are common from historical translations into the Cyrillic alphabet so this seems to be another chapter of the same story. In the Ravana Watha, King Kassapa was motivated to re-establish Cithrankauta because of his mother’s heritage. His mother was a Yakka, an indigenous tribe of Sri Lanka who are the fabled architects the Alakamandava in ancient history. How ironic would it be if King Kashyapa’s new capital was to proclaim his rightful lineage from his low born mother instead of his royal father?
Sigiriya’s Outer Walls
We hired our guide in the parking lot when we arrived at Sigiriya. He spoke reasonable English but lacked a flair for storytelling. In retrospect, we might have been better served to do more study upfront and definitely visit the museum at the entrance. It should be noted that the foreign car park is not near the museum or ticket counter so if you are going to visit the museum, you need to go right after you pick up your tickets.
We approached Sigiriya through a pleasant, but nondescript park area. Each step brought the towering rock closer and closer. The Sigiriya ticket comes with three pull tabs: one for the gardens, one for the cobra hood, and one for the museum. After a couple of minutes, we reached the first ticket counter, where they pulled our garden tab and ushered us in.
This entrance definitely looked fortified. We crossed over a 15’ deep moat that our guide said was once filled with crocodiles and used to have a drawbridge to cross. He pointed to a foundation on the outside of the moat that he said once had walls 7’ tall. It was then that I started to wonder about the absolute truth of this interpretation.
I am no castle builder, but I have always seen the defensive walls placed behind the moat so you could assail your enemies as they are swimming across the croc infested waters. I would have clear passages behind the walls, so your own troops are mobile and can respond to breaches anywhere in the defense.
There were also fortifications missing. Where were the gatehouses to protect the drawbridge? A quick study from Google Maps shows that the moat also didn’t surround the entire property. Perhaps, only the front portions have been excavated, but perhaps, they were only an entry water feature.
Water Gardens of Sigiriya
Arthur C Clarke drew inspiration from Sigiriya for his book, Fountains of Paradise. Even in their partially restored state, they were magnificent. Pools extended to the left and right of the main walkway leading to Sigiriya Rock. On the right, the pools have been fully excavated while on the left, they remained buried under the jungle soil.
Pool after pool, they extend in beautiful symmetry which is an amazing level of urban planning for the time. Consider the contemporary city of ancient Rome, which has nary a straight road to be seen. There are also fountains that still flow during the rainy season that are fed by underground pipes from the cisterns further up the hill.
The water garden was lavish indeed, but again I question our guides interpretation. He said how King Kashyapa had 500 wives, who he would watch bathing in the fountains all day. I imagine the pool at the Playboy Mansion isn’t square, but some kind of an oval to give Heffner a better view. Also, he wouldn’t put in a second pool in perfect symmetry across the way. It would only serve to dilute the view. If I were king, I would at least put in an elevated gazebo to watch the action from. Somehow, something was missing from the claims that these were pleasure pools.
I also don’t understand water gardens as an integral part of your defenses. I have been to castles in France and I have been to Versailles. With all of the fountains and gardens, Sigiriya felt much more like a palace than a fort. The inconsistencies were starting to mount as history came alive around us.
Boulder Gardens at Sigiriya
The boulder gardens are past the water gardens at the base of Sigiriya Rock. What makes these gardens special is that they are a strong counterpoint to the symmetry of the lower gardens. Paths enter through rock gates that naturally form around the perimeter. In one section of the rock gardens, there is a natural amphitheater, where the king would hold audiences. It’s rare, even in modern times, to have such dissimilar elements of symmetry and asymmetry side by side.
We stopped to take a few shots of monkeys climbing on the ruins, but we didn’t linger long in the rocks. We had finally reached the base of Sigiriya. 1200 steps and 660 vertical feet separated us from the summit and we were itching to go up.
Frescoes on Sigiriya Rock
(Photography in the Cobra Hood is prohibited. Picture from Wikipedia)
Perhaps the most famous feature of Sigiriya are the frescoes. At one time, 500 frescoes adorned almost all Sigiyara rock, making it an open-air gallery. It’s not the paintings, but their subject that draws the most speculation. They are all topless women of all colors and ethnicities. It’s easy to see how one could assume Sigiriya was simply a pleasure palace of a playboy king.
After a brisk climb on the ancient terracotta steps, we reached a modern installation. A ticket collector took our second tab to see the frescoes and we climbed up a spiral metal staircase to the top of a rock formation called the Cobra’s Hood. Without the stairs, these frescoes would be inaccessible. Perhaps that is why they are the only ones remaining. Also, the perfect protection of the rock shelter kept them in pristine shape. They were beautiful, but photography was prohibited so we didn’t take any pictures. Perhaps these lovely ladies hold the secrets of Sigiriya.
Just beyond the Cobra’s Hood was the Mirror Wall. This is a walled path that leads from the Cobra’s hood to the final climb at the Lion’s Gate. Our guide told stories about how the wall was polished with honey until they shimmered with a perfect reflection. He said this was so King Kashyapa could see his painted ladies reflecting on the wall.
There were guards placed every 10’ to keep you from approaching the wall, because of the ancient tradition of travelers writing their stories there. In this ancient graffiti, the painted ladies find their voice. It’s in these inscriptions, some over a thousand years old, that we hear their story. This is how we know that at one time, frescoes adorned the entire mountain. We also can guess why they were removed.
When King Kashyapa began construction of Sigiriya, he moved an order of monks to the neighboring Pidurangala Rock. After his fall, Sigiriya was returned to the monks. Our guide said half naked ladies distracted the clergy during meditation, so they removed the offending frescoes. However, the monks returned in 495 CE, after Kashyapa’s death. Almost 700 inscriptions from the 8th, 9th, and 10th centuries have been translated from the wall that tell the story of 500 frescoes covering nearly all of the west wall nearly 500’ wide and 100’ tall. Did the offended monks wait five hundred years for their sensibilities to kick in?
Perhaps these ladies aren’t trophies from a playboy king’s harem at all. The book Ravana Watha infers that the blue ladies represent the Yakka Tribe. The other ladies could be from the Tribes of Naga (Cobra), Deva (Divine), and Ganadabhbha (Odors) with the flower motif representing the unity of the country. Could the frescoes actual be a symbol of the country unified under Yakka rule? All of the women pictured do have strong, indigenous features such as broad noses.
The monks appear to have tolerated the bare tatas for centuries, but quite possibly shifting politics decided to remove 50,000 square feet of Yakka propaganda. We may never know the true motivation for the desecration, but it would seem more likely related to whatever caused the pilgrimages to stop in the 10th century, than an uncharacteristic change of Buddhist tolerance.
The Lion Gate at Sigiriya Rock
The Mirror Wall ends at a courtyard dominated by what once was the Lion Gate. All that remains of the structure are two giant paws flanking a staircase. At one time, the stairs led through the open mouth of a lion’s head that crouched between the paws. This must have been an impressive sight during any age.
We were shown an outcropping where a squatting guard would have to stay awake at his post or fall to his death. Our guide also pointed out a rock that was in the process of being raised on splints. The claim was that this massive boulder was poised to drop on invading hordes. Of course, an obvious weakness of this strategy was that it didn’t actually overhang any of the paths one would use to access the Lion Gate. In fact, very little if any defensive structures were build around this inner sanctum. Perhaps they collapsed long ago with the lion head, or perhaps they never existed in the first place.
Palace in the Sky on the Summit of Sigiriya Rock
We climbed up the stairs between the lion paws. The old path was reinforced with steel steps and guardrails. Just a little bit more climbing and we came to the top of Sigiriya Rock. Our views extended in all directions 660’ above the ground. We could clearly see the symmetry of the water gardens below, but what drew our attention was the foundation of a vast palace on top of the rock. Room after room was laid out before our eyes and we only imagine the splendor of this place in its prime.
In addition to the massive palace, there was also cisterns bored into the rock that still functioned 1500 years later. With the palace and ample water, King Kashyapa stayed up here during the heat of the summer instead of sweating on the valley floor below. Which brings us to our final questions about the traditional story of Sigiriya being a fortress.
The Siege of Sigiriya
King Kashyapa’s reign lasted 18 years. His legacy was built along with Sigiriya, but he stayed relatively sequestered in his palace. According to the well-maintained text of the Culavamsa, the rightful heir Moggallana returned to Sri Lanka and marched unopposed to Sigiriya. There, he issued a challenge to Kashyapa to meet on the field of battle.
For the people who believe Sigiriya was a fortress built to defend against the assault of Moggallana, Kashyapa did an unbelievable thing. He left the safety of Sigiriya and engaged his brother in the open field. Of course, if Sigiriya was, in fact, a palace and a symbol of Yakka rule, then it would make perfect sense not to turn it into a war zone.
The battle was short and decisive. Kashyapa’s and Moggallana’s armies lined up against each other. Soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder and armored elephants taking the part of the heavy cavalry. For some inexplicable reason, Kashyapa troops retreated and he was left alone in the field. Folklore says he drew his dagger and sliced his own throat in a final act of defiance.
The stories are conflicted about why there was such an egregious strategic error as to have the king captured in the open moves. This fool’s mate might have come from fowled communication or treacherous terrain. It might have been caused by Moggallana’s eighteen patient years in India until he could plant the perfect bloodless repatriation. The only thing we are sure of is that the battle took place outside of Sigiriya. That is perhaps the strongest evidence that Sigiriya was a palace and not a fortress. We may never know the full secrets of Sigiriya, but we should still take time to imagine the wonder and history of such an amazing place.
Visiting Sigiriya Rock
Sigiriya Rock is in Central Sri Lanka, near the town of Dambulla. Every beach town will offer a day tour here that will consist of a lot of driving and climbing the rock in the middle of the day. If you have the time in your schedule, it would be better to stay in the area and make the climb earlier in the day to avoid the heat, crowds, and afternoon rain showers. We were able to arrange transportation directly from our Ayurvedic Retreat, Mahagedara Wellness Retreat, which was a few miles away, but there are a lot of options for room and board on Sigiriya Road, just outside of the site. It was about $30/person to enter which included a visit to the museum but not a guide. I wouldn’t let price dissuade you from going. It is absolutely worth it and the money goes to preserve the archaeological site.
We are excited to share our journey with you
Subscribe to receive our latest posts by email
Sigiriya Rock looks absolutely stunning – you’ve captured such beautiful photography, it is so evocative. Was it hard to climb? I love its history and intrigue too, and wandering around the ruined royal palace would be something I’d like to do. The stories around whether it is a palace or a fortress are very interesting indeed, and I definitely feel like the mystery adds to the beauty of it all!
It was about half excavated by the Brits in the 30’s with little to no restoration of the buildings on site. You had to construct the castles in your mind from their remaining foundation. It wasn’t too hard to climb. I have seen people talk about it as a thrill seeking destination but, it’s not. You slowly lumber up the stairs and then back down again because there is just so much to see. You wouldn’t want to take it too fast anyway.
Your post made me realize that I know nothing at all about Sri Lanka. I feel like I just got a crash course in its history, it’s geography, and what makes it so unique. Definitely a place I’d like to see for myself!
Wait till you see my follow on article that talks about a thousand years of climate change and ties Sri Lanka back to the Medieval Warming Period and the Little Ice Age. You’ll have a masters degree in Sri Lanka before we’re done with you. There was so much cool stuff going on over there that I had to read up on it.
Nice, now you made us wanna travel to Sri Lanka so bad 🙂 this place is absolutely amazing. Great tip is to stay somewhere close and be able to climb it, and get to the place a bit earlier to avoid the crowds! In the Polish version of the reality show called “Asia Express” they had to rush up these stairs to the very top, and it looked absolutely magical. Now, your amazing article, so many details here. We think, it’s time to plan Sri Lanka for us!
We met quite a few Poles (and even more Russians) in Sri Lanka. It’s amazing how a distant vacation can be budget travel for Eastern Europe. I bet you could get over there at a fraction of what it cost us. Once you’re in country, everything is very reasonable.
Sigiriya Rock is stunning! What a surprise to come upon that if you were walking around back in the day. I love the giant lion paws at the bottom.
The re-discovery of Sigiriya Rock was quite an adventure. The Brits heard about the “Palace in the Sky” and didn’t find it until their second expedition. The high plains of Sri Lanka were virtually abandoned when the empire collapsed about a thousand years ago. The irrigation works required for farming were in such a state of disrepair that it couldn’t support a large population until the 20th century. Sigiriya saw almost no visitors for 500 years.
OMG this place is incredible. From a distance it looks strange but up close, with pictures of the tourists weaving up and down, it looks like a real adventure. In such beautiful surroundings too.
Imagine what it must have looked like before the lion’s head collapsed. I have seen drawings that depict the entire mountain as a lion edifice.
I really enjoyed reading this post, mainly because I’m probably one of the only people never to yet visit Sri Lanka! I’ve heard of this famous rock, but it was nice to read about the history behind it. I also enjoyed your interpretation as to what you would do if you were king in the water garden! Ha, loved it!
We really enjoyed you reading the post and having you visualize the water garden. A lot of people haven’t been to Sri Lanka. The civil war kept tourism down for a while and you can tell that the industry is just getting going over there. It’s still a place with a lot of unknowns and a lot of secrets to be discovered.
We didn’t get to visit Sigiriya Rock during our short trip to Sri Lanka, and wish we had! Love this detailed post of what to see and expect, along with your thoughts on the history. -Kristy & WC
Love your blog name. There was no way we were going that far across the world and not seeing Sigiriya Rock. Now having, having been to Sri Lanka, we wish we made time for Adam’s Peak.
Probably the most famous (and most beautiful) site in Sri Lanka! Congrats for making it to the top the 1200 steps, but there is so much to see and discover that it’s definitely worth it! A lot of fascinating hostory here. Your pictures are beautiful, and staying nearby to go earlier than the crowd is definitely a great tip.
Thank you. 1200 steps are a lot easier to navigate than 1200 tourists for sure. You’ll be glad that you stayed over. There is probably an optimal route through Sri Lanka that combines some of the interior activities with the beach activities so you are always staying over at the interesting places and not doing out and backs.
What I dont like with history is that one can’t never know for sure what has really happen. I am a very curious person and I am dying to know more! The story of Sigiriya rock is one of those stories and I love especially how you explain things mix with humour! Your conclusion really make since…if the Sigiriya rock was a fortress why didn’t the battle happened there? I wish to visit the Sigiriya rock one day! Its truly unique and thanks to you I will have Hugh Hefner starring as Kashyapa in my head!
Thanks. Glad you liked it and also that you read the piece in such great detail. If you make a Hugh Hefner starring as Kashyapa T-shirt, send me a copy.
I’ve seen photos of Sigiriya Rock but hadn’t heard of King Kashyapa’s royal palace. I had no idea that Sigiriya was part pleasure palace and part fortress. I thought it was just a very cool rock! Thanks for the tip on visiting the museum right after you pick up your tickets. I agree that it would be good to know some of the history and stories going in, especially if it’s a mixed bag with the guides you get and some of their information sounds like a stretch!!
Amazing to imagine what the area would have been like in the height of its day – imagining crocodiles swimming in the moat as you cross, the gardens full of activity, and frescoes being painted throughout the mountains. It’s incredible to think that frescoes so ancient still exist to this day, especially as most of them were removed.
The Lion gate and staircase are the parts of the Sigiriya experience I have seen, and you definitely get incredible views from the top! I like the idea of staying in the area and making the climb earlier in the day. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I wanted to dig a little deeper and make the experience of visiting Sigiriya more fun and significant. It’s very easy to wander in, look around, and say cool rock. Guides being a mixed bag is gracious for what I observed there. Even the literature is spotty and seems to fall in line with the Pleasure palace / fortress story that has significant gaps in my opinion. This piece is actually one of the more comprehensive stories out there and took a bit of research to pull together.
That is some very interesting history, legend, (or myth). I like the initial portions of the Culavamsa. The palace must have been grand in its day.
The monks were able to charge entry fees for over a century after the kingdom fell. That certainly speaks to its grandeur.
From what you are describing, a lot of thought has been put into building the fortress of Sigiyra: symmetric gardens, open air gallery adorned with colorful frescos. I know very little about Sri Lanka’s history to be able to tell if Sigiriya might actually be Alakamandava. At any rate, this seems to be an absolute must for anyone visiting Sri Lanka and I truly hope to make it there someday.
It’s a good mystery for the curious crowd and definitely a must see for Sri Lanka.
That is one giant paw! Seeing the full statue would have been a sight! I’d never heard of this place and from your descriptions of the gardens, the frescoes, the history and the view, I know I’d really enjoy seeing Sigiyira Rock.
Have you ever seen Duran Duran’s Girls on Film video? They shot the video throughout Sri Lanka with the band playing on the summit of Sigiriya and being filmed by helicopter.
Fabulous and such a detail account of visiting Lions Rock. We went to Sri Lanka for a month this Summer but chose to climb the neighbouring Pidurangala Rock instead as we have two young children and I don’t think our youngest would have made the climb yet. Your photos are amazing and it’s so great to read such a detailed account. Makes me want to go back and climb it. We will – in a few years! Thanks for sharing.
Hats off to you. We climbed both Sigirya and Pidurangala and, without a doubt, Pidurangala is significantly harder. The steps aren’t as well maintained, their are no handrails on either the steps or the top, and the final climb to the summit was serious scrambling. You have two kick ass kids.
Really great photos there. Sigiriya is an incredible site! Did you get a chance to climb up Lion Rock?
Yes, the pictures from the summit are from summit are our. We wouldn’t go all the way there and not summit.
Wow, that’s a lot of convoluted and intriguing history – well told by you! I don’t know much about Sri Lanka; the time I was keen to visit was in during the Tamil war. So I have not heard of either, Sigiriya Rock or Alakamandava, the city of the gods.
The lion gate must have once been an amazing sight, and probably quite intimidating to ordinary people. Imagine to have to step through the open mouth of an oversized fierce looking lion into the unknown…
Your tip to look for accommodation nearby, and thus arrive before the day’s heat and tourist crowds, can be repeated all over the world. If you come by any tour from resort you’re bound to end up in a crowd, as all operators seem to leave at around the same time. A place like this can feel so much more magic without hundreds of people milling about.
If you really want the place all to yourself you can come during rainy season. I have seen video shot where people where all alone up there.
This place looks really amazing, even though I honesty have never heard of it. Congratulations on making it to the top, your photos are really amazing. I would love to go here and explore this. Thank you for sharing.
I could certainly imagine an bastard child having more affinity to his mother. There are enough tribes in indiginous cultures that she very well could have been from the leading tribal family. That bloodline is just a stone through away from “royal”, in which case, he would have right to claim the throne. I would think he would go with “my mom is a queen” as he claims the throne.
I love your perspective and think you’re onto something. What an incredible place no matter its history. I’d love to explore the boulder garden and climb through the palace. Beautiful pictures, tatas and all!
Thank you. You would really enjoy a visit here. It’s right up your alley.
This place looks breathtaking – and climbing the rock probably is. When I first started reading and looked at the pictures, I thought too bad, that’s not for me since I’m afraid of heights. But seeing the nice staircase – I can do that. Since I’m planning on going to Sri Lanka next year, I’ll keep your post for future reference since it really looks very, very alluring.
We felt no acrophobia at all at Sigiriya. The stairs are all metal and modern. Nothing sketch about them at all. I wouldn’t let fear of heights stop you from this trip. I give it about a 2 out of 10 on a thrill seeking scale.
What a beautiful place — and I enjoyed your discussion of the two conflicting explanations of what Sigiriya’s function originally was. I think you’re right — it wasn’t a defensive military installation. All of the defenses you describe sound more symbolic than truly useful. An amazing palace, beautiful and serene in many ways, with massive set-pieces like the massive lion’s foot, the moat, and the massive boulder all speak to the power of the monarch, rather than being actual defensive tools.
I also really appreciate you advice to stay here, thus avoiding the rush of day-trippers. It makes all the difference in the world, and reminds me of a similar experience at Mont St. Michel in France.
Now I have tides and tourists to think about with Mont St. Michel. There is probably only a handful of days in a month where you have favorable tides at the right time in the morning. I have been in love with Mont St. Mitchels. It’s in the top five of places in France I haven’t been but really want to go (hut-hut in Chamonix #1, biking in Louvre Valley #2). You can tell which one is the outlier there but it’s because it has been on the list so long.
You have some friends who can recommend some great places for you. We have seen Lauren’s pictures and it looks like she had a great trip. A lot of their food is naturally vegan, but the cooks at Mahagedera were able to go pure vegan upon request.
Thank you. Glad that you liked the piece.
It seems like a shame to leave it off, but we missed Adam’s Peak so we feel you. There always seems to be that one place that gets away.
With all of the people, there was probably too much resting. Actually, Jenn had a pretty bad sinus thing going on but made it like a trooper. Along the way up there are three major things to stop and investigate: (1) the frescoes in the Cobra’s Hood, (2) the thousand year old signatures on the Mirror Wall and (3) the Lion Gate. Plenty of things to do so you aren’t just climbing the entire time.
It’s was really cool seeing it in person and just imagining what it must have been like back in the day.
You would absolutely love going and soaking up all of the culture.
Sigiyira Rock was one of my favorite stops in Sri Lanka, especially the frescoes and Lion Gate….but the absolute best part were the views!
Thank you for the stories and history behind Sigiyira Rock. We may never know the true story, but I enjoyed reading about the possibilities. The frescoes look amazing. The whole site is beyond beautiful and a little bit other-worldly. And, oh my, the Lion Paws are magnificent.
It’s an amazing place. You know you’re not in Nebraska for sure.
There are all kinds of stories. I think the guides get a kick out of the 500 wives tale.
I am starting to think crocs are everywhere from sewers to puddles and certainly every moat at every fort for sure.
The near by Dambulla Cave Temples look a like like the Ajanta Caves too. I wonder if there is a connection between these two areas.
There is some really cool things in Sri Lanka. If you go, make sure you check out the elephant safaris. They are absolutely amazing.
We visited several UNESCO sites in Sri Lanka. We visited the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and Dambulla Cave Temples. The Dambulla and Sigiriya are actually close enough to visit in the same day.
I find religion and history are so closely intertwined it’s impossible to separate one from the other. I try to be respectful of all religions and all people equally.
Oh this looks like an amazing experience! I have never heard much about Sigiyira Rock but it looks pretty cool, your pictures are awesome too! Would love to visit one day, it is going on my travel wish list!
You really should make it out to Sri Lanka. There are some cool things to see and do, with Sigiriya very high on that list.