Despite the fatigue that inherently comes from flying across times zones, having dinner at breakfast time and all that it takes to get from booking your trip to finding yourself in that airplane seat, the journey from the airport to our accommodation is one of my favourite periods of time. There’s the ‘I’m finally here’ sensation coupled with my insatiable impulse to get right in the thick of things. My eyes are glued to the window, knowing that sleep will have its time at the hotel.

We were headed for Cinnamon Lakeside, one of the luxurious Cinnamon Hotel properties we’d be staying at during our Sri Lankan adventure. Upon arrival, our car door was opened with a smile, our baggage taken away and we suddenly stepped into refreshing coolness. If there’s anything better than the welcome hug of heat, it’s stepping back into more moderate temperatures and sighing at the glorious contrast.

Our room on the third floor was spacious and overlooked the inviting pool. We made ourselves at home and sat down with some reading materials to map out the must’s on our month-long trip.

Sri Lanka may be quite small, but it’s still many hours on a bus to travel to all the most well-known locations. We were pleased to discover Cinnamon Air, Sri Lanka’s only domestic airline, that could get us everywhere we wanted to go in minutes, rather than hours. Plus, they use these awesome looking Cessna’s that would work perfectly for my own circa late 1920’s Amelia Earhart moment. Let’s see if we can’t make it happen.

When I first told a friend I was going to Sri Lanka, her first question was Are you going to climb that rock? That rock, she was referring to is called Sigiriya Rock, or Lion Rock. It’s the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka and one of the country’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sigirya Rock (Lion Rock) in Sri Lanka
And yes I did climb it!  Sigiriya Rock is an ancient palace that can only be reached by climbing the almost 200 metre massive rock massive.  Now seeing ancient palaces isn’t usually by goal of climbing mountains, but I was definitely game and this was definitely a unique experience, plus I LOVE castles…even if all that is left are palace ruins.

At one time Lion Rock was the capital.  King Kasyapa built his royal palace on top, which seems rather fitting for a king.  Or perhaps he was health conscious, or more likely he feared vengeance from his brother after he killed his father – oops!  Climbing up and down Sigiriya Rock  every day is a great way to stay fit!

After the king’s death the palace and capital were abandoned and later on it was used as a Buddhist monastery. As I made my  way up the seemingly endless stairs, I was greeted by several stray dogs whose ribs showed through.  If you’re an animal lover like me, it’s heartbreaking!

Fortunately though there was a mother who appeared to be taking excellent care to her clinging infant as she he clung to her chest and she kept her distance from tourists.

Today all that remains are the outline of where the palace once stood.   After you’ve ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhhed’ over the view of the lush plains stretching to the mountains, take a few minutes and plop yourself on one of the brick ruins (it’s allowed).  Take  a deep breath. I found Lion Rock to be serene and calming, whether it’s the leftover energy from the monks or the gratitude that you have for not having to climb anymore stairs, I don’t know.  But I do know that I as I started to make my way down, I was left with a All is right in the world type of feeling.

5 minutes later that changed. I had heard about the giant wasps and someone had pointed out their equally giant nests clinging to the cliffs but assumed they had been exaggerated.  As I entered into a swarm of wasps, I quickly realized the legends were true.  A local ahead of us instructed  to sit down and be quiet.  Apparently noise irritates the wasps.  We waited in silence for a few minutes and the wasps disappeared. Disaster averted! At the bottom there are vendors selling handicrafts and ice-cream!!!! Covered in sweat, I pulled out an equally sweaty 50 rupee.  At that moment I thought that ice-cream was as good as it gets…until I spotted several monkeys!

And that is as good as it gets for me…monkeys and mountains in one morning!!!

Make the Most of Your Visit to Sigirya
◾Go at 6:30 am when it opens. I know it’s early, but it gets really hot, so trust me, you’ll be happy you did!
◾Stop and check out Mirror Wall, it’s well labeled.  Look closely and you’ll see that it still retains some of its shine that it had 1500 years ago.
◾Directly above Mirror Wall look up and about halfway up you’ll see  the little remaining mural.  In King Kasyapa’s time, the entire wall was a mural.
◾When you come to the Lion’s Feet look to the left and you’ll see black things hanging to the side of the rock.  These are the wasp nests that I previously mentioned.
◾You can either return the same way down, or just before the Mirror Wall, take the stairs to the right.  This is where all the vendors are selling handicrafts…and ice-cream!
◾There are also historical gardens there, considered to be among some of the most important in Asia.  I didn’t visit them, but they looked lovely from the top of Lion Rock.
◾Expect it to be busy.  Remember this is Sri Lanka’s most visited historical site.
◾Bring water, you will sweat and there’s no place to buy it once you’ve started hiking up, until you’re at the bottom again.
◾Anyone in reasonably good shape can reach the top, just go slow and take breaks when you need them.  If you are extremely unfit, you may not get to the top.

Where to Stay
I stayed at Chaaya Village Habarana.  I really enjoyed the natural feel of this property where guests are greeted with cinnamon scented wash clothes and the open air lobby and restaurant.  The property  really does resemble a village with the thatched roof huts that guests stay in. Trees line the ample property and monkeys and giant squirrels are frequent visitors!  Even the paint used is in harmony with nature and is mixed with mud! If you’re seeking something more lavish, then try the Cinnamon Lodge Habarna. You can find both properties at Cinnamon Hotels.

How To Get There
Sigirya is approximately a 3 hour drive from Colombo.  If you’re short on time, then consider a Cinnamon Air flight, which only takes 30 minutes. Through October 2015 it costs $223 USD.   Note:  Thank you to Cinnamon Hotels for making my visit and stay possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.

Laurel Robbins – MonkeysandMountains

Blog Post – http://monkeysandmountains.com/sigirya-rock-sri-lanka

Laurel Robbins was hosted by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and SriLankan Airlines in partnership with the Professional Travel Bloggers Association for TBCasia – Asia’s First Ever Travel Bloggers Conference 2014 in Sri Lanka.