Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa flourished as the island’s royal capital between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, and its compact, well-preserved ruins are among the most rewarding in Sri Lanka. The Quadrangle gathers some of the finest monuments in one place, including the circular Vatadage with its guardstones and moonstones, while the Royal Palace still shows the scale of its original walls.

At Gal Vihara, four magnificent Buddha figures are carved from a single granite face, among them a serene reclining Buddha of extraordinary grace. Nearby, the great brick shrine of Lankatilaka and the vast Rankoth Vehera stupa give a sense of the city’s ambition, and the small museum near the entrance helps to bring it all into focus.

Exploring by bicycle along shaded paths is a delight, with troops of toque macaques and grey langurs watching from the trees. The vast Parakrama Samudra reservoir, built in the twelfth century, glows beautifully at sunset and still waters the surrounding paddy fields. On the way to or from Sigiriya, an afternoon jeep safari in Minneriya or Kaudulla adds wildlife to a day of history.

Most guests visit Polonnaruwa as a full day from a base near Sigiriya, but it also makes a natural stop on the road to the east coast beaches of Pasikuda and Trincomalee.