Polonnaruwa
Welcome to Polonnaruwa
The insider's travel guide to PolonnaruwaPolonnaruwa was the medieval capital of Sri Lanka, a thriving centre of commerce and religion.
Today, visitors can explore the site’s archaeological treasures, including the Sacred Quadrangle and a number of temples. Combine your trip with a visit to the nearby Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
The Polonnaruwa atlas
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Polonnaruwa superseded Anuradhapura as the island’s capital between the 11th and 13th centuries. Handily, it’s a fairly compact site compared to Anuradhapura and is set around the Parakrama Samudra lake. The highlight of the impressively preserved remains is the Royal Palace complex, which sits within the restored walls of the central Citadel. Look for the well-preserved Audience Hall’s stone-carved elephants and lions guarding the entrance. To the north is Alahana Pirivena (the Monastery of the Cremation Grounds), home to the remarkable Lankatilaka Temple, whose walls soar 17m tall and 4m wide, where you will also find an 18m high statue of Buddha – although time and disrepair has rendered it headless. Look for the Buddha granite rock carvings of Gal Vihara, consisting of four separate images. The standing Buddha is considered the best of the four, with its unusual crossed arms and solemn face leading devotees to suggest it is an image of Buddha’s disciple Ananda, grieving for his master. You can explore the Cultural Triangle city Polonnaruwa by car or noisy, uncomfortable tuk-tuk, but a bike is a more eco-friendly way to get around. Biking also gives you a better feel for the ancient city’s scale and layout. Sigiriya is only an hour’s drive from Polonnaruwa and is much better set up for staying over, so consider it as an alternative base instead. Make sure to look out for the endemic toque macaques.
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Begin your trip in cultural Colombo, exploring the city’s markets and multi-ethnic history, before travelling to Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle to see the temples of Polonnaruwa and the iconic Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Next, travel onto Kandy and visit the Sacred Tooth Relic Temple before heading into the tea country at Haputale and going elephant watching at Udawalawe National Park. End your trip on the beaches of the deep south in Tangalle, before travelling back to Colombo for your departure.
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Your Sri Lankan adventure begins in capital Colombo, which combines ancient temples and modern malls. Next, travel to Paramakanda Rock Temple and on to the cultural triangle to see ancient temples at Polonnaruwa and the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, before heading to the Knuckles Mountain Range for hiking trails and mountain views. Continue your Sri Lanka adventure with visits to two national parks: Gal Oya NP offers boat safaris to see elephants swimming and crocodiles hunting, while Yala NP is home to the elusive leopard. Head back to civilisation to explore the colonial mansions and quirky side streets of Galle, before ending your trip back in Colombo.
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Explore Sri Lanka at a leisurely pace, starting in capital Colombo before travelling to the country’s cultural triangle, where you can visit ancient cities, temples and rock formations at Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya. From here, head into Sri Lanka’s rolling hills to the rural town of Kandy, where you can visit tea plantations, hike in the countryside and take cooking classes. End your trip on the beaches of the south coast, where you can take a trip to the fort town of Galle, complete with colonial buildings and grand mansions. Head back to Colombo for your departure.
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Fly into Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo before heading for the historic Cultural Triangle cities of Polonnaruwa and Kandy, where you can see Buddhist temples, ancient capitals and even a relic of Buddha. From here, head into tea country at Haputale, exploring Sri Lanka’s countryside, Diyaluma Waterfalls and a quieter pace of life. Travel back to cosmopolitan Colombo to experience Sri Lanka’s nightlife before embarking on an epic beach adventure on the white sand beaches of the luxurious Maldives.
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Polonnaruwa
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Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle and Maldives beaches
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