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The Ancient Cities

Includes  Why Go? Matale ...... 204 Crumbling temples, lost cities and sacred Buddhist sites are Nalanda Gedige . . . 204 the reason to head up country to the cultural heartland of Sri Dambulla...... 205 Lanka. It was here on the central plains that ancient Sinhalese Sigiriya...... 209 dynasties set up their first capitals and supported massive ar- tistic and architectural endeavours. Eventually these kingdoms Polonnaruwa. . . . .215 fell, slowly to be reclaimed by the forest and jungles. Minneriya & Kaudulla For more than a century archaeologists have been slowly National Parks . . . 226 stripping the many layers of history from this overgrown Anuradhapura. . . . 228 landscape. The rock fortress at Sigiriya, the monumental Mihintale...... 237 dagobas (stupas) of Anuradhapura and the refined carvings Yapahuwa of Polonnaruwa are but a few of the sites now ranking as na- Rock Fortress. . . . 240 tional treasures. Home to four Unesco World Heritage Sites, Panduwasnuwara. . .241 this ‘Cultural Triangle’ is a heaven for amateur archaeologists and historians. Ridi Vihara...... 241 Besides the amazing ruins, save time for the national Kurunegala. . . . . 242 parks, which teem with elephants and outstanding birdlife, and try to visit at least one off-the-beaten-track temple site.

Best Places to Eat ¨¨Sanctuary at Tissawewa When to Go (p236) Dambulla °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm ¨ ¨Hotel Shalini (p236) 40/104 16/400 ¨¨Traditional Foods Sales Centre (p208) 30/86 12/300

20/68 8/200

Best Places to 10/50 4/100 0/32 0 Sleep J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Rice Villa Retreat (p225) ¨¨Sigiri Lion Lodge (p212) Jun A great May–Sep Ele- Nov Ceremonies festival, the Poson phants gather in in Anuradhapura ¨¨Jim’s Farm Villas (p204) Poya, is held at the central and for Unduvap Poya, ¨¨Ulagalla (p235) Mihintale on the easily visited marking the sa- full-moon night. Minneriya National cred bodhi tree’s ¨¨Sanctuary at Tissawewa Park. arrival. (p236) #\ #\ s r a a i r n y l d i o i i a m 6 a t n o 203 k v a y i Anc2 ient Cities Highlights

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