A really early start to the day today as we decided to climb Sigiriya ahead of the crowds and while it was still relatively cool. Rising dramatically from the central plains, the UNESCO-protected ruins of this 5th-century 'Sky Fortress' are one of Sri Lanka's major attractions and an impressive feat of engineering skill. The fortress was built in just seven years as a fortified palace atop the granite peak, to protect the reign of merciless King Kassapa who had assassinated his father and deposed his brother. Before our final ascent to the summit, crowds pass between a set of enormous lion paws carved out of the rock - all that remains of an ancient gateway that gave Sigiriya, the 'Lion Rock', its name. From here a series of switchback steel stairways ascend to the top …… well worth it but a challenge for anyone who is not keen on heights. Once at the 200-metre summit, there were magnificent views of the surrounding jungle and countryside.

Getting back to the hotel, I grabbed a late breakfast and then headed off to the Hill Town of Kandy in the country’s central highlands. The drive to Kandy took around four hours including stops for lunch, to see a woodcarving centre at Naula and a spice garden.

Sitting on a plateau 500 metres above sea level and 112 kilometres northeast of Colombo, Kandy is, in climatic and cultural terms, a world apart from Colombo. Serving as the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom until falling to the British in 1815, it's a place of cultural and spiritual importance. Buddhists from all over the world come here specifically to visit the Temple of the Tooth, the Dalada Maligawa. The costly jewelled shrine of the Holy Tooth, said to be Buddha's left canine, is kept on the upper floor of the original building. This relic was brought from India 1,500 years ago and every year, at the time of the August full moon, it is paraded around the town with great celebration in the Perahera Festival.

After a great night overlooking a lake dug by the British in the nineteenth century, with another spectacular sunset, we headed to an old colonial bar I had been recommended…… when it all started to go wrong.

What was planned to be a civilised night went downhill rapidly as I and a Kiwi army veteran I met that evening spent the next six hours watching England vs Scotland at cricket followed by The Calcutta cup (again England vs Scotland) in the rugby……..I foresaw a challenging morning!

And indeed it was, so after some dhal, roti and coffee I took myself off to the botanical gardens. These beautiful gardens were devastated in the cyclone which tore through the area in November 2025, however they have been restored brilliantly and there is little evidence of the carnage which led to many of the towns in the area being inundated by up to eight feet of water. Later in the trip, I was hoping to get the train from Kandy down south through the famous Ella Gap but again due to landslides, this iconic train route remains closed. Some time for replanning was required!

A beautiful couple of days in this cooler climate was only enhanced by the first rain of the trip which really freshened the air.




This blog was conceived and written by Nigel Buckland