The Water Garden resort is more beautiful in person than online. Checking in you can take in the beautiful gardens leading to the pool, surrounded by the bar and dining pavillions, more gardens beyond the pool, and rising up in the distance — perfectly aligned in the center — is Sigiriya Rock.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom villa and it was fabulous: very spacious; beds super comfy; and the plunge pool a great way to cool off in the afternoon if one so desired, however we preferred the enormous main pool for a refreshing afternoon swim.

The resort was lightly occupied. In fact, I think over the 3 nights we were there, we only saw 2 or 3 other families.

Food was good — nothing amazing but nothing inedible either. Our meals were included in the room rate, though some items were an upcharge. Service was decent, though sometimes slow. I think when restaurants are slow, the staff seems to slow down as well even though the opposite is expected.

Unesco World Heritage sight only 30 minutes from Sigiriya. We enjoyed visiting this set of 5 caves which house paintings and buddhist statues dating back to 1st century BC. It is definitely worth hiring one of the guides to explain the significance of each cave — I think we paid less than $5 for this.

To access the caves, one must walk up many natural stone steps — approximately a 10-15 minute climb. There are monkeys along the way to keep you entertained. Shoes are not allowed inside the temple — there is a shoe check outside. We exited a different way (which was probably the way most arrive and depart) — our driver had us do this. This was a longer but less steep walk with different attractions along the way, such as a snake charmer. He did not ask for money when we took photos but was quite appreciative when we did — even encouraging us to take selfies with the snakes. That’s ok, sir… we are all good from a distance!

This is why you are staying here, so it better be good. And it is! This is an ancient kingdom with an amazing story, and includes ruins, water gardens, frescoes, and unbelievable views for the entire expedition. Expect many steps (1200) but it is doable even if not in great shape. Not including several stops to view things, it probably took us 30-40 minutes to reach the top.

Bear in mind that the final ascent, after you pass through the gate with the giant lion paws, includes some aspects which may alarm some. 1. This part includes steep metal stairs attached to the side of the mountain with views through the steps down to the base approximately 600 feet below. It is NOT for those who have a fear of heights. And 2. There are wasp nests situated on the rocks near this final ascent, and several accounts of climbers being swarmed. Including us! Well, almost… we were descending — which was slightly more scary than the ascent since you can’t help but look down — when our guide suddenly looked frightened and asked us to hurry down as a swarm of wasps had formed near us. All my fear of heights dissapated, replaced by fear of the swarm… Not sure which is worse.

Once we had arrived at the level below the nests, I noticed the large enclosed tent which is available for people to seek refuge from wasp swarms. Hmmm… why not just get rid of the nests?! In any event, please note that this is a serious concern — our guide told us that 200 people were hospitalized a couple weeks prior after a swarm attacked.

But I digress… the history of the rock fortress as well as the ruins to be viewed were amazing and I am so glad we did include this in our itinerary. Maybe I would feel differently if things had taken a different turn. And I highly recommend hiring a guide to take you up — 1. The history of the place is fascinating. And 2. he was able to alarm us to things we may not have known about otherwise.

This is the less interesting rock adjacent to Sigiriya rock where you can get amazing views with Sigiriya included. We opted to hike this at sunrise. Started in the dark, using our phone flashlights to guide us. If you have head lamps, this would help but not absolutely necessary as the hike is not intense until the end — the final 2 minutes involves clamoring over large boulders. Do NOT wear flip flops or you won’t be able to grip the rocks as you hoist yourself up. That being said, sneakers will suffice… no need for hiking shoes. My kids (16 & 18) had no problem at all, but due to my petite frame, I did appreciate the help of my son on the last hoist up.

We found many other early risers at the top, but everyone was quiet and reflective which certainly added to the experience. We did not get much in terms of a sunrise due to clouds, but it was still amazing to be up there gazing on Sigiriya and the expansive valley below us. HIGHLY RECOMMEND you add this to your itinerary.

Oh, forgot to mention… this hike includes a temple so the monks provide a sarong if you are wearing shorts. All of us had shorts but they only gave one to me. We did not actually enter the temple so I took it off soon into the hike. There is a temple you can visit, and near the top is a large buddha statue to view.

I will admit, this was not as interesting to us and we did not explore most of the city. It is also very expensive for Sri Lanka — $25 per person. It was hot, and we did not have a guide, and it did not seem nearly as protected as the Sigiriya site. Due to the extreme heat and the lack of information, we only toured a fraction of the place. History and ancient city buffs will surely appreciate it much more than we did.

TWO places we did NOT visit: Anuradhapura — another ancient city and considered the capital of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was a long drive from Sigiriya, and after reading about it, we realized we had little interest. But don’t let that stop you from exploring if enjoy historical sights. The 2nd place we nixed was Minneriya National Park which is home to many elephants. We did consider it but already had a safari planned in Yala later in trip. Plus the pool and book were calling.