Pidurangala Trip with Uni Friends

February 20, 2018

Pidurangala Trip with Uni Friends

Sigiriya Rock is the number one tourist attraction in Sri Lanka and the main reason most tourists travel to Sigiriya. But it was another adventure that captivated me during our stay in Sigiriya. In fact many other travelers I spoke to also agreed that Sigiriya Rock was great but it was Pidurangala Rock that was the more memorable experience.

Pidurangala Rock

While Sigiriya Rock is rich in history and has some pretty dramatic features such as the lion’s paw and the mirror wall, Pidurangala Rock has a much more natural feel, despite also housing a temple.

Pidurangala Rock is adjacent to Sigiriya Rock and is the best viewing spot of Sigiriya Rock as it is only slightly lower. Pidurangala is a popular spot for sunrise as you can enjoy 360-degree views of not only the valleys but also Sigiriya Rock.

There is no need to choose between the two. Many travelers wake up for the sunrise at Pidurangala and then head to sunset on top of Sigiriya Rock. This is exactly what I did and I highly recommend it.

Pidurangala Hike

At the base of Pidurangala Rock, you will find Pidurangala Sigiri Rajamaha Viharaya, which is a white temple. At this point, women can also loan a scarf to cover their shoulders and legs if they forgot to bring one or wear longer clothing.The entry ticket is totally free for local people and

non-local should be paid Rs.500 per each person.The ticket for Sigiriya is $ 30 (Rs.4664 approx)

but in here it is 9 times cheaper than Sigiriya for non-local people.

Tip: If you are on a tight budget, definitely do the Pidurangala Hike as you will still get to enjoy Sigiriya Rock but 4664.70Rs ($30) is a lot for a backpacker on a budget.

The hike doesn’t ease you in. After only a few minutes we were at the base of a huge row of stairs. Not what you want at five in the morning but they didn’t last long.

The hike only took us 20 minutes and was relatively easy despite the incline and some parts of the path being a little bit ‘off-road’.

Halfway through the hike, you will reach the Pidurangala Temple, which takes you back in time although not quite rivaling the history of Sigiriya Rock.

After you reach the temple there are only 5-10 minutes of trekking remaining. However, this part of the trail involves some bouldering. While it may seem easy to many it might be a bit challenging for some. There are no dangerous sections just a few boulders, which require a big step up.

Pidurangala Temple

The Royal Cave Temple is survived only by a few remains. A rock wall still stands to show the foundation of what was once a rock temple. We missed it on the way up in the dark but stopped to check it out on the way down. A huge reclining Buddha, lays inside the temple and we also didn’t stop to take it in on the hike up but it was unmissable on the way down. It has been reconstructed with bricks but much of the original structure remains intact.