Cycling in Anuradhapura, the old capital Sri Lankas

Cycling in Anuradhapura, the old capital Sri Lankas

We almost didn't make it to Anuradhapura. Our schedule in Sri Lanka was quite full and although we spent a whole month in the country, our travel route from Colombo, Bentota, Galle, Yala, Udawalawe, Ella, Adam’s Peak, Sigiriya, Kandy and Trincomale meant that we had no more than three days at any location.

The ancient city of Anuradhapura has a long and illustrious past. It was in the 4th century BC Founded and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is one of the old capitals of Sri Lanka and was the center of Theravada-Buddhism for centuries.

Today Anuradhapura is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that extends over an area of ​​40 km².

We had a day and a half in the city and since we could see some Dagobas from our hotel, we decided to go over on foot and spend our first afternoon to explore the city.

alt = "The Tissa-Weva-See" lined with Dagobas "> Atlas & Boots The Tissa-Weva-See lined with Dagobas

Unfortunately, our Laissez-Faire posture backfired when the apparently short walk became half an hour under the scorching sun. We reached the border of the complex and spent astonished 20 minutes to find out how we get from one place to another. There were no obvious footpaths and since the ruins are scattered across a extensive area, it is not really practical to go from one to another.

After learning our lesson, we went back to our hotel and organized bicycles for the next day (1500 LKR / $ 10, organized by the reception). Anuradhapura can be seen with the tuk tuk or private car, but cycling is a much more peaceful way to explore.

bike route through the best sights in Anuradhapura

Length: 8 km (without arrival and departure) Duration: 6 hours (approx. 1.5 hours cycling, 4 hours of sightseeing) violet pins: The sights at which we have stopped blue pins: additional sights that you may want to see

When planning our cycling route through Anuradhapura, we decided to drive to the most distant point in the morning (while our energy is still high) and then bike back comfortably, whereby we stop at important sights.

abhayagiri dagoba

Our first stop was abhayagiri Dagoba. This monumental building from the 1st century BC BC was once the heart of a monastery with 5,000 inhabitants. Like nearby Jetavanaramaya, it was once one of the largest buildings in the world in terms of size. Today it protrudes almost 75 m across the forest floor and is one of the best sights in Anuradhapura.

alt = “We had abhayagiri Dagoba for ourselves alone”> Atlas & Boots We had abbayagiri dagoba for us alone

We were impressed by the complete seclusion of the place. When we arrived, we were the only two people who went through the hall, just accompanied by monkeys who scurried over stairwells and reliefs. In front of a boundless blue sky and the creeping branches of Setzlingen and trees it felt like a scene directly from Indiana Jones.

We stopped at the Ababayagiri Museum, which was interesting (and a good place for a break of the toilet), but can be largely overlooked with a narrow schedule. Then we continued to cycle to the next larger attraction: Jetavanaramaya Dagoba.

jetavanaramaya dagoba

jetavanaramaya is the actual heart of Anuradhapura. While it resembles Abhayagiri in style, its size is more impressive. The massive dome rises above the horizon and can be seen for miles. Jetavanarama was built by King Mahasena in the 3rd century and is said to contain an incredible 90 million stones.

alt = “Jetavanaramaya in Anuradhapura should contain over 90 million bricks”> Atlas & Boots Jetavanaramaya in Anuradhapura should contain over 90 million bricks

We stopped a short stop (which we had brought with us) and continued cycling to Ruweliseya.

Ruwanisaya Dagoba

RUWALISEYA is one of the oldest buildings in Anuradhapura (although it has been strictly restored in recent years). It is certainly impressive, but I felt that his flawless white facade impaired the miracle rather than reinforced. Like the Stupas in Burma decorated with gold leaf gold, the bright and shiny external sterile was more than brick.

alt = “Ruwaniseya is one of the oldest buildings in Anuradhapura”> Atlas & Boots Ruwanzeliseya is one of the oldest buildings in Anuradhapura

similar in style are Mirisavatiya and the nearby Thup paramona, the oldest Dagoba in Sri Lanka.

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi

Our next stop was Sri Maha Bodhi, a holy fig tree that is important for several reasons. It is the oldest living tree that is known that it has been planted by humans and has been maintained continuously for over 2,000 years. It is even more important that it was drawn from a cutting that was brought from Bodh Gaya in India, the tree under which Buddha is said to have found enlightenment.

alt = “Sri Maha Bodhi is the oldest living tree that is known that it was planted by humans”> Atlas & Boots Sri Maha Bodhi is the oldest living tree that is known that it was planted by humans

Sri Maha Bodhi is housed in a temple complex and requires an additional fee of 200 LKR per person (USD 1.30). Visitors are asked to take off their shoes, cover their arms and legs and mainly wear white as a sign of respect. (Note that this applies to sights throughout the complex, not only for Sri Maha Bodhi.)

Sri Maha Bodhi is on the highest platform, surrounded by railing decorated with flags. Sri-Lankische Buddhists visit the place and can be seen around the tree scattered, the heads reduced in prayer and respect. We circled the terrain and then made our way to our last stop in Isurumuniya.

isurumUniya temple

The rock temple isurumuniya is worth a stop. Located next to a picturesque lottery pond, it houses a number of famous carvings, including The Lovers and The Royal Family. Some carvings, including one of elephants that splash in the water, are still on the rock face, but most of them were moved to a small museum within the temple.

alt = "Isurumuinya Tempel"> Atlas & Boots Isurumuinya Temple

We ended our day in Isurumuniya and went back to the hotel. When we got on our bicycles, we agreed that Anuradhapura was one of our favorite actions in Sri Lanka. In retrospect it took us a day and not two, but we were so happy that we did it.

In many ways, Anuradhapura embodies the best sides of travel. It is great and impressive, but still largely undiscovered. Its history extends over thousands of years, but his ruins are in good condition. It is relatively remote, but perfectly accessible.

Anuradhapura reminded us of the joy of stumbling over something amazing and having it all alone - which is the joy of traveling itself in many ways.

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cycling anuradhapura: the essentials

Was: Bicycle route through the best places in Anuradhapura, the old capital of Sri Lankas.

Where: We stayed at the Heritage Hotel, 3 km from the most important sights of Anuradhapura. The hotel is hidden on Lake Tissa and offers a remote starting point to explore the ruins.

The hotel with its big lobby and the high ceilings has the steamed ambience of a charming old library, but that only contributes to relaxation. Our room to the garden side was reasonably quiet and comfortable - think of velvet chairs, crowded pillows and bright white sheets.

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The buffet is rather expensive, so you may prefer to dine in a local restaurant. Anyway, you definitely dare out to the lake to see the Dagobas illuminated at night. The view is really impressive.

When: The best travel time for Anuradhapura is April and September when the weather is dry and sunny and moderate temperatures make cycling a pleasure.

October to the beginning of January the Maha-Monsun brings to Anuradhapura, so they expect to get wet. All other months are good travel times. January to April and mid -July to September offer the best odds for good weather nationwide.

like: The entry fee for Anuradhapura is $ 25 for one day and can be bought on the way in the Archaeological Museum and on kiosks. Note that some sights require a small entry fee in addition to the main ticket, so take some cash with you. A bike rental can be organized by your hotel and should cost 10 USD a day.

You may come across an "insider tip" that says that you can see Anuradhapura for free if you avoid the guards, but this is not a responsible way to travel, so please do not.

You can get from Colombo to Anuradhapura by train (check the railway schedule here). Depending on your starting point, bus lines are available. It is worth noting that we found bus trips in Sri Lanka to be quite stressful, so you may want to take a transfer instead. Your hotel can arrange this, but it is always worth negotiating a discount, since these are normally excessive (e.g. if 15,000 LKR are specified, ask for 11,000).

Many tourists choose to rent a driver for the entire trip. This costs about $ 45 a day (including the days on which you do not use the driver). We used Ajaa (+94 777 284 178) and Sisi (+94 777 203 083) for shorter transfers and found them friendly and reliable.

Most international flights end up at the Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB). Book via Skyscanner at the best prices.

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Lonely Planet Sri Lanka is a comprehensive travel guide for Sri Lanka, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights and choose less busy roads.

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