Anuradhapura - A Tale of Sunburn, Flat Tyres and Ancient Ruins
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The ruins of the Ancient capital of Anuradhapura are mysterious, beautiful and spectacularly vast. Set across a site over 16 square miles largevthe UNESCO World Heritage site holds hundreds of ruins, temples lakes and even elephant baths. We knew we had to visit.
How to get to Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is an easy four-ish hour journey from Kandy. There are both public and private buses, as well as smaller air conditioned mini vans that ply this route frequently. We opted for the minivan. The minivan decision was made by the important cost benefit analysis method of:
The minivan already being there right in front of us.
It being ready to go.
Most importantly, the day was hot and we were lazy!
We paid 3120 LKR (£7.53 or $8.57) for two tickets and an extra seat to store our large backpacks.
You can also get to Anuradhapura from any of the other major towns and cities (your journey time may be longer of course)
To book transport in advance check out 12Go, who can arrange transport across of Sri Lanka.
The Town of Anuradhapura
The lake in Anuradhapura town.
After around four hours of juddering, screeching and bumping along Sri Lanka’s road network we arrived in the town of Anuradhapura. We had an easy check in at our guest house and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the town and its lake. Anuradhapura town is, despite its proximity to a major tourist attraction, not particularly lively or set up for the international visitor. We briefly Googled a bar, but it did not pass the Jellie “are there any women present test” so we decided iced coffee would be a better choice of beverage. Around Anuradhapura’s lake, are signs that they are, or at least were, trying to redevelop the area. Lots of half completed picnic spots, a large children’s play area and a smattering of cafes and restaurants line the waters edge. We had a lovely iced coffee here and watched the sun setting over the lake.
The restaurant scene in Anuradhapura is a decidedly local affair. This is ordinarily a very good thing, and on our first night we had an excellent vegetable rice and curry at the Shan Hotel which cost us only 750 LKR (£1.81 or $2.06) for two plates of curry. However, another meal we had in a different restaurant resulted in us being singled out and treated to a high pressure sales event. This was frustrating, as up this point in our trip we’d received minimal hassle and pressure and because all we wanted was a couple of samosas! We were staying in the heart of Anuradhapura’s new town (as it was close to the archaeological site) but we got the feeling that the majority of tourists visiting Anuradhapura Ancient City stay in resorts outside the town and probably eat there too.
Hotels and where to stay in Anuradhapura
We stayed in a cheap and cheerful guesthouse in Anuradhapura town. Villa DeLorenta was close to the main strip of shops as well as the lake and not too far from the ruins, especially by bike. Speaking of bikes Villa DeLorenta also rented us our bikes, which as you can see later….went well…. In all seriousness just check your bike thoroughly before setting off!
To check out the full range of accommodation have a look at the map below:
Anuradhapura Ancient Ruins
Passing green paddy fields as we cycled to Anuradhapura’s Ancient City.
The next morning we rented bikes from our guest house and cycled off towards the ruins. We took the back route into the ruins (not intentionally), we assume it was the back road at least, as the main entrance probably isn’t next to the prison! After coming off the main road, the cycle was beautiful. Passing by lush greenery, confused locals (again we were definitely not taking the normal route in), children waving and colourful peacocks. Admiring the peaceful scenery, we wove our way towards the ruins.
The Anuradhapura Ancient City site is not set up in the same way as some of the other ancient city sites we’ve visited. Unlike Cambodia's Angkor Wat, the local village populations have not been evicted. Normal life coexists with ancient ruins and as a tourist you walk through both.
As you enter the site the ruins just unfold everywhere you look!
We purchased two entrance tickets from a small booth at a junction in the road and paid $50 (the prices were charged in USD but you could pay in LKR at the day's exchange rate). Tickets in hand and along with a shoddily drawn map and feeling like budget Indiana Jones’, we set off on our ruin hunting expedition. The morning sun was intense but we were fully lathered up in sun cream, and ready to take on the vast site, or so we thought…
The Anuradhapura Ancient City site is incredible. Spread over a huge area of 16 square miles (currently, but they are still finding more), this giant complex houses enormous stupas, temples and palaces. The city was a political and religious hub lasting for over 1300 years and built around a cutting from the Buddhist ‘Tree of Enlightenment' brought from India in the 3rd century BC. The city was abandoned following an invasion and was reclaimed by the jungle. Now rediscovered, this UNESCO world heritage site is slowly being unearthed from the forest.
Abhayagiri Vihara Stupa
Our first stop was the gargantuan stupa of Abhayagiri Vihara. Nearly entirely intact and still an active site of worship for Buddhists, the temple dominates the surrounding landscape. The clay colour of its brickwork contrasting against the green jungle and blue sky, its dome towering impossibly high overhead.
You can really get a sense of scale from the building below!
The stupa grounds are a serene and peaceful place. The ancient city is still an active site of worship for Buddhists.
Leaving our bikes in the carpark, we wandered around the surrounding temple and palace complex. Walking through ruins of ancient shrines and monasteries, we were accompanied by leering macaques, crowing cockerels and feeding cows. At one point we encountered a troop of langur monkeys, as they hopped and lolloped along the ancient streets. We took a break from the heat, at the enormous Elephant Pond. We don't know if this was where elephants were bathed, but Ellie did entertain herself with thoughts of an elephant day spa (trunk massage anyone? Imagine giving an elephant a pedicure!).
Anuradhapura Moonstone
We then moved on to see the Anuradhapura Moonstone. A moonstone is found on many Buddhist buildings and the Anuradhapura Moonstone is an especially fine ancient example. Four rings fill its semi circular face, each filled with different animals. The carving was beautiful and amazingly preserved for such an ancient relic.
The Twin Ponds
Next to the car park was a small collection of cafes, coconut sellers and tat vendors. We cooled off with an icy soft drink and an ice cream. Collecting our bikes we started the cycle towards the Twin Ponds. This is when it all started to go wrong for John…
Arriving at the ponds, I turned to see John struggling a 100 metres of so behind… this was unusual as he does like to race ahead normally. Panting, he drew alongside. He seemed to be having a lot of trouble peddling his bike. Attributing it to the fact that we hadn’t done any real cardio exercise since leaving London, my sympathy was insincere at best. Twenty minutes later, we stopped alongside some amorous monkeys (John kept humming a certain song by the Bloodhound Gang) when John asked me to look at his back tyre. Looking backwards it was obvious that it was nearly entirely flat. We were now a good hour and a half ride back to our guest house and were in no mood to cycle out of the park and then find out if our (expensive for Sri Lanka) tickets were multi entry. Reasoning that the tyre wasn’t entirely flat and had lasted up to this point, John decided to soldier on. This example of stiff upper lipped Britishness (not to be confused with stubbornness, no sir!) lasted all of five minutes as the last of the air escaped the tyre. John was no acutely aware that he was riding on the thin metal rim of the wheel, the now useless tyre flopping and dragging around behind him. Admitting defeat he climbed off the bike and began to push.
One of the ‘Twin ponds’ - We couldn’t fit them both into one photograph!
This sounded to me awfully like a John problem, however when trying to cycle at his reduced pushing speed, I discovered that no, this was going to be an us problem (fiancée of the year, I know). So in the 35 degree heat in the middle of the day we both began the sweaty push onwards.
We have to note here about the incredible kindness of strangers we found that day. Three different people tried to re-inflate John’s tyre. We were invited into two separate homes, Ellie treated like a little princess while John ‘helpfully’ looked on as more qualified people attempted to re-inflate the tyre. All well meaning efforts were in vain, and the tyre was busted. No amount of pumping (or swearing at it) could convince it to re-inflate. The only options were either; give up and go back to the guest house or find a cycle shop amongst the ruins. Strangely, Google said there was just such a shop, so cue a forty minute perspiration inducing trundle.
Arriving at a clearly closed shack that we realised that, this effort too, was in vain.
We decided then that the remainder of our sightseeing would need to include pushing two bikes across this vast site. We spent the rest of the day wandering sweatily through ruins and colonnades of abandoned palaces, admiring vast stone arches, stupas and ornately decorated Bodhi trees. Pushing our bikes around from place to place.
Jethawanaramaya Stupa
The final site we visited was the Jethawanaramaya stupa, another enormous brick dome structure squatting in the jungle landscape like a vast bell. The Jethawanaramaya stupa was in a more advanced state of decay than Abhayagiri Vihara, the first stupa we saw. The stupas crown was cracked and a carpet of green partially covered one side. It was almost nice to see such a vast building in this state. It did remind you that we were in a truly ancient site and that, excitingly, any of the surrounding hills or jungles could reveal more treasures like this.
Our lust for archaeology fully satisfied, we decided to call it a day and began the very long push home.
When we visited Anuradhapura it was almost eerily quiet. The only other tourists we saw for the whole day in this 16 square mile site was a single solitary Dutch family. Now we have to temper our reaction to this, as yes, we were lucky to have such an amazing site to ourselves, but on the other hand it shouldn’t have been this way. Without the tourists, there would not be the income for these beautiful ruins to be preserved and properly taken care of. Anuradhapura deserves to be a bustling tourist site, educating all who come into the remarkable history of Sri Lanka. During the strange time we visited, with the empty carparks, abandoned shops and vast lonely monuments, Anuradhapura felt even more like a ghost of a city.
We spent all day exploring the ancient city and saw what we thought was a good portion of it, but sitting here now writing this and looking at Google Maps, there is so much more we could have seen. Maybe if you rent a moped you could fit more in a day, or possibly just check the tyres on your bike before setting off!
Ellie poses away in front of a massive stone doorway.
Tips for visiting Anuradhapura:
Anuradhapura is a holy site and an active place of worship for Buddhists. You will need to dress appropriately to enter a lot of the sites (the huge stupa'‘s included). Shoulders and knees need to be covered and no crop tops!
Pack extra sun cream and water, the sun is intense and we thought we would be protected (factor 50 crew here) for our visit but due to the unexpected extra exertion we must have sweated all of it off. We burnt in the traditional lobster style!
Bring food! When we visited there were a few cafe’s (this is a very generously applied term!) but no where to really get more than a roti, so bring a picnic!
As we mentions, when we went the town wasnt exactly buzzing, dont let this put you off! Anuradhapura is an incredible site and well worth the effort.
If you don’t feel lilke staying in the town you can definitely visit Anuradhapura as part of a tour, just be aware that it is a very large site so you may not be able to see all of it. For some tour ideas check out Get Your Guide below.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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