So we decided one night in Kandy was enough. We woke up early the next morning to take an early bus to Dambulla. We needed to go back to the Goods Shed Bus Station which was quite a long walk from the hostel. We decided to take a tuk-tuk because we were all carrying huge bags. The standard tuk-tuk price in Kandy is similar to Negombo, which is 300 Rupees. I figured it was grossly overpriced because we were obviously not locals, but I asked one local and she said it isn’t much cheaper for them. They pay about 250 Rupees.
The Goods Shed Bus Station was even more chaotic in the morning. There were so many buses and there seemed to be no order in which they were parked. Most of the buses had their destinations clearly stated with signs up front, but it could take forever trying to find a bus to Dambulla on our own. So we asked a local vendor where the buses to Dambulla were parked. He asked us if we wanted an ordinary bus or an air conditioned one. We asked how much we had to pay for either one. For ordinary buses, a one way bus fare to Dambulla costs 100 Rupees (about 60 US cents) and the journey would take about 3 hours. An air conditioned express bus on the other hand costs 300 Rupees each way (about 2 USD) and it would only take about 1 1/2 hours to get to Dambulla. That sounded like a great deal, and it wasn’t really expensive so we opted to take the air conditioned one. And like every stranger we asked for directions, this guy told us to just follow him and brought us to the air conditioned bus, which was actually more of a van. These vans were at the end of the bus station, near the small stores that sell snacks. As expected, he didn’t ask for anything in return. But since it was kind of a long walk we felt we should buy something from him as a sign of gratitude so we bought some of the snacks he was selling.
After about 1 1/2 hours, we were dropped off at the main road (Kandy Road) in Dambulla, right smack in the center of town. I guess Dambulla isn’t really part of the backpacker trail because there aren’t many hostels. In fact, on those hostel booking websites we only found one hostel and a dorm bed costs about 5 USD a night. There are loads of guest houses though, and rooms were real cheap. Now since we were cheapskates (haha), we figured we’d save more money if we just shared one room. Rooms were really cheap, the cheapest one we found only costs 6 USD and it could accommodate up to 3 people. The room had one single bed and one double bed. That meant two guys would have to share a bed— kinda awkward sharing a bed with someone you’ve just known for a couple of days, but what the heck. We’d be able to save money that we could spend on something else so we just went for it. Haha.
Our main destination in these parts is actually the Sigiriya Citadel, aka the Lion Rock— reportedly Sri Lanka‘s answer to Machu Picchu. There could be some confusion with the name. A lot of people, especially travelers, refer to the Citadel simply as Sigiriya. Sigiriya is also the name of the small town where the Lion Rock is located. There are also a lot of cheap places to stay in Sigiriya, but we opted to stay in Dambulla which is the much larger town next to it. There would be more places to eat, and it would be easier to buy certain stuff in case we needed to. Sigiriya is only less than 30 minutes away by tuk-tuk anyway… close to an hour if you take a local bus.
As soon as we dropped our bags at the guest house, we grabbed a quick bite at a cheap restaurant outside. After eating, we started walking towards the bus station. It was quite a long walk, a lot of tuk-tuk drivers kept pestering us if we wanted a ride. The station was within walking distance so we just opted to continue walking. One tuk-tuk driver was incredibly persistent, and he kept following us. Eventually we reached the bus station. To reach Sigiriya via local bus, it costs 60 Rupees each way. We had to wait until the bus was at least half full though, so it would be quite a long wait since there were only 5 of us inside the bus aka sauna. And yeah the heat inside the bus was starting to become unbearable. One local told us that if we couldn’t wait, we could head to the first bus stop about 300 meters north of the clock tower on the main road. Buses usually stop there for about 10- 15 minutes waiting for passengers. But it takes about 15 minutes to walk from the bus station to the bus stop. If we head there, there’s a chance that the previous bus would’ve left already. Then the persistent tuk-tuk driver suddenly popped out of nowhere. Taking a tuk-tuk to Sigiriya would probably be expensive, but we asked him anyway how much it costs. He said 3000 Rupees for a round trip for the three of us. And he would drop us right at the entrance to the rock and then take us back to Dambulla when we’re done. He told us that buses only stopped at the main road. From there, it’s still quite a long walk to the rock itself. Either we walk or take another tuk-tuk which would cost 200 Rupees. Still, 3000 Rupees is pretty expensive so we politely said no. He then lowered the price to 2500 Rupees. We still said no. 2000. Still no. Then he said 1500. That was probably low enough for my companions because surprisingly, they agreed. lol. And we had to give this guy props for persistence. He was following us the entire time instead of looking for other passengers for crying out loud. Come to think of it, 1500 Rupees is only about 10 USD. We only had to pay a little over 3 bucks each for a return trip. You really have to convert these Sri Lankan prices to your local currency to realize how cheap everything is. Still, riding these tuk-tuks often can add up. It’s not practical for solo travelers to keep taking em. Good thing I was traveling with two other guys. They made the tuk-tuk expenses somewhat negligible.
A funny thing happened on the way to the Sigiriya. The tuk-tuk driver initially brought us to Pidurangala, which is another huge rock close to the Sigiriya Citadel. I asked him why he thought we wanted to go to Pidurangala. He said he just assumed that was where we wanted to go because it seemed that we were on a really tight budget. I guess all that bargaining we did made that obvious haha. Pidurangala was close to the Sigiriya Citadel anyway so we didn’t really waste much time. We still reached the entrance to the rock fortress in about 30 minutes.
Before heading up, you have to buy tickets at the museum. One ticket costs an eye popping 4650 Rupees! It’s even more outrageous when you find out that locals only have to pay 60 Rupees! Yeah that price is really shocking, but then again once you convert it, it’s only 30 US dollars. That’s still quite pricey for a backpacker on a budget, but once you compare it to other ancient sites, it’s actually on par with them. Machu Picchu is roughly the same size and a ticket costs 50 bucks. Once we reached the top, I would say it was worth spending 30 US Dollars.
After purchasing a ticket, I would advise spending time at the museum first to learn a bit about Sigiriya‘s history. A lot of people just head straight to the rock and miss this. When you head to the main entrance, your tickets will be checked. After that, you just have to walk straight through the gardens. Again, spend a little time in this area to appreciate the landscape. You paid money for this so it’s best to maximize the experience by not rushing through it. You’ll eventually reach the steps at the end of the path. It’s not a hard climb. It should take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour on the way up, depending on your level of fitness. I did find some people experiencing a bit of difficulty, but I think everyone eventually made their way up. There were a number of old folks at that time and I saw all of them at the top. Halfway up you’re going to see a couple of frescoes. i wanted to take some photos but apparently it wasn’t allowed. Since I’m being a good traveler, I didn’t take some snaps even if this policy made no sense. The frescoes are in a shaded area so it’s a good place to catch your breath if you’re feeling tired. On the way up there’s hardly any shade so it might be difficult to climb up at noon. After this area, you’re gonna pass through the mirror wall which doesn’t look like a mirror anymore heh. A little further you’re gonna reach an open area. A lot of people stay here to take photos by the giant lion paws. When the citadel was built, this was considered the main entrance. There used to be a lion’s head on this side of the rock, hence the name Lion Rock, but that head is long gone. This area is also a good place to rest before you do the final stretch. From here the the top is visible, and it would take less than 10 minutes to finally reach it. You just have to make your way through a couple more flights of stairs.
Once you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing panoramic view. The citadel itself isn’t really well preserved, but there’s enough of it remaining for you to appreciate its grandeur. There are several shaded areas so you can spend as much time up here as you like.
Now you’re going to hear a number of backpackers saying that you should head to Pidurangala instead of Sigiriya (Lion Rock). They would say you’ll get the same experience, only way cheaper (you only have to pay 500 Rupees). Obviously, those people haven’t been on top of both rocks. For one thing, you won’t get much history in Pidurangala. Well there’s that small temple by the entrance, but that’s pretty much it. If you want to learn about the country’s history and culture and you only have time to climb one of these rocks, then the choice is clear: climb up Sigiriya. Now let’s say you’re not interested in the country’s history and culture… you just want to see a nice view. These people would say you’ll get the same view from either rock— another telltale sign that they haven’t been on top of Lion Rock. Such a statement is far from being accurate. Yeah the view on top of Pidurangala is amazing as well, but you wouldn’t see the best view because Sigiriya would obstruct it. Sure you’d get a view of Sigiriya from afar, and that kind of view is amazing I’d have to admit. But the view from Sigiriya toward that same direction totally blows it away.
So basically my advice is this: If you have time for both, then climb both rocks. If you only have time for one and you can afford to spare 30 bucks, climb Sigiriya. Think about it. There’s a reason why the Sri Lankan government charges so much for Sigiriya and close to nothing for Pidurangala. They wouldn’t dare charge so much for anything underwhelming. These rocks are definitely not on the same level, it’s not even close. If you’re a backpacker on a budget and you just want to see a nice view, then go ahead and climb Pidurangala and skip Sigiriya. Though I’d argue that that are better places in the country to see a nice view, and there are better rocks, hills and mountains to climb if that’s what you’re after. I’d also wonder why you even bothered going to the heart of the cultural triangle if you’re not interested in the country’s history and culture. The natural beauty in this part of the country is amazing, but it’s just as amazing or even more amazing elsewhere in Sri Lanka. I don’t see the point of heading to this part of the country just to climb up Pidurangala.
Dambulla also has some attractions so you can spend another day in town to explore it a bit. You can’t miss the Golden Temple located along the main road (Kandy Road). This isn’t the main attraction in town though. The town is famed for the the Cave Temple. To reach it, you need to climb up a long flight of stairs by the left side of the Golden Temple. They charge 1500 Rupees to get in. Tickets are sold downstairs by the Golden Temple, so make sure you buy your ticket before climbing up or else they won’t allow you to enter.
Dambulla and Sigiriya offered us a great taste of the country’s culture. After this leg of our journey, I couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the cultural triangle had to offer.
no roads to follow 
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