Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka may not be the easiest place to pronounce, but then again World Heritage sites almost never are.
Polonnaruwa was the capital of the ancient Polonnaruwa kingdom, which spread throughout North Central Sri Lanka. Without going into too much detail, lets just say this was the major crossroads for trade, agriculture and commerce in 11th century Sri Lanka. Polonnaruwa is a good stop if you’re in Sri Lanka for a honeymoon or other unforgettable holidays in Sri Lanka . What is really unique is the Sea of Parakrama. Polonnaruwa is not on the ocean, but King Parakramabahu I was an absolute nut about water conservation. He devised an advanced system of irrigation, one of which is called the Sea of Parakrama. It is hard to see from one side to the other. Incredible. His water conservation efforts helped the kingdom become completely self-sufficient. More than most modern states can say today.
IF YOU GO to Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka:
Present day Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka is a few kilometers away from the ancient ruins. Not quite a day trip form Colombo (5-6 hrs by car), plan to spend a few days in the area. You can get to Polonnaruwa by train, bus or private/shared taxis, which are inexpensive and plentiful in Sri Lanka.
Of course, you’ll first have to travel to Sri Lanka itself. You’ll have the easiest time finding flights from India but there is also some decent availability from South East Asia as well. Regular flights come from as far away as the Middle East and there are even seasonal charter flights from Russia and Scandinavia. Sri Lanka is one of those places we wished we made it to on our RTW trip but it will certainly make a good stop if you’re still planning yours.
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