The watergarden Sigiriya is an old and amazing place. It is located at the base of Lion Rock. The water garden Sigiriya has lawns, pools and fountains. This is the designed landscape in all of Asia. People come from over to see the water garden Sigiriya. The people who built it a time ago were very good at making things look nice and also at making water move around. When you walk in you get ready to climb up. The whole design of the water garden Sigiriya makes you feel like you are a part of history.
Why the Water Garden is special
The thing that people like the most is not just the rooms.
It is the setting that makes the Water Garden special.
You wake up. You are surrounded by the Water Garden and all these other things like
✅ Water gardens with lots of plants and water
✅ vegetation that is so green
✅. Wildlife that are fun to watch
✅ The countryside that is so peaceful
✅ The Sigiriya Rock that is really cool
All of these things together make the Water Garden feel like a place where you can get away from everything rather, than a big fancy hotel.
People who have stayed at the Water Garden recently have said that they really like the setting, the wildlife, the big villas and the views of the Lion Rock.
🏨 The villas
The accommodation is deliberately spacious.
🌿 Deluxe Villa
A good choice if you want the full Water Garden experience but don’t necessarily need a private pool.
These villas are particularly suitable if you’re planning to spend much of the day exploring Sigiriya and the surrounding Cultural Triangle.
🏊 Superior Villa with Plunge Pool
My pick for couples.
You get the privacy of your own plunge pool in addition to the resort’s shared facilities.
Recent guests repeatedly highlight the combination of large rooms, private pools and views toward Sigiriya Rock.
👨👩👧👦 Duplex Villa with Plunge Pool
This is the option to consider for families or larger groups.
Current booking information lists the Duplex Villa with one full bed plus two twin beds, with accommodation for larger groups.
Private pool or no private pool?
If your budget allows, I’d choose a Superior Villa with Plunge Pool.
Why?
After climbing Sigiriya or spending several hours on safari, having your own pool is a significant luxury.
✅Choose Deluxe Villa if:
You’re prioritizing sightseeing
You don’t spend much time in hotel.
And You want to reduce accommodation costs
✅Choose Superior Pool Villa if:
You’re on honeymoon
Uou’re celebrating something
You want privacy
You plan to spend afternoons at the resort
✅Choose Duplex Pool Villa if:
You’re traveling as a family
You need multiple bedrooms
And You want considerably more living space
🌅 The Sigiriya Rock view
This is arguably the hotel’s greatest visual advantage.
Rather than simply visiting Sigiriya during the day, you can spend your morning or evening looking toward the rock from the resort.
🧖 Spa & wellness
The resort has a spa and wellness centre, along with a fitness centre and outdoor pool.
This is important because Sigiriya sightseeing can be physically demanding.
A great schedule is:
Early morning Sigiriya climb
↓
Breakfast
↓
Return to Water Garden
↓
Private pool / massage
↓
Lunch
↓
Relax in the gardens
↓
Sunset dinner
🪨 What to do near Water Garden
Water Garden is primarily a base for the Cultural Triangle.
1. Sigiriya Rock Fortress
This should be your priority.
♦️Best strategy
♦️Start early.
♦️You’ll avoid the worst heat and have a much more comfortable climb.
Allow several hours for:
✅Gardens
✅Stairways
✅Lion’s Paw
✅Frescoes
✅Summit
✅Descent
🌄 2. Pidurangala Rock
If you want to take a picture of Sigiriya Rock then Pidurangala is a great place to do it.
It is one of the places to see Sigiriya Rock from.
Time
You should go at sunrise because Sigiriya Rock looks really beautiful then.
You can visit Pidurangala of Sigiriya Rock if you do not have a lot of time but keep in mind that visiting Pidurangala and visiting Sigiriya Rock are two different things.
3. Dambulla Cave Temple
A major Buddhist pilgrimage and heritage site.
The cave complex contains numerous Buddha statues and paintings.
Combine it with Sigiriya rather than treating it as a separate long excursion.
🐘 4. Minneriya or Kaudulla safari
One of the reasons to stay in the Sigiriya area for a few nights is that you get to see a lot of great things.
The Sigiriya area is really good for seeing animals.
You can see a lot of elephants in the Sigiriya area when the time of year and the weather are just right.
Do not think that Minneriya is always the place to go to see wild elephants every day.
The Sigiriya area has a lot of animals and the best place to see them can change depending on the time of year.
So you should ask your guide which park is the best to see elephants, in the Sigiriya area right now.
🏛️ 5. Polonnaruwa
One of Sri Lankas ancient capitals.
Highlights include:
✅Ancient temples
✅Royal buildings
✅Monasteries
✅Stone Buddha statues
✅Ancient irrigation works
If you like history this place is worth the trip.
🚗 How to get to Water Garden Sigiriya
Water Garden is in Kimbissa, near Sigiriya.
For most international travelers, the practical approach is:
Bandaranaike International Airport → private car/driver → Sigiriya
Sri Lankan road travel can be slow, so a private driver is considerably more convenient than trying to build the route around multiple buses.
The property offers an airport shuttle, and current hotel information confirms free private parking
🗺️ Where does it fit into a Sri Lanka itinerary?
Water Garden works beautifully as part of a Cultural Triangle → hill country → south coast journey.
Recommended route
Colombo / Wattura
↓
Water Garden Sigiriya 🪨
↓
Kandy 🛕
↓
Nuwara Eliya 🍃
↓
Ella 🚂
↓
Yala 🐆
↓
Weligama / Mirissa 🏄
↓
Galle 🏰
↓
Colombo
📅 How many nights?
1 night
Possible, but too short for me.
You’ll barely have time to enjoy the property.
2 nights
⭐ Best for most travelers
You can do:
Day 1: Arrive + relax
Day 2: Sigiriya + safari
Day 3: Depart
3 nights
⭐ Best for luxury travelers
You can comfortably combine:
Sigiriya
Pidurangala
Dambulla
Safari
Resort time
🌴 My ideal 3-day Water Garden experience
Day 1 — Arrive & unwind
🚗 Arrive at Water Garden
🥥 Welcome drink
🏊 Private pool
🌿 Explore the grounds
🍛 Sri Lankan dinner
🌅 Sunset over Sigiriya
Day 2 — Sigiriya + safari
🌅 Early Pidurangala or Sigiriya
🍳 Breakfast
🏊 Afternoon at the villa
🐘 Afternoon/evening elephant safari
🍷 Dinner at the resort
Day 3 — Dambulla + relaxation
🛕 Dambulla Cave Temple
🍛 Lunch
🧖 Spa treatment
🏊 Private pool