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Photo: Stuart Pinkney, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
There are two national parks north of Sigiriya, Minneriya and Kaudulla. They are connected through a corridor that enables elephants to roam between the two and depending on the season, they'll mainly stay in one or the other. Most hotels will be able to book a morning or evening jeep safari for you and will be able to recommend where to see more elephants in the wild.
Minneriya National Park is a national park in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938. The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of Minneriya tank and the wildlife of the surrounding area. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in third century AD. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population dwelling in forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts. The park earned revenue of Rs. 10.7 million in the six months ending in August 2009. Along with Kaudulla and Girithale, Minneriya forms one of the 70 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Sri Lanka. The park is situated 182 kilometres (113 mi) from Colombo.
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This is another rock north of Lion's Rock at almost the same height (340 m), which offers the same awesome views but is much less crowded. The trek uphill takes about 20-30 minutes. The first part of the climb goes through a working Buddhist temple, so dress accordingly or use the scarves provided there. At the middle point, a large reclining Buddha statue can be found. The very last part is a bit of a challenge due to the boulders you'll have to climb - use proper shoes instead of flip flops. Many people come for the view at sunrise.
The plateau of Sigiriya rock is a lava dome elevated 200 m above the ground (and at a total elevation of 363 m above sea level). It can be reached through a combination of rock and metal stairs, some of which are only mounted at the side of the rock high above the ground. When facing the giant stone lion paws, you can see the construction and decide for yourself, whether you're up for the experience. Expect waiting times both at the foot as well as at the top of the stairs.
Some rocks in this garden contain inscriptions recording the names of patrons who donated them to the monks before the arrival of King Kassapa. Other features are the King's Audience Hall with its stone throne carved in rock and the Cistern Rock.
The first feature one encounters after entering the complex is the water garden. It is an elaborate network of water pavilions, pools, courtyards and water courses. There are five units in this garden with buildings supported by pools. The pools have pebbeled or polished marble floors which were covered by shallow, slowly moving water. It was laid out in the last quarter of the 5th century, abandoned and again partially built over in the last phases of the post-Kashyapan period, probably during the 10th and 13 centuries.