While in Kandy we decided to make the trip out to Sigriya, the ancient rock fortress and monastery near the center of Sri Lanka. From Kandy it was a two hour drive out to the historical site, and we arrived shortly after nine in the morning. It is an impressive site, and the main site sits some 500 feet in the air. 
The cost of admission is 3900 LKR (USD $30) for non-residents and about 70 LKR (USD $0.54) for locals. You enter the grounds by first passing through the ticket booth and then crossing a bridge over the moat which surrounds the rock. Walking along the entrance path you are surrounded by pools, walkways, and other architectural features. It is really quite amazing that some of the man made ponds still have water in them today.
Along the walk up to the stairs there are many signs warning you about the imminent threat of hornets, though I never saw any flying around.
The original staircases are still intact for much of the climb, until you reach about halfway up. At that point you have to switch to metal steps that are considerably rusted and wobbly, after a frightening few minutes you are rewarded with some truly amazing frescoes.
About an hour after we started climbing, we reached the top of Sigiriya, and the views from the top were amazing. Somehow a few stray dogs had managed to get up to the top as well, I was really shocked to see them lounging in the shade. I was particularly drenched in sweat, but I could not have been happier.
Sigiriya is one of Sri Lanka’s greatest historical sites, and its commemorated on the 2,000 LKR bill, if you have the opportunity to visit this site I really recommend it. Just don’t forget to bring a few liters of water with you for the hike up.