Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka’s first royal capital, founded in the 4th century BC and in continuous use for over a thousand years. The Sri Maha Bodhi Tree – planted in 288 BC from a cutting of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment – is the oldest documented living tree on earth, and draws pilgrims who have been making this journey continuously for over two millennia. The scale of what was built here is extraordinary: the Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba stands 55 metres tall; the Jetavanaramaya, once one of the tallest structures in the ancient world, still rises above the tree canopy. A bicycle gives this site the right pace – distances between monuments are manageable, the light through the trees is beautiful in the early morning, and cycling through a 2,500-year-old city is an experience that no vehicle tour can replicate. A specialist archaeology guide provides the narrative depth that transforms ruins into a genuine story of civilisation.