Sri Lanka’s first royal capital was founded in the 4th century BC and remained continuously inhabited for over a thousand years. The Sri Maha Bodhi Tree – a direct cutting from the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, planted here in 288 BC – is the oldest documented living tree on earth and draws pilgrims who have been making this journey without interruption for over two millennia. The scale of the dagobas (Ruwanwelisaya stands 55 metres tall) and the monastery complexes spread across an ancient reservoir landscape speaks to a civilisation of extraordinary ambition and engineering capability. Wagon Inns offers our own accommodation within this remarkable city.