Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

Sigiriya, one of Sri Lanka's most popular attractions, must be included if you are seeing the best ancient sites in the world. This historic rock castle is situated close to the Dambulla region in Sri Lanka's central province. The 600-meter-tall natural stone column in the middle of luxuriant jungles is the site's major attraction. Climb to the top of the column for the greatest vantage point of Sigiriya. You will pass through enigmatic sights along the road, including frescoes and lion paws cut into the rock.

This area was once a large forest, but due to storms and landslides, it was transformed into a hill, and King Kashyapa (AD 477–495) chose it as the site of his new capital. On top of this rock, he constructed his castle, which he then painted with vibrant paintings. He constructed a huge lion-shaped gateway on a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock. This building gave this location its name, Snhgiri, or the Lion Rock.