BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//https://induwara.lk//Trip Planner//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Polonnaruwa\, Sri Lanka — 3 days
X-WR-CALDESC:A 3-day mid-budget plan covering Polonnaruwa's medieval ruins\
 , local food\, photography spots and a Minneriya elephant safari.
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:trip-custom-u43vz4lh-d1-20260604T004000Z@induwara.lk
DTSTAMP:20260604T004000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260604
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260605
SUMMARY:Day 1 — museum\, royal palace & the Quadrangle
DESCRIPTION:1. Polonnaruwa Archaeological Museum (1 hour) — Start here to b
 uy the Ancient City ticket and get oriented with scale models of how the r
 uins once looked. The galleries are air-conditioned and open roughly 9am–6
 pm\, making it a sensible first stop before the heat builds. Allow time fo
 r the bronze and Hindu shrine rooms.\n\n2. Royal Palace of King Parakramab
 ahu (1 hour) — The brick palace once rose seven storeys\; three remain\, w
 ith thick walls still showing the beam holes for upper floors. Adjacent ar
 e the Council Chamber with its carved elephant base and the Kumara Pokuna 
 bathing pool. Best photographed mid-morning before the light flattens.\n\n
 3. The Quadrangle (Dalada Maluwa) (1.5 hours) — This raised terrace holds 
 the circular Vatadage\, the Hatadage relic house and the stone-script slab
  Gal Pota in one tight\, shoe-off compound. It is the single most rewardin
 g spot for carving detail and symmetry\, so budget extra time. Visit befor
 e noon to avoid hot stone underfoot.\n\n4. Parakrama Samudra (Sea of Parak
 rama) (1 hour) — End the day on the bund of this vast 12th-century reservo
 ir\, a prime spot for sunset\, cormorants and returning fishing boats. Gra
 b a cold drink from the rest house terrace and watch the light drop over t
 he water. Bring a longer lens for the birdlife.\n\nNote: Carry socks — sev
 eral monuments require bare feet on stone that gets scorching by midday.\n
 \nFull itinerary: https://induwara.lk/tools/trip-planner/custom-u43vz4lh
URL:https://induwara.lk/tools/trip-planner/custom-u43vz4lh
LOCATION:Polonnaruwa\, Sri Lanka
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:trip-custom-u43vz4lh-d2-20260604T004000Z@induwara.lk
DTSTAMP:20260604T004000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260605
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260606
SUMMARY:Day 2 — Northern Monuments by bike
DESCRIPTION:1. Rankoth Vehera (45 minutes) — The largest stupa in Polonnaru
 wa\, a 54-metre brick dome modelled on Anuradhapura's great stupas\, with 
 a wide circular terrace for clean wide-angle shots. It is usually quiet ea
 rly\, so come at opening for the best light and fewest people. Walk the fu
 ll base clockwise.\n\n2. Lankatilaka Image House (45 minutes) — Two toweri
 ng brick walls frame a headless standing Buddha at the end of a roofless a
 isle\, creating dramatic vertical perspective. The scale and the framing m
 ake this one of the strongest photography stops in the city. Shoot from lo
 w and centred down the nave.\n\n3. Gal Vihara (1 hour) — The highlight of 
 any Polonnaruwa visit: four Buddha images — seated\, two standing variants
  and a 14-metre reclining figure — carved from one granite outcrop with re
 markable serenity. A canopy protects the rock so it is viewable in any wea
 ther. Keep voices low\; it remains an active site of worship.\n\n4. Nelum 
 Pokuna & Tivanka Image House (1 hour) — The lotus-shaped stone bathing pon
 d sits a short ride north\, followed by the Tivanka shrine\, which preserv
 es faded but rare 12th-century murals inside its brick walls. Together the
 y make a calm\, photogenic finish to the northern circuit. Tivanka is the 
 furthest monument\, so loop back south afterwards.\n\nNote: Rent a bicycle
  near the entrance — the Northern Monuments are spread out and the road is
  flat and shaded.\n\nFull itinerary: https://induwara.lk/tools/trip-planne
 r/custom-u43vz4lh
URL:https://induwara.lk/tools/trip-planner/custom-u43vz4lh
LOCATION:Polonnaruwa\, Sri Lanka
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:trip-custom-u43vz4lh-d3-20260604T004000Z@induwara.lk
DTSTAMP:20260604T004000Z
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260606
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260607
SUMMARY:Day 3 — elephant safari & Pothgul Vihara
DESCRIPTION:1. Minneriya National Park (3.5 hours) — An afternoon jeep safa
 ri here\, especially August–September\, can put you among hundreds of wild
  elephants drawn to the receding reservoir — the famous 'Gathering'. Book 
 a half-day 4x4 with a driver-guide\; gates and animal activity favour the 
 3–6pm slot. Carry water\, a hat and a zoom lens.\n\n2. Kaudulla National P
 ark (alternative) (3.5 hours) — If Minneriya's water is high or crowds are
  heavy\, drivers shift to nearby Kaudulla\, which offers the same elephant
  herds with fewer jeeps. Ask your guide which park has the better gatherin
 g that week. Same afternoon timing applies.\n\n3. Pothgul Vihara & Statue 
 of Parakramabahu (45 minutes) — Back near town\, this riverside monastic s
 ite features a circular library shrine and a famous 3.5-metre rock-cut sta
 tue of a robed figure holding a palm-leaf manuscript. It is a quick\, uncr
 owded morning stop before the safari. Pair it with a rice-and-curry lunch 
 at the lakeside rest house.\n\nNote: Do the safari in the late afternoon a
 nd use the cooler morning for Pothgul Vihara and lunch.\n\nFull itinerary:
  https://induwara.lk/tools/trip-planner/custom-u43vz4lh
URL:https://induwara.lk/tools/trip-planner/custom-u43vz4lh
LOCATION:Polonnaruwa\, Sri Lanka
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR