The correct version of Sigiriya begins before the gates open. The 5th-century hydraulic water gardens in half-light, the Mirror Wall with its thousand years of inscriptions, the Apsara cloud-maiden frescoes painted on the sheer rock face and the summit panorama across the Cultural Triangle plains at first light. With a senior specialist heritage guide who understands the archaeology in depth, three hours on this rock changes how you understand the entire island.