Rising above the Cultural Triangle at dawn in a hot air balloon is one of the most extraordinary perspectives available on the island – Sigiriya’s ancient volcanic monolith lit in the first warm light, the surrounding forest stretching flat to the horizon, and the ancient reservoirs catching the sunrise like scattered mirrors across the north-central plain. Balloon flights depart before dawn when the air is calm and the light is at its most exceptional, typically running 45 to 60 minutes above one of the world’s most remarkable archaeological landscapes.