In the rugged plains surrounding Sri Lanka’s legendary Sigiriya Rock Fortress, your wake-up call is the playful cackle and raucous chatter of a pair of  Malabar pied hornbills, heralding the sunrise from the branches of a papaya tree. This is Sigiriyaaya Hotel—nestled in the Lion Rock expanse of interconnected  paddy, corn, and onion fields. A Jetwing-inspired haven designed for families and intrepid travellers who wish to slow down and stay longer to experience the areas many exciting activities. Here, the boundary between human daily farming life and the untamed wilderness beautifully blurs and reflects back at you in the central courtyards azure blue swimming pool. A sun lounging spot where lizards act as self-appointed pool attendants and the wild peacocks routinely remind guests how magnificent a mating dance can be.

The true heart and soul of Sigiriyaaya Hotel rests in the hands of groundsman Dilshan Dananjaya, a larger-than-life gardener whose family has farmed the surrounding village knowns as the golden rock Rangirigama for generations. For Dilshan, the property is an interconnecting living canvas meant to feed both the guests and the wild. His reverence for nature is infectious; whether he is gently rescuing a dragonfly from the swimming pool with a leaf or holding it in his hands waiting for it to dry its wings in the tropical sunshine, his philosophy remains simple: “I love nature. It’s so peaceful, and you can completely trust the dragonflies, birds and butterflies.” To Dilshan, they are all dear friends—even the bugs! Starting his days at 5:00am cleaning the pool, Dilshan has transformed what was once a basic patch of grass into a thriving tropical wonderland. Under the guidance of his wise mentor, Jetwing Vil Uyana engineering genius, naturalist and agriculture manager Bandara Nayanapriya. Together they have planted fragrant Aralias and nectar-rich plants at the hotel entrance specifically chosen to attract local butterflies. As a result, guests are treated to a spectacular wildlife welcome as tiger butterflies dance around them on their way up the hotel’s lion steps. Once inside, the Blue glassy tiger and common tiger flutter and return to drinking more nectar leaving you to enjoy the arrival sofas and welcome drink—nestled beside four custom made “welcome bushes” designed to transition travellers from the busy roads into absolute serenity—while jumping fish splash in the background in their pond.

The sensory journey deepens inside the dining hall, where the air fills with the rich, aromatic scents of roasted spices and laughter escaping from the traditional kitchen. This is the domain of chef Harsha Senarathne, the plot to plate culinary alchemist, who takes personal delight in personalising every meal. For vegan and vegetarian travellers, Sigiriyaaya is a true foodie haven. Chef Harsha treats dietary preferences not as restrictions, but as opportunities for creativity. Playfully tossing fresh spinach high into the air as he shares a vital island truth: “We should, like the wild elephants, eat more greens.” Both Harsha and Dilshan the gardener view the region’s wild elephants as babies, akin to mischievous toddler that need protecting and looking after. The playful wild elephants who wander through the village plains sticking their trunks into everything and occasionally knocking over a fence by accident just to hoover up some rice from a village kitchen. Thinking if they hide behind a tree they won’t get caught, which is hilarious to observe on a night safari. Growing up alongside these animals gives the team a deeper perspective on their importance to Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage, a belief that shapes the eco-conscious ethos of the entire Jetwing family owned brand

The highlight of the property is the uber-cool YAAYA Cafe, a rooftop vantage point offering spectacular views of the Eighth Wonder of the World: the mighty Sigiriya Rock Fortress whilst enjoying awesome Barista made coffee.  This 200-metre-high colossal monolith sits above the tropical plains and today is the sovereign kingdom of the island’s most spectacular bird, the sentinel of the sky the spectaculat Shaheen falcon and the undisputed King of Speed. To Dilshan, these raptors are masterpieces of evolution that bridge the mystical gap between divine power and earthly rule. To unlock their secrets, and have a better understanding about this fortress in the sky guests can book a naturalist guide through Jetwing Vil Uyana, like resident naturalist and butterfly expert Piyumanthi Thilakarathne whose Rajarata University field work is incredibly impressive or her mentor, Bandara.

Bandara, who also leads the highly sought-after daily nocturnal Loris walks through the bamboo canopy, explains that the Shaheen falcon’s unique, jet-engine-like nostril anatomy allows it to withstand extreme air pressure. So it needs to live high up or it can’t make a vertical plunge, weaponising gravity to snatch fast-moving green pigeons and huge fruit bats right out of the sky. Bandara says when nesting in crevices to protect their young they will even attack a black eagle if it gets too close to make sure their chicks stay safe. Relaxing at the YAAYA Cafe with a coffee table book in hand, you will discover how the lost kingdom of Sigiriya was reclaimed and  the fascinating history of how the 5th-century AD King Kashyapa’s abandoned fortress was swallowed entirely by the emerald curtain of the surrounding forest. Only existing as a ghostly legend whispered among local rice farmers whose fields were—and still are—fed by the fortress’s ancient cascading water system. The lost kingdom remained a secret to the outside world until 1831, when Major Jonathan Forbes of the British Army’s 78th Highlanders Regiment hacked through the thick over grown forest greenery. What he discovered was a triumph of ancient engineering and art: a cascading water garden comparable to Versailles in beauty, vibrant frescoes of jewel-encrusted concubines, and dramatic giant lion paws acting as the entrance stair case to the main palace and the Kings throne.A place that was guarded by the world’s fastest birds revealing deep bond between falcons and royalty, that spans across civilisations, from the ancient Egyptians worshipping the falcon-headed god Horus, to medieval European lords whose rank was defined by the bird on their glove, to modern Saudi royalty who value them so much they issue their prize falcons their very own passports for when they take them on a trip abroad.

Shaheen falcons you will learn on a guided walk are a subspecies of the Peregrine Falcons from India. Identifiable by their jet black hoods they use their birds eye view from the top of the rock as a hunting ground in order to find the right moment to take to the skies and catch a passing bird. The cleverly weaponise gravity by folding their wings and harnessing the wind. It is fascinating to observe a  Shaheen Falcon slicing through the tropical air at extraordinary fast speeds which hit 320 to 380 kilometres per hour.  Once locked in they grab their target like a swallow swiftly with their yellow talons, as they always strike with absolute precision. Their name means king (Shah) and being high up is the reason they have chosen the regal setting of Sigiriya for the last 1500 years to be their home, because it has a protected eco system not under threat from greedy developers.

• Around the moat of Sigiriya Rock you will also see troops of monkeys playing and as you climb ever upwards you will notice, that the Shaheen Falcons are most active during hunting hours for food, which are usually between 6am and 8 am and again the golden hour for photography around 4.30pm until the rock fortress complex closes. During the climb you will learn how Sigiriya became for a time a monastery before being totally abandoned. An iconic site that has been the backdrop for rock star chef Peter Kurivita’s first TV cooking show ‘My Sri Lanka’ and to Duran Duran’s music video Save a Prayer. In both cases you can see Shaheen falcons circling on the footage, and more recently The Great Race Around The World was filmed there also. The legendary Science fiction writer Arthur C Clark summed up Sigiriya’s importance by describing the rock as the divine Fountains of Paradise, which he named a book after and claimed Sigiriya is the worlds first space elevator that rises directly from the summit into outer space.Sitting atop Sigiriya you certainly feel like you are in a magical spot and returning to Sigiriyaaya for a healthy smoothie bowl or delicious piece of freshly baked cheese cake you will understand its true wonder looking back at it in situ, particularly as the sun dips below the horizon and the falcons retire to their rocky cliffs. Enjoy as the sun sets a refreshing cup of tea or an artisan coffee with floral art inspirations of the garden from their creative staff. YAAYA rooftop cafe is great spot to capture awe inspiring panoramic shots of the area and the rock.
• As the stars pop out a whole new magical world awakens and you can step out into the cooler air for an enchanting nocturnal Grey Slender Loris walk at Jetwing Vil Uyana, which starts daily at the main reception at 6.30pm. Booking a buggy and space to see these clown like monkeys navigating the interconnecting canopy is well worth it as you learn first hand how they hunt for insects and I even got to see a nightly wash of their hands and feet, but not in water but large sprays of their own pee. You might also spot with your red torches the elusive Fishing or Rusty Spotted cat prowling near the waterways, or the majestic Brown Fish Owl fluffing his feathers as he keeps watch from the treetops. For those who want to see the mischievous herds of wild elephants you can also go out on a night safari at 10pm onwards completing the spectacular 24-hour cycle of daily experiences.Everyday at Sigiriyaaya Hotel is fun and different whether doing a traditional cooking class with Harsha or booking a tour with naturalist Piyumanthi, whose name means diamond on a lotus. Piyumanthi certainly enjoys doing the birding lotus lake trail at 6am every morning, only a short distance from  Sigiriyaaya hotel. Here you observe Common Moorhens walk on the lotus green leaves treating them like stepping stones, whilst the little Grebes swim pass them, and a Pheasant Tailed Jacana takes centre stage. After the white and pink flowering lotus lake she will point out how a cow tail covered in prickly rough cocklebur spiny bur spaws is a great example of how all animals play their part in planting new seeds everywhere. She even fulfilled my dream of seeing the islands largest moth the Atlas and explaining that my favourite folklore about all butterflies gathering together between March and April and flying to Adams Peak to pay their respects to Adam’s footprint before dying is actually a popularised myth. Also known as Samanala Kanda Butterfly Mountain this lovely legend is currently being disproved with scientific mapping of butterfly directional flight patterns, which show it’s more about the food they need to eat. Also changing wind patterns and inter monsoon shifts making them swarm and move to different areas of the island.
  
  Whether you are scaling the dramatic heights of Sigiriya Rock Fortress on a guided tour or kicking back at the YAAYA rooftop cafe—binoculars in one hand, cold drink in the other, spotting exotic birds—booking just a few of Jetwing Vil Uyana’s PATA Gold award-winning wildlife experiences is the secret to turning a great holiday into an absolute showstopper. After all, it’s not every day you go on a night walk that’s talked about at the government cabinet level! Their famous Loris tour started by naturalist Chaminda Jayasekera in 2010 and fully supported by Chairman of Jetwing Hiran Cooray has become the gold standard for eco-tourism, proving that travel can successfully fund habitat conservation and research. While also creating dream jobs for diamond naturalists like Piyumanthi. Jetwing’s  rich menu of wildlife encounters doesn’t just re-wild your heart—it serves up a inspiring, hands-on roadmap for a biodiverse future we can all help build.