For over 1,300 years, this was the beating heart of Sri Lankan civilisation. Anuradhapura is home to massive brick stupas that rival the pyramids of Giza in scale. It is a living sacred city where you can sit in the shade of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, the oldest human-planted tree in the world and watch white-clad pilgrims offer lotus flowers in a tradition that hasn’t changed for centuries.