Polonnaruwa’s medieval royal capital by bicycle, at the pace that makes a heritage site feel like a landscape rather than a list. The Gal Vihara, where four Buddhas were carved from a single granite face in the 12th century, is the centrepiece. The Royal Palace complex, the Sacred Quadrangle and the Vatadage fill the rest of the morning. A specialist heritage guide makes the medieval capital narratively coherent.