KANDY

Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka and lies in the midst of hills. It is the Capital of the Central Province. It is both an administrative ad religious city. Kandy is the second largest city in the country and is frequently visited by Buddhists.

Kandy is very famous among tourist for three main reasons: It is home to the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic ; Dalada Maligawa ), The Botanical Gardens ( Located in Peradeniya) and it always has a special place when it comes to festivities such as the Esala Perahara.

Province -		Central Province
District -		Kandy District
Populer for -		Palace of the Tooth relic Esala Perahera - kandy Royal Botanical Garden, Peradeniya
Weather -		28 °C
Type -		Cultural

The Temple of the Tooth relic is the place that houses the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Originally part of the Royal Palace complex of the Kandyan Kingdom, it is one of the holiest places of worship and pilgrimage for Buddhist around the world. The Palace of the Tooth relic, the palace complex and the holy city of Kandy are associated with the history of the dissemination of Buddhism. The temple is the product of the last peregrination of the relic of the tooth of Buddha and the testimony of a religion which continues to be practiced today.

Parks and Gardens
The Royal Botanical Garden is the largest botanical garden in the whole island providing residence to over a large variety of plants, some even hundreds of years old.

Festivals (Perahera)
Kandy as stated earlier is also very popular due to the annual pageant known as the Esala Perahera, in which one of the inner caskets used for covering the tooth relic of Buddha is taken in a grand procession through the streets of the city. This casket is taken on a royal tusker. The procession includes traditional dancers and drummers, flag bearers of the provinces of the old Kandyan kingdom, the Nilames wearing their traditional dresses, torch bearers and also the grandly attired elephant. This ceremony which is annually held in the months of July or August attracts large crowds from all parts of the country and also many foreign tourists.


Kandy is must for anyone's itinerary when visiting Sri Lanka. It is considered one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka which at the same time show cases the Sri Lankan Culture at its highest level .

Sri Lanka Botanical Gardens More than two centuries after Buddha had entered Nirvana, Ceylon was converted to his creed. To this there is not only the testimony of the great Pali Chronicle, the Mahawanisa, which throws light on the marvelous royal parks that grew up there in the course of the centuries, but there are also ruins, long concealed under ancient forest growths, but rediscovered in the last decades by English excavators.
PERADENIYA BOTANICAL GARDENS     Established in 1816, these gardens are located about 6.5km before Kandy on the side of the Colombo-Kandy highway. Initially planted with Coffee and Cinnamon, now includes beautiful Sri Lankan and overseas species. No vehicle is allowed entry to this 147-acre garden. It is bounded on three sides by a loop of the Mahaweli River. Disabled persons can arrange vehicles on request. The garden is open daily from 8.00 a.m. to 5.45 pm. The Avenue of Royal Palms, Bamboo-fringed riverside drive, Bat drive, Spice garden, Orchard house, Cactus house and a Glasshouse of anthuriums, begonias, African Violets and other species and the giant Javan fig tree found on the great lawn attract local tourists as well as visitors from overseas. It covers an area of 1600 sqm. Keep your eyes open for an oxen driven lawn mover.  Hakgala Botanical Garden It is the second largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka, 'botanical gardens Hakgala the' site in the Hill Country, just ten kilometers (six miles) away from the city of Nuwara Eliya. Its cool weather prevailing throughout the year complement the exotic flora and fauna, creating a true paradise. Park famous locally for the collection of roses. The rose garden of this property on Twin - stands a piece of land, and it contains varieties of roses imported from England and America. This group includes items rose nearly 100, and that the old garden varieties are very suitable for landscape gardens.	HENARATHGODA BOTANICAL GARDEN About 30 km north-west of Colombo, near Gampaha off Colombo-Kandy road. This garden is home to trees from every corner of the tropical world - especially from Brazil. Most notable is the Para rubber tree - Hevea brasiliensis. Here at Henarathgoda, in 1876, the first seedlings ever planted in Asia grew and flourished. A British colonial agent had smuggled 70,000 rubber seeds out of the Amazon jungle. London's Kew Gardens succeeded in the cultivation of 2700 of them. About 2000 seedlings were transported to the warm, moist climatic conditions at Henarathgoda. These little trees sired the rubber industry thought Southeast Asia in Malaya, Indonesia and South India as well as in Sri Lanka.

Hundreds of waterfalls in Sri Lanka

 Bambarakanda Falls

This is the highest (241 m) waterfall in Sri Lanka. The fall is situated in the Badulla District in Belihul Oya area.

Dunhinda Falls

Dunhinda Falls is one of Sri Lanka's most beautiful waterfalls located about 5 km off Badulla town. The waterfall, which is 210 feet (64 m) high gets its name from the smoky dew drops spray, (dun in Sinhala means mist or smoke) which surrounds the area at the foot of the waterfall. The waterfall is created by the river called Badulu Oya which goes through the Badulla town.

Hunas Falls

Hunas Falls is located in Matale District in  Elkaduwa Village. Apart from the main fall several water streams can be seen during the rainy season. Many tourists visit this fall due to its proximity to both, Hunas Falls & Hunas Falls Hotel. There are two routes to the Hunas Falls. One is coming from Matale to Elkaduwa. The other is Watthegama to Elkaduwa.

Ravana Falls

Situated in the Ella-Wellawaya Road, this beautiful waterfall lies visible from the main road itself. The water rushing down over several steps adds more hues to its sublime beauty. The main drop, however, is 30 ft. in height. It derives its name from the mythical King Ravana of the great Indian epic The Ramayana.

Bopath Ella Falls

Just 15 kms from the Colombo-Rathnapura Road, it falls from a height of 100ft into the Kuru Ganga. The formation itself is a rare beauty with a perfectly heart shaped head, resembling the leaf of the Sacred Bo Tree, hence the name Bopath. Also a popular picnic spot, it is bound to take your breath away.

St. Clare’s Falls

St. Clare’s Falls is 80m in height and at 50m wide, and consists of two segments, known as 'Big St. Clare' and 'Small St. Clare'. Created by the Kothmale River, a tributary of the Mahaweli River, it flows down a slope through an abandoned tea estate  in the Nuwara Eliya District. The fall is located 1.5km from Talawakelle.

Devon Falls

This 280 ft high eye catcher is best sighted from the 20th Milepost on the Talawakelle-Nawalapitiya Road.

Ramboda Falls

It is situated in Pussellawa area. The fall is located 1.6km from the highway. It is near Pussellawa Rest House.

Diyaluma Falls

This is the third highest (171 m) waterfall in Sri Lanka. The fall is located along the Koslanda - Wellawaya Road in the Badulla District. Koslanda is the nearest town to the Diyaluma Falls.

Kirindi Ella Falls

This waterfall belongs to Rathnapura District. The height of this waterfall is 117 metres. Kirindi Ella Falls starts from Kuttapitiya mountain. This is created by Kirindi Oya. At the base of the fall, the water plunges into a deep pool called Diyagathwala.

Whales & Dolphins Watching (seasonal)

Whales and Dolphins watching is done in Sri Lanka off Dondra in the south coast, Kalpitiya in the west coast and Trincomalee in the east coast. In fact, large scale whale watching commenced almost three decades ago and was a lucrative past time off the coast of Trincomalee where whales and dolphins move closer to the coast during certain parts of the year. Whale watching is done during the times of the year when the sea is not rough. This is a recreation that is gaining importance in the south in Dondra where both blue whales and sperm whales can be sighted by viewers. In Kalpitiya, one can mostly sight dolphins in large numbers freely moving and playing in the water and this being a fishing area, the dolphins are quite used to humans moving around in boats all the time and do not shy away when sighted. To those interested in whale and dolphin watching as a past time, there are these three locations off the coast of Sri Lanka, which is a luxury for a small island such as Sri Lanka. It only takes one to join in a boat trip out into the ocean through any of these three locations

Yala Safari Game Drive
 Yala National Park situated on the south east coast of Sri Lanka is 309km from Colombo along the coast line. Yala contains different habitats such as jungles, scrublands, inland freshwater lakes, lagoons, a wide and generous stretch of the beach and even rivers, all giving rise to wide biodiversity. As a result, one finds wild elephants and other animals such as leopards, wild boar, deer, gray languor, crocodiles and peacocks and other birds, all in their natural habitats. Yala is considered the best place in the world to watch leopards in their natural habitat.

One needs to spend two to three days leisurely to view and enjoy the entire park. Tours through the Yala sanctuary are generally made in open jeeps and elephant tracks and leopard tracks within the park are known to tour guides. Apart from enjoying wild life, one can enjoy the vast beach stretch along the deep blue sea that makes a beautiful and relaxing sight for the visitors. As the park is bounded along the south by the coastline, once the visitors reach the beach, they can freely enjoy the open beach, the sand dunes, the natural bays and the mangroves that line the lagoons. Those wishing to visit the Yala sanctuary need to note that it is closed in September and October

Up-country train ride
 A visitor to Sri Lanka never misses a trip to the up-country full of luxurious tea plantations and waterfalls. One can tour the hills through automobile or train. For a relaxed and convenient journey, the latter is preferred. The railways in Sri Lanka were built by the British during the colonial times. These sometimes bypass the hills, go round the hills, pass along bridges between hills and most importantly they go through tunnels in hills.
The train journey to the hill country is an experience even for a Sri Lankan, so much so that one has to book seats much ahead of travel dates. There are train journeys to Kandy, Matale, Nanu Oya, and to Badulla passing through breath-taking views of the hill country, its valleys, mountains, greenery, streams, and more. The morning train to Badulla from Colombo has an Observation Salon with a limited number of seats. Yet if one wishes to travel with the local community, the second class would be comfortable. As the train winds its way towards the hills, at various stops one finds vendors passing through compartments with tender coconuts complete with straw for quenching one’s thirst and succulent fresh fruits and fried cadju nuts and peanuts. Later on come hot vadai made of Mysore dhal and prawns. One is never in want of food on this train journey. To the sight seers, the train journey is quite an experience. One can deviate to Kandy or Matale along the route or leave at Nanu Oya for proceeding to Nuwara Eliya just 10km away or go right down to Badulla. As the train moves up the hills it gets colder and mistier and some of the railway stations are fully covered with mist. One passes through quite a number of tunnels and the scenery becomes more and more breath-taking as one views the green topped terrains with tea plantations as far as the eye can see, interspersed with milky white water falls and enjoy the picturesque scenery of the hill country. The train journey to the up-country is simply an unforgettable experience

Horton Plains National Park, Central highlands, Sri Lanka



The importance of conservation of the park
Horton Plains National Park, a World Heritage Site perched on the southern edge of the Central highlands, midway between Nuwara Eliya & Haputale consists of montane forests, where the land rises to 2,500 meters above sea-level. Horton Plains is home to an extraordinary range of flora and fauna, including several endangered species such as the western-purple-faced langur, the Horton Plains slender loris and the Sri Lankan leopard. The region is considered a super biodiversity hotspot. The Park (10,000 ha), named after British governor Sir Robert Horton is a world apart from rest of the tropical island. This is the island's highest & most isolated plain, a result of millions of years of erosion. The importance of conservation of the park lies in, among others, in its role as the catchment area of the major rivers of the island.

The early morning drive
The high altitude plains are beautiful, silent, strange & excellent for trekking & bird watching. A light sweater & stout shoes for the morning; a hat & sunscreen for mid day. The weather can change very quickly on the plains. One minute it can be sunny & clear, the next chilly & misty. Pastries & sandwiches. canteens of water, a flask of tea or a flask of coffee. We will be leaving as early as 5.30 am from Nuwara Eliya. The drive from here on via beautiful Diyatalawa (of military cantonment since the days of the British) to Horton Plains is particularly beautiful. Mountains, mist, tall trees, green vegetation, flowers & fruits all hugging you all along. The crisp & cool air would be wrapping you around. The pain in the A of waking up, getting up & getting ready early in the morning is all gone now. You start to feel assured that all that trouble is nothing compared the ride, hike & the park. This is hill country of Sri Lanka. Just before we reach the park we drive passing a stunning dawn view of Adam's Peak. The peak is prettiest during the pilgrimage season from December to May while the mountain is illuminated with lights). By 7 am we are at the entrance to the park.

Trekking in the morning
Now on it's the trekking. A 9.5 km circular track (round trip entrance to the park /the World's End/ Baker's Falls/Entrance to the park) around the plains. The crystal-clear pools still run with trout, a legacy from colonial times. Shallow streams run over pebbled beds.

Scottish moorlands
The breathtaking landscapes of this high, misty, silent, strange plateau, some 20 km (12miles) south of Nuwara Eliya & up to 2400m (7870 ft) above combines bleak, windswept, high altitude mountain grasslands similar to Scottish moorlands of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering heights" with areas of miniature "elfin" forest-dwarf forms of tree & shrubs adapted to the cool climate & skimpy soil of plains. A blend of temperate montane forest & wet patina grassland. For the first half of a kilometer, the path leads through rolling open land dotted with gorse & rhododendron bushes before entering a stretch of wonderful cloud forest: a tangle of stunted grey-barked trees & shrubs are draped in lichen & bog moss (sphagnum). This is a Tolkienesque imaging.

Montane forest
The prominent canopy tree of the montane forest, the umbrella-shaped, garnled Keena (Callophylum) with its white flowers contrasting with the striking scarlet rhododendrons (Rhododendron zelanicum) leads you on. Among other flowering plants are Aristea ekloni which has tiny blue flowers & Exacum macranthum, which are similar. Bamboos, tree ferns & many endemic species of plants make the park a biological treasure trove. Vegetation includes a type of tufty grass called Crosypogen. The forest also contains an extraordinary shrub called Nillu (Strobilanthes) that flowers once every five to 10 years. But as there are many populations of varying ages, there are always some in bloom during the season. The sight & smells of a large purple-leafed Nillu flowering & fruiting attract an amazing diversity of animals to the area, from birds to bears.

Bird watching
This is one of the best places in the island for bird watching. Montane endemics include Sri Lanka white eye, Sri Lanka wood pigeon, Ceylon hill munia & dull-blue flycatcher. Others are Indian blue robin, grey-headed canary flycatcher, pied bush chat, black bulbul, bar-winged flycatcher-shrike & Indian scimitar babbler & Sri Lanka junglefowl. And birds of prey include the mountain hawk eagle.

The deer
This is home to Sambar deer which keep to the edge of wooded areas. The shaggy bear-monkey (or purple-faced langur) & giant squirrel. Here large herd of Elk, silhouetted against the clouds of the lowlands, move among scarlet rhododendrons. This is also home to the rhino-horned lizard, a rare relic species. Some lizards with outlandishly fluorescent green scales is also seen.

The World's End

The cliff plunges almost vertically for 700m, creating an astonishing escarpment, revealing breathtaking views across much of the southern area of the island. The whole panoramic view is right in front of your naked eyes. If you dare to peep at the base of the cliff, you will be lying down on your tummy, on the cliff close to the edge & inch towards the very edge while your lover hold your feet with both hands. Then again, that is only if you trust your lover with your life, eh! (Not let her hear, for heavens sake). If that is not the case, there is no option except your Mummy. Take it with a pinch of salt & we will be right at your service, at your feet. Holding your feet in vice like grip, trust me. Relax. This is where Monica & her lover leapt to death (their families were at loggerheads, or to be precise, swords drawn at each other's... they used to shake spears... that rings a bell???) triggering a chain reaction of no less than ten star-crossed couples. The top ten couples of lovers of Sri Lanka also remind us of Crown Prince Saliya (137 BC.) (son of King Dutugamunu, hero of 2550 years of history of Sri Lanka), who deserted the right to crown to be in his own oasis with his Aiyshwarya like lover, Asokamala. You will see the beautiful rock statue of the couple at Isurumuniya.

Marvellous views
Along the marvellous views of craggy peaks, which forms the southern boundary of the hill country, are Sri Lanka's second & third highest, Mount Kirigalpotta (2395m) & Mount Totapolkanda (2359m), which stand at the edge of the park. The large lake in the near distance is man-made rainwater reservoir. In the farthest distance, we can see the southern coast. It's exhilarating to view through such a range with your naked eyes. As the crow flies, or rather as the bullet completes its range - direct distance from where we stand to the southern coast is about 75km.

Still it is 8 a.m. Our early departure at 5 a.m. from Nuwara Eliya (Little England, set against beautiful backdrops of Mountains, Valleys, Waterfalls and Tea Plantations) is justified. By 10 am there would be mist shrouding the slopes below & there would be white wall of mist, we wouldn't see a ball, even the short range. A track down to a valley & 2km walk leads us to a small-forested escarpment. A climb & then a slippery descent take us to the picturesque Baker's Falls. The water herein is deliciously cool & refreshing. From Baker's Falls it is an easy 3 km walk back along the river, passing an attractive Governor's Pool. We will be paying the entrance fees on our way out since the ticket office wasn't open when we entered at 6 am.

Slender Loris [Sinhala: Unahapuluwa] reappears in Horton Plains.
The Horton Plains Slender Loris, considered the rarest primate, a small social and nocturnal species threatened by loss of habitat (fragmented forests need to be reconnected), which had only been seen four times during 1937 and 2002 and believed to have become extinct, was sighted and captured on camera by a team of Conservation biologists consisted of members of Zoological Society of London (ZSL), students of University of Colombo and the Open University of Sri Lanka on 18th July 2010. The rediscovery was a result of an EDGE Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered project- a conservation initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of animals on the brink of extinction. According to ZSL Conservation Biologist Dr. Craig Turner, it was the first close examination of a Horton Plains Slender Loris ever conducted.
The Horton Plains Slender Loris, a subspecies of the Red Slender Loris (Loris tardigradus) found only in the tropical forests of Southern India and Sri Lanka, is classified in terms of endangerment and evolutionary distinctness for the mammals of the world Red List by the IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Horton Plains Slender Loris having shorter and sturdier fore and hind limbs than those of any other Slender Loris (so named owing to its long, slender arms and legs) in either Sri Lanka or Southern India is a telling indication of how the mammal has adapted to living in the cool highland forest of Horton Plains in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka.

Horton Plains is declared a World heritage Site by UNESCO.