| With
the peace and tranquillity of the verdant mountains - with
its Capital KANDY, the last bastion of the Sinhala Kings,
holding customs and traditions unique to the Kandyan period
is now known more for its tea gardens, cascading water falls,
scenic beauty, winding roads, breath taking views and its
salubrious climate. |
| Kandy |
Kandy is a city renowned
among Buddhists the world-over for its Temple of the Sacred
Tooth Relic. The octagonal shaped Dalada Maligawa (literally
The Palace of the Tooth) was in fact the palace of the kings
of Kandy. In the heart of the picturesque old-world capital
city of KANDY is the KANDY LAKE
The Audience Hall of the kings of Kandy with its richly carved
columns of teak, the Kandy Museum where the glories of the
past could be viewed is only just a little mention of this
renowned city.
The highly popular pageant - the Esala Perahera with over
a hundred caparisoned elephants, drummers and dancers in Kandy
- an once a year event, generally in the month of August,
the dates of which, traditionally decided by astrologers of
the 'Royal Palace'. |
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| Pinnawela |
The PINNAWELA
the Elephant Orphanage - a novel concept set up as an Elephant
Orphanage to save abandoned and orphaned wild elephants,
which is indeed the most popular "elephant attraction"
in Sri Lanka.
Controlled by their keepers, bottled fed at the right
times, these Baby Giants of the Jungle endanger no one -
a rare place indeed, where you meet over 50 young elephants
- some of them so young and small, where an elephant may
step on your foot but you might walk away with only a smile! |
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| NuweraEliya |
| Nuwara Eliya - Little
England - the hill station of British time located in the
heart of the tea country with an year-round spring climate
is yet reminiscent of the days of the British times. The lovely
English styled houses, the colonial styled hotels and the
fine 18-hole golf course add charm to this 'City of Lights'. |
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| Peradeniya |
| Royal Botanical Garden
in Peradeniya - near Kandy, perhaps the most beautiful and
well laid-out gardens of its kind in Asia. The Royal Botanical
Gardens with its many beautiful avenues dotted with floral
plants providing a burst of tropical trees, the attraction
of the Orchid House with over 300 rare, indigenous, natural
and hybrid varieties. |
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| Horton
Plains |
| Horton Plains located
about 2000 meters above sea level is a 3125 hectares plateau
is a Place of eye-catching scenic beauty with grasslands interspersed
with patches of forest, and some unusual high-altitude vegetation.
Proceed along to World's End where you see the most famous,
awesome and stunning feature, where the southern Horton plains
come suddenly to an end, and drop almost straight down to
700m. |
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| Adam's
Peak |
| Adams Peak is probably
the only mountain famous for non-mountain reasons. Sacred
to the Buddhist, Hindus and Muslims alike because of the footprint
on the boulder at the summit of the 2400 meters high mountain.
The peak is a place of worship and pilgrimage for people of
diverse faiths since the days of yore. From the mountain peak
the view at down is incredible and hence the custom to make
this steep climb at night. |
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| Ratnapura |
Ratnapura the
city of gems a pleasantly situated city about 100 km from
Colombo is easily incorporated on a tour itinerary as an
interesting alternate route to the hill country specially
for those who desire to visit the Singharaja Rain Forest.
A visit to a gem pit (a gem mine) could be interesting,
if one would wish to venture a walk along a muddy pathway.
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| Sinharaja |
| Singharaja rain forest
a world heritage site as declared by UNESCO, approachable
via Ratnapura is a primeval forest. This is a 5 hour diversion
but an absolutely profitable visit in the midst of nature
surrounded by dense, dark and lush jungle. |
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| Bandarawela |
| Bandarawela an upcountry
town in the midst of tea plantations is a popular health resort
- a town on the road from Nuwara Eliya to the South of the
Island. |
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| Haputale |
| Haputale is a little
town clinging on to the mountain ridge with a typical little
upcountry bazaar and a busy little railway station where even
the locals feel a shudder on approaching the town as one sees
the nothingness that spread before him on road to the south
of the Island. |
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| Ella |
| Ella, famous for
its Gap - a narrow opening in the mountains that descend to
1000 meters to the flat jungle plain below. Down the road,
onwards to the south passing the beautiful Rawana waterfall,
on refreshing one self with cup of tea at the little Ella
Rest House. |
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| Water
Falles |
| Ramboda water falls
- cascading down mountain slopes are indeed breath taking
sites that nature has abundantly provided along the many roads
along the hill country The Ramboda Falls on the road to Nuwara
Eliya, The Devon Falls on an alternative route also to Nuwara
Eliya, the Diyaluma Falls as you descend the slopes of the
hill country to the south are some of the better known falls
of the Island. |
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