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B O T A N I C A L
G A R D E N S
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Sri Lanka has three beautiful Botanical Gardens worthy of inclusion in any itinerary …
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Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya
Established in 1816 on 150 acres in a loop of the Mahaweli Ganga 4 miles/6 km from Kandy on what was once a
royal park and residence in the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasingha (1747-80), the Peradeniya Gardens at an
elevation of 1550 ft/475 mt contains healthy specimens of all known plants in Sri Lanka and of much of the
tropical flora from around the world besides. Stroll or motor through the ever-changing vistas - perpetually
pretty pink and yellow "Queen of Flowering Trees" (Amherstia nobilis); the avenue of Royal Palms and a profusion
of the coconut's cousins; magical glades and groves of myth and marvel; riverside reeds, rushes and thickets of
giant Bamboo towering 130 ft/40 mt; trees heavy with flying fox suspended like fruit; a wealth of healing herbs;
a spice garden; lily-topped lakes and ponds; a lane of lianas; a rockery of ornamentals; cacti; orchids; a froth
of ferns; the Octagon House or Conservatory and much more.
Hakgala Gardens
Rising to an elevation of 5600 ft/1700 mt a few miles off Nuwara Eliya, the Hakgala Gardens were established in
1860: first as a cinchona plantation and then adapted to an experimental garden for the acclimatization of plants
from temperate zones in the tropics. Here can be found all the flowers of an English cottage garden in spring and
summer, and much else besides - such as the oldest tea-bush in the island, an ornamental pond and quaint summerhouse.
Hakgala (Jaw Rock) rises a sheer 1500 ft/460 mt and offers one of the most stunning views ever. Legend says it was part
of the Himalayas carried here by the monkey-god Hanuman in his quest to help Rama rescue Sita from the demon-king
Ravana. Sita Eliya, site of Sita's imprisonment, stands a mere mile away, with the Sita Amman kovil close by.
Henarathgoda Gardens
19 miles/30 km from Colombo and 3 miles/5 km off Gampaha, this often overlooked garden is celebrated for its tropical
trees rather than for flowering plants. It was here that in 1876 2000 seedlings of the Para Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis)
- from seeds smuggled out of the Brazilian Amazon by Sir Henry Wickham and nurtured at London's Kew Gardens - gave rise to
the entire rubber industry in Southeast Asia.
Jathika Namal Uyana
Ulpothagama, Madatugama.
The Namal Uyana is situated 159 km away from Colombo and 6 km towards the west from Madatugama junction in the dry zone.
Archaeological ruins, massive pink quartz deposits and various animal and plant species are found here.
The unique "Jathika Namal Uyana" is an extremely rare 238-acre forest planted with Ironwood trees (Mesua ferrna) in the 8th
Century AD by King Dappula. It is held to be the only dry zone forest with wet zone vegetation and the oldest man-made forest
in Sri Lanka. It holds a rich variety of animal, bird and plant life; rare species of lizards; and many kinds of medicinal herbs.
Towering above the forest, the seven peaks of Pink Quartz Mountain (1070 ft/665 mt) shimmer in the sun. Formed 4000 million years
ago, it is believed to be the largest concentration of pink quartz in southeast Asia and the only one of its kind in Sri Lanka.
Visitors can walk through the jungle tracks and climb the pink quartz mountain with or without a guide. They can follow pathways
created by animals, watch birds and meet the villagers living in the vicinity. A Conservation Centre is to be constructed on an
initiative of the Ceylon Tourist Board with the cooperation of local agencies and authorities concerned with the protection of
Namal Uyana. The guides would be from the local community in the area and Ulpothagama.
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