Tourist Attractions

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

The Department of National Zoological Gardens has set up an orphanage for baby elephants at Pinnawala which is about 77 Km from Colombo. The orphanage was established to feed, nurse and house young elephants found abandoned by their mothers.

Often the young ones fall into pits and ravines in the quest for water during drought period. Other inmates at the orphanage are those this place from their natural envious by development project for those found displaced or wounded. The orphanage is 16 years old. The animals that were brought during the initial years are now capable of breeding and have in fact bred. Once can experience feeding of baby elephants and elephant baths daily.

Habarana Elephant Ride

An interesting transit stop on the route to Sri Lanka Ancient cities and the East coast. Famous for wild elephant and you can enjoy an elephant ride for an affordable price.

Sigiriya Rock

The rock fortress was built by King Kasyapa in the 5th century AD and was a royal citadel for more than 18 years. It is a complex at building, part royal palace, part fortified town, and water garden on par with the best in the ancient world, constitute a magnificent and unique architectural feat at the ancient Sinhalese. In a sheltered pocket approached by a spiral stairway are the famous Sigiriya frescoes, the earliest surviving pictorial art at Sri Lanka and at the same period as the Ajantha frescoes of India. The summit of the rock with an area of nearly one hc. Was the site of the palace. It is regarded as 8th wonder of the ancient world.

Dambulla

Like Sigiriya, Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass and it was here king Valagambaha took refuge in the 1 Century B.C. He late turned the caves into a rock temple. Sits rock ceiling is one large sweep of colorful paintings which depict Buddhist mythology and tales at the Buddha's previous births. Some at time are over 2000 years old. Within the cave temple is the collection of the largest number of Buddha statues in one place. There is also a recumbent Buddha carved out of the living rock, some 14m long.

Spice Garden

A visit to one of Sri Lanka’s Spice Garden would explain all. It was the allure of spices and the wealth they generated that first drew western attraction.

Sri Lanka spices are abandoned, varied and versatile. Praised since ancient times. Widely traded in colonial days, they remain one of the main exports in Sri Lanka. Kandy, Mathale, Mawanella give interesting insights into spice production in the country.

Bandarawela

195 km from Colombo. Is one of the major tea producing areas in Sri Lanka since British colonial era. One can choose to wander through the lush tea plantations, misty mountains, paddy field and vegetable plots, marvel at the many waterfall at Sri Lanka or explore the dense forests at "pinas" trees. For the more adventurous, the area offers some fantastic bike and hiking trails with unbeatable view at the surrounding Mountains and into the famous "Ella Gap". High residential area during the colonial times so there are many colonial type buildings transformed into Hotels.

Horton Plains

Clad in mist, located on a high windswept saddle of almost 2,134 meters. The Horton Plains are an expanse of misty grassland rare and beautiful plants, ice cold streams and of course the delightful Baker's falls, The World's End.

Is the high point at an excursion to Horton Plains as it commands a most magnificent view in all of Sri Lanka. The sheer drop from word's End is around 1700 meters and on clear days the view stretches as far as the Indian Ocean. An exhilarating beautiful excursion from Nuwara Eliya it forms the eastern extremity of the peak wilderness sanctuary Horton Plains.

Kithulgala

Kithulgala made famous by the 1957 film classic "Bridge on the river wai" is a quaint little village at a kelane valley community wet and sleepy. However it is the best site in Sri Lanka for white water rafting the scenery is spectacular forest covered hills, deep gourges plunging down to the Kalani river. You may arrange your rafting tour from the travel agent.

Buduruwagala

From Tissa if you are proceeding to the hill country via Wellawaya or coming down the hills towards the plains you may visit Buduruwagala, the impressive Mahayana roch sculptures just about 6km from Wellawaya junction. Although it is off the beatem track and seldom included in tour itineraries it is perhaps the finest sculptures of Mahayana Buddhism found in Sri Lanka dating back to 9-10BC its jungle setting adds depth to this side.

Udawalawa Elephants transit home - Eth Athuru Sewana at Udawalawa National Park

A centre for Rehabilitation and Re- integration of orphaned wild elephants has been established at Udawalawa National Park by the Department of wildlife conservation. Increase of the country's population, large-scale irrigation and agricultural projects have fragmented the former habitats of elephant resulting elephant mortality and decrease of population. Despite the mitigation measures to control human-elephant conflict considerable number of elephant calves were recovered as orphans.

Visitors could enjoy the antics of these babies from a viewing platform at the centre. The department of wildlife conservation calls for public support to minimize the expense from the public by joining the foster parent scheme and help wild elephant orphans program.

Sinharaja Rainforest

A word heritage site (Nature) Sri Lanka's most beautiful and the biggest rainforest is situated close to Rathnapura and is between the villages of Rakwana, Deniyaya and Mathugama. A variety of indigenous plants and animals, flowing rivers and silent streamlets cover up nearly 9800 hectares. Out of a total of 830 indigenous flowering plants in the Island Sinharaja has nearly 500 plants and out of 21 native bird species in the country 17 species have made Sinharaja their home. There is no end to what may be discovered during a rainforest exploration in Sri Lanka. The awe-inspiring experience cannot be described in any words, you have to experience it.