Nuwara Eliya district

According to the Historical sources, Nuwara Eliya found by Jorn deve an Englishmen in 1819 CE. Nuwara Eliya nominated as a leisurely place in 1824 and several churches horse grounds and other important places built after 1840 year. Nuwara Eliya situated in upcountry in Sri Lanka in higher than 1000 meters. Quantity of land area is Nuwara Eliya area is 1741 square kms. Nuwara Eliya has cool climate, most probably less than 15 ‘C around the year. Highest mountain Piduruthalagala, located in Nuwara Eliya district. As well as other several highest mountains situated inside this area, such as Kirigalpoththa, Adom’s peak, Hakgala etc. 

Lokanthaya – World’s End

 

Lokanthya means the place which ends the world. Most attraction place among tourists who visit Nuwara Eliya.  Lokanthaya situated in the Hortarn places which is one the natural park  in Sri Lanka. For reach  this places visitors have to get down Ohiya railway station and  walk 2 km from Horton places.  Lokanthaya has a huge deep more than 900 meters. When misty occasions, it is obviously dangerous to visit this place.

 Haggala flower garden

Situated in 5 km away from Nuwara eliya in Badulla -  Nuwara eliya road. This is a one of the botanical garden in Sri Lanka. Garden was established in 1897 year as a tea state, after several years state converted as a flower garden. Haggala garden is famous for rose flowers, various rose species can be seen in this garden.

Water falls in Nuwara Eliya district.

Lot of waterfalls located in Nuwara Eliya district, Some of them,

• Bambarakanda waterfall
• Kurundu Ella Waterfall
• Lovers sleep waterfall
• Ramboda waterfall
• Lakshapana Waterfall
•  Handapan Ella Waterfall
• Cent. Cleir Waterfall
• Devon Waterfall
• Abardeen Waterfall
• Nanuoya waterfall
• Bekans Waterfall

Bambarakanda Waterfall

 

Bambarakanda is famous as the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and located in Dulthotagala village, near the Kalupahana town Colombo – Badulla Road. Waterfall located in 4900 feet higher from sea level. See more about Bambarakanda ..click this link

Kurundu Ella

 

Kurudu ella located in 30 km away from Nuwar Eliya. Height of this waterfall is 200 meters and waterfall stars from Mahathudugala Mountain and it falls across Haputale area in beautiful surrounding, but travelling is little difficult and it is difficult to reach to waterfalls  by vehicle.  Tourists have to walk by foot for 2 kms.

 Bekers Ella

 

Bekans waterfall is a small waterfall located in the high bio diversity area in Horton place. Waterfall isn’t height so much and it was found by English men named Samuel bekers. As a gratitude ho him waterfall named as bekers.  

Hotels and accommodations facilities in Nuwara Eliya area

Hotel / gest house name	Telephone No
Holiday resorts controlled by tourist board	0522222943
Rose garden	0525673808
The Heritage	0522223052
Hill Club	0522222653
Hotel Glendervar	0522222501
Hotel Sanhil	0522222878
Niwahana	0522235733
the rock	0522223196
Grand Hotel	0522222881
Sinera Hotel	0522222106
Ramboda Falles in	0522259582
Hotel Erdern hill	0522235524
Grovenar hotel	0522222307
Hotel Colinwood	0522223550
Seetha gest house	0522223821
Green Garden	0522234969
Serendeeb mountain	0522222070
park Bangalore	0522222823
Galway forest lodge	0522223553
Kothmale Holiday resort	0812350058
Unic view Holiday in	0522235603
railway tourist Bangalore	0522222547

 

 

 

Vilpaththu National Park

Largerst national park in sri lanka located in Anuradapura district and published as reserve in 25^th February, 1958. Quantity of the whole area is 130000 hectares. Vilpaththuwa means lot of lakes, it means the forest have lot of lakes. More than 25 natural lakes are located in the forest. Some lakes always have water even period of drought. Forest contains various eco systems, some area in the forest is have Hugh trees and other site of the forests contains with shrubbery. Lot of elephants, elks, tigers, bares and dears. Currently anyone can visit and explore this place without any risk, because these areas now controlled by government.

Yala Forest Reserve

Yala is the oldest national nature reserve in Sri Lanka and in quantity in land it in second place. Yala nominated as a nature reserve in 23^rd, march 1900 and nominated as a park in 1938 year. Currently yala divided in to five zones and all zones are consists with huge biodiversity. Many no of Wild Elephants are in living Yala. Therefore lot of tourists come and visits Yala for study the behavior of Elephants.  In addition to elephents, visitors can watch buffalos, foxes, monkeys, peacocks , bears and various kind of birds. Several endemic birds are living in Yala, such as

•    Lanka Giramalitta    - Loriculus beryllinus
•    Thithpiya Thirasikaya - Zoothera spiloptera
•    Hisakalu Kondaya - Pycnontus melanicterus
•   The Brown-Capped Babbler - Pellorneum fuscopillum

In Addition to endemic birds hundreds of tourist birds come to Yala from various countries of the world in April to October months.  Eight kind of endemic reptiles are living this forest

Trincomalee

Trincomaliee is one of the beautiful area in north east area of Sri Lanka with more attractive beach. District consists with two electronic divisions, Seruvila and Murthur. Quantity of land of the district is 2727 square Kilometers.   This area were affected by war for several decades, but now everyone can go and visit these area in freedom with peaceful environment. Trincomalee is famous among tourists because it has huge attraction and gorgeous place, such as huge Tamil temples, Worm water fountains, historical places, lagoons and many more. Most well-known two beach sites are located in these area, Nilavali and Arugambe.  

Thirukoneshwaram fane (Hindu temple)

One of the huge hindu temple which built for “god Siva” in Sri Lanka. Fane has huge history, and it was built at several centuries ago. Two offering to gods are conducted daily at 7.00 am and 4.00 pm, thousands of devotees participate for those programs.

Nilaveli Beach

Best attraction beach in sri lanka situated 12 kms away from Trincomalee. To reach this place, visitors have to go Pulmudey road. Specialty of this beach is ocean with clear and blue water and having long beach area. This place is famous for the surfing among foreign tourists.

Paravi Dupatha (Island)

Paravi island is situated in 2km east toward Ocean from Nilaweli. There is having a boart service to the island. Special thing of this island is it has one of the natural bathing pool between two rocks.

Worm water fountains

Situated in kinnia area, and have 7 worm water fountains.  Local and foreign tourists come daily to visit and bath to this place. Some people believe that when the bath by this water, it helps to be prevent diseases.

Kalkuda and Pasikuda beach

This coast is beautiful as well as nilavali beach. Specially should mentioned that  tourists able to walk toward sea  more than 100 meters  without any risk. Therefore this beach is famous among foreigners as well as local tourists.  

Kokilae Bird's nature reserve

Various kinds of birds can be seen in this nature reserve including several endemic birds and lot of tourist birds. Tourists can visit to nature reserve via pulmudey- Trincomalee road. 

Galle

Galle is one of the beautiful areas which situated in south west part of Sri Lanka with most attractive coast. The area is considered as low country, wet zone and district divided to 10 electronic divisions. Ancient romans coins were founded in several areas of Galle and it shows the Galle was the world trade center in 16^th to 19^th centuries. After the 14^th century, Galle attracted by various foreign countries, such as Portuguese, England, Netherland. So more than 300 years Galle were controlled by them and it was affected to cultural and Economic changes of Galle.  Most archaeological places in Galle can be identified as built on King Kirthi Shi Rajasinghe’s time and some places were built by foreigner who controlled the area.

Galle Fortress

This is the main historical place in Galle which is situated in the middle of the Galle town and it generates huge arrogance for Galle Town. This fortress was built by Portuguese as a temporary fortress for protect from Sinhalese attacks. When the 1619, fortress converted as a permanent and more than 60 soldiers used for protections for fort. Fortresses were acquired by the Dutch in 1640. After that they modified fort and built lot of buildings according to Dutch architecture. When the start with the 17^th century fortress were acquired by English. Fortress spreads more than 92 acres. It has been announced as a World heritage sites in 1974 by UNESCO.

Special places which situated insides the Fortress

• Dutch museum

This building was built at 1656 CE and it is considered as the oldest building in Galle fort.  Currently, this building is used for Galle National Museum.

• Galle New Oriental Hotel

Most attraction place for tourists. This hotel is famous for the delicious foods among the foreigners who visit the Sri Lanka.

• Roman Catholic Church

This was built as according to the Dutch architecture and shown as a shape of Corus. The church and a   campanile which is situated in church nominated as the national heritage by department of archaeology, Sri Lanka.

Rumassala Mountains

Mountain is located in near the Galle town and it’s consists with huge biodiversity. There is have a measurement pillar on the top of the mountain and it was built by W.Bartan in 1875. Mountain located in height in 250 feet on sea level.  

Kandy

Kandy is a one of the ancient kingdom of Sri Lanka. It can be describe as the final kingdom of ancient era. Kandy city is located in 116 km away from Colombo and travel time is around 4 hours. Kandy city was mostly affected by the prutugesi   Dutch and British era in 16 th to 18 th century. Kandy is the last independent   capital of Sri Lanka .Kandy became the kingdom of the last independent king of Sri Wicrama Rajasinha . Kandy remain as capital of Sri Lanka until it become a under the British rule by agreement at 1815.

Lots of No of temples is located in Kandy Such as

·         Temple of Tooth

·         Lankathilaka Viharaya

Temple of Relic Tooth

Temple of Relic Tooth is the most well-known attractive place in Kandy. in Sinhala, it mention “Daladha Maliyawa”. Buddha’s Relic Tooth was bringing to Sri Lanka in the King Nishshankamalla’s time. After that it became a symbol of royal and peoples of Sri Lanka thought that ownership of the relic tooth is a requirement to be a king. So every king tries to protect and honor it, therefore when the shifted the kingdom, also sifted the relic tooth for new kingdom.  

Relic tooth was first brought to Kandy during the king Vimaladarmasooriya’s time in the 17^th century and he built a temple for it. This temple was destroyed due to Portuguese attacks. After that king second Rajasinghe repowered the kingdom, built a building for relic tooth by him. When the concentrate on the present buildings, most of them are built by king Veera Narendrasinghe and those are modified by subsequent kings and at presently those building are maintaining by the government of Sri Lanka.

Relic tooth is kept inside a reliquary with more protection. Presently, temple of Relic tooth administrated by Malvathu and Asgiri Maha Vihara. There are having two times services for s sacred relic tooth at morning and evening. Temple of relic tooth conducts a perahara festival in July month which can be considered as the huge cultural festival in Sri Lanka, even south Asia. 

Dambulla

Dambulla

This is one of the cave temples in Sri Lanka. It called as Golden Rock temple. Temple is situated in 4 km s south  from the Dammulla town. Distance from the Kandy is 72 km and also distance from the Colombo is 150 km.

According to the chronicle, King Wlagamba was living in this caves with several  monks  because protect from enemies. After the returning power to him, he built a temple in caves which gave protection to gratitude to monks who protected him and after the temple was further developed by king Nissankamalla era.

This temple was well known for the ancient drowning which was drowning at the Kandy era in between 18^th and 19^th centuries.  Those drawings covers more than 2000 square meters wall on the cave, so Dambulla temple is a recommended place for anyone who investigating the ancient drowning of Sri Lanka. There are more than a hundred statues can be shown at the temple. Lot of statues represents Buddha and several statues represent ancient kings of Sri Lanka.

Anuradhapura

Located in the north-west of the island, Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka for 1,400 years. It is situated in more than 200 kilometers from Colombo and a drive of around now 4 hours. Anuradapura contributed lot of heritages for Sri Lankan Buddhism. It can be described as a central of the Buddhism of Sri Lanka, because numbers of ancient temples are situated in this area including ‘Ruwanveli Saya’, ‘Sri Maha Bodhi’ which is considered as the sacred symbols of Buddhism.  The three greatest monasterist of Sri Lanka, the Mahavihara, the Abhayagiriya and Jetawana, were all located in Anuradhapura. Visitors can see mainly the ruins of these monasteries and other structures with them. Anuradapura kingdom has been decadence after the south Indian attack in the 9^th century. After that next kingdom was Polonnaruwa. After the 11^th century Anuradhapura lost its importance and it has showed like a forest for thousands of years. Beginning with the 19^th century, importance of these places are increased again after the rediscovered ruins of Anuradhapura   

Ruwanvwlisaya (Ruwanveli Pagoda)

This stupa is one of the huge pagoda in Sri Lanka and it also introduces as the Great Stupa, was built by King Dutugamunu in his control period in 161 BCE. Although king Dutugamunu start to build stupa, he unable to live until completion of stupa.  Therefore stupa was complete by the king Saddhathissa, brother of Dutugamunu. This stupa can be identified as the one of the wonder of the ancient Sri Lanka. Height of the stupa is 91 meters and diameter is 90 meters at the base. Several small pagodas ituated around the Great stupa. Some peoples believe that relic of the Buddha had enshrined inside the stupa.

According to the Mahawansha (the book about history of Sri Lanka), King Elara from south India had attacked to Anuradapura kingdom. but king Dutugamunu won the war. There are have some statues those are represent the war between king  Dutugamunu and Elara.

Sri Maha Bodhi 

Sri Maha Bodhi is a Boo Tree which planted in more than 2300 years ago. when the concentrate on the beginning of this tree,  After the arrival of the Ven. Mihindu thero with the Buddhism, king Devanampiyathissa and lot of peoples converted to Buddhism. Some peoples converted as Sanga of the Buddhism. Mindu thero and others could ordain only male party. So lot of numbers of women wanted to become nuns, but it was difficult because at that time Buddhist priesthood granted for only males. Because of this, king Devanampiyatissa requested to royal family in india, after that , Sangamiththa the sister of the Ven. Mihindu thero came to Sri Lanka in order to establishment of bhikkuneis (Women monks). When she came, she brought a one of the branch of the scred Bodhi tree from india. This branch was planted in Anuradapura, Mahamewna temple in 288 BCE. So Sri Maha Bodhi  is believed as the oldest tree of the world. 

Anuradhapura in Google map with direction from Colombo

View Larger Map

Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa considered as the second ancient capital of the Sri Lanka. It became capital city after the Anuradapura era. Polonnaruwa located in 100 kilometers away from Anuradapura and 216 km away from Colombo. Polonnaruwa had been prominence as the capital city of the Sri Lanka for 300 years. Lot of Buddhist structures were built at these years. When compare with Anuradapura, Polonnaruwa is small in size but those structures are significant as well as Anuradapura. 

In the 13^th century Polonnaruwa became instability with the power because south Indians called “chola” attracked to kingdom. Meanwhile this incident, civil war was started, and lot of budhist temples destroyed because of war. After that subsequent kings gradually moved their capital toward south west part of Sri Lanka.

The Sea of Parakrama

This is a huge tank which constructed during the King Parakramabahu in the late 12^th centuries for the purpose of irrigation and drinking. This tank can be describe as Hugh tank or it more like as inland ocean. Tank covered more than 20 square kilometers and it consists with three huge waterfalls for transmission of water. According to the present figures more than 72 square km of paddy fields irrigates by using water of this tank. There is a statue near the tank which is believed it represent King Parakramabahu. 

The Gal Viharaya

Gal Viharaya is famous among Buddhist peoples around the world, because this temple have four Buddha statues which are made by stone (rock) according to the showing the characteristics of Buddha, such as kindness. Those four images are covered by from the face of the single rock. One of the image is represent the standing posture of the Buddha , two statues are represent the seated posture and other image represent the reclining. These images provides evidence for the skills of ancient stonemason of Sri Lanka.