About this experience
Udawattakele Forest Reserve covers 104 hectares of old forest above Kandy, laced with stone-laid trails that were once avenues in a green pleasure garden centuries ago. Step through the gate and the city noise falls away under the canopy. This is prime ground for endemic birds, among them Layard's parakeet, the yellow-fronted barbet and the brown-capped babbler, plus rarities such as the three-toed kingfisher.
You start at 7:00 am from the Kandy City Center, where your guide meets you and drives you to the sanctuary entrance. With tickets sorted, you follow the trail into the forest, stopping periodically to rest and take refreshments. Historical records say the caves inside the reserve served monks as dwellings for millennia, and your guide may take you to see some of them. Deeper in, the plant life takes over: a 2013 survey recorded 58 tree species, 61 shrubs and small trees, 31 indigenous herbs including 12 orchids, and 57 lianas, creepers and vines, many of them endemic. You return to the entrance by around 11:00 am.
The tour runs four hours in total, is bookable for 1 to 8 guests and confirms instantly. Your price covers entrance tickets, guide, refreshments, hotel pick-up and drop-off and all taxes. Cancel more than 24 hours ahead at no cost; inside that window the booking is non-refundable.
