Just over 5km to the west of Kandy sits the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya. These striking and historic gardens started off as pleasure gardens for Sinhalese royalty, before being turned into a botanical garden by the British. It’s the largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka and arguably one of the finest in the subcontinent, with an incredible selection of orchids and a stately avenue of royal palms. The Cannonball Tree is of particular interest as in 1901 it was planted by King George V and Queen Mary. As part of your half-day tour you will also visit the spice gardens in nearby Matale; here a knowledgeable and friendly guide will take you through the gardens explaining how the various spices and medicinal herbs are grown. You are likely to see nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves being grown. The gardens were also Lord Mountbatten supreme headquarters during World War 2 so they are of huge historic importance too. We highly recommend visiting.
We offer tailor-made holidays to suit a wide range of tastes. Our experts Dawn, Lisa and Rebecca are dedicated to all things Sri Lanka and are here to help you plan your perfect trip.
From its tea-covered hills to its colourful towns, endless beaches and magic people, our Dawn’s head over heels with Sri Lanka – and she knows exactly how to help you fall in love with it, too.
Sri Lanka sparked Lisa’s lifelong love for Asia – and it remains one of her favourite places to visit. She’s all about combining cultural highlights, beautiful landscapes and proper local flavour into every itinerary, and Sri Lanka is the place to do just that.
Few places have a hold on Rebecca’s heart like Sri Lanka. It’s the mix of culture, landscapes, unmatched food and magic people that gets her – alongside the closeness of the Maldives! And she’d love nothing more than helping you experience it all.
Speak to one of our travel specialists today.
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