Walk Through Udawatta Kele Sanctuary with Guide

You will be starting your tour at 6:30 am from the entrance of Udawattakele Sanctuary. After getting the tickets your naturalist guide will take you on an interesting trail through the forest. You will be stopping periodically to rest and refresh yourselves. The 104 hectare Udawattekele Forest Reserve in Kandy has an interesting history behind it. Historical records state that the caves within the forest were used by monks as dwellings for millennia. Your naturalist might take you for a visit to some of these dwellings. Later during the Kandyan kingdom, the forest was beautifully maintained with wide avenues for taking walks and was used as a pleasure garden reserved for the Royal Family. As such, the forest was forbidden for all except these family members and those who received a special invitations from them.

With the arrival of colonials, this use of the forest stopped, though the British used it for long walks. You will notice this by some of the overgrown stone walkways with names like Lady McCarthy's Drive, Lady Torrington's Road, Lady Gordon's Road, Russell Path, and Byrde Lane. As you go deeper you will find much rare flora and fauna, especially a large number of birds. A survey in 2013 identified 58 tree species, 61 shrubs and small trees, 31 indigenous herbs - of which 12 are orchids, and 57 types of lianas, creepers, and vines; many of which are endemic. Amongst the fauna is 80 birds; including endemic birds such as Layard's parakeet, Yellow-fronted barbet, and the Brown-capped babbler and rare birds such as the three-toed kingfisher. There are also several mammals, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies that you may see. Your naturalist will help you identify them and explain their specific characteristics.