Western Province

Laxapana falls is a  waterfall located in Maskeliya area of the Nuwara Eliya District in Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is a picturesque waterfall formed by the Maskeliya Oya upstream which is a tributary of Kelani Ganga.  Laxapana falls is 126m in height and it is the eighth highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. This amazing waterfall is also located in an attractive location which has many hidden caves and natural tunnels. The most convenient route to the Laxapana falls is the Hatton – Maskeliya road. You can go to the top of the waterfall by taking a by road and enjoy a spectacular view of the surrounding Laxapana valley. To get the direction to the Laxapana falls, type your current location in the text box below the location map in the sidebar. Click here to find a list of accommodations around Maskeliya, Sri Lanka on Booking.com. External Links Laxapana: A majestic waterfall – Sunday Observer Let This Pearl to Refresh & Restore You – Laxapana Waterfall – Daily Mirror

Galboda Ella (or Galaboda Ella) is a waterfall located in Nawalapitiya area of Kandy District in Central Province, Sri Lanka. The waterfall is about 30m high and width ranges from 3 m to 6 m. It is also located nearby the Watawala which is one of the areas get the highest rainfall in Sri Lanka. The waterfall can be accessed by both road and railway. If you are traveling by a vehicle, you have to park the vehicle about 2km away from the waterfall and have to walk along the trail. When traveling by train, you need to get down at the Galboda railway station on the Colombo – Badulla railway line (Main Line). After about one hour walk the trail, you can reach the Galboda Ella waterfall. External Links ගල්කුළු මතින් ඇදහැලෙන ගලබඩ ඇල්ල – දිනමිණ

The Fort Frederick is a fort built in 1624 CE by Portuguese as a military encampment at Trincomalee District in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. It was built from the debris of the famous ancient Hindu Koneswaram temple that was destroyed by the Portuguese. It has been an important military site for centuries. In 1665 the fort was rebuilt by the Dutch and again it was taken over by the British in 1795. Although the Fort Frederick is used today by the Sri Lankan military you are allowed to explore some parts of it. The Gokanna Temple and the rebuilt Koneswaram (Thirukoneswaram) Temple is located inside the fort. External Links Tourism Eastern Province

Pigeon Island National Park is one of the two marine national parks of Sri Lanka. It is located in 1km off the coast of Nilaveli in Trincomalee District in Eastern Province and the total area is 47,429 hectares. You can reach the island by 15 minutes boat ride from the Nilaveli beach. The coastal length of the island is 8.34km. In 1963 it was designated as a sanctuary and redesignated as a National Park in 2003. The name of the Island “Pigeon” was derived from the Rock Pigeons which colonized it. This national park contains some of the best remaining coral reefs of Sri Lanka. There are over 100 species of corals and more than 300 species of reef fish have been identified from the Trincomalee area, and many of these species are found within the Pigeon Islands National Park. The Pigeon Island National Park is about 300km away from Colombo and it will take 6 hours to reach by the road. Read the post “Getting Around Sri Lanka – Transportation System” for the transportation guide. Provide your location of departure in the text box below the map to get the best route for you. Click here to find a list of accommodations around Nilaveli Beach, Sri Lanka on Booking.com External Links Island Biodiversity Tourism Eastern Province Discover a snorkeling haven with Cinnamon Nature Trails in Pigeon Island, Trincomalee – DailyFT

Diyasuru Park is an urban wetland park which is located in Sri Jayawardanapura, the administrative capital of Sri Lanka, at the vicinity of the Parliament. It is an ideal place to relax in busy and crowded and noisy Colombo. The park is spread over an area of 60 acres.  The park showcases a range of wetland habitats such as marshes, flooded woodlands, lakes, and ponds including wonders of urban wildlife in Colombo. More than 230 animal species have been recorded from the park including many rare and migrant birds, butterflies, dragonflies, mammals, many types of fishes including endemics, amphibians, and reptiles. Park offers many features and activities for visitors to have unique wetland experience in the middle of the city. These features include bird watching tower, bird hide, butterfly garden, organic agriculture area, open study area, buildings which are adaptive to nature, boardwalks to enjoy the beauty of the wilderness while walking through the wetland, plant nursery, ecology laboratory, ample parking and restroom facilities. External Links Wetlands losing ground – The Island

Dry Zone Botanic Gardens, Mirijjawila is one of the five botanical gardens in Sri Lanka and It is the first Dry Zone botanic gardens in the country. This was the first time a botanic garden was set up in Sri Lanka after 130 years. The garden is located in Mirijjawila in Hambanthota District. The construction work of the garden was commenced in 2006 and the first stage was opened for visitors in 2013. The gardens consist of plants, trees and herbal plants that are grown in the dry zone, a butterfly garden, a plant nursery, a student park, a plant conservation unit, a flower garden, and ornamental bushes. Pinpoint   External Links Department of National Botanic Gardens web.archive.org

This picturesque location became popular over the social media from 2017 onwards. The water body is crystal clear and it is a great place to take colorful photographs.   A lot of local travelers attract to this location as the breathtaking photographs shared in social media. It is in the Rangala village which is about 20km away from the Theldeniya town and about 42km away from the Kandy City. The pool is a part of the Kotaganga Stream, and that can also be viewed from the Kotaganga bridge. Although it is so attractive, there is a hidden danger of Rangala Natural Pool. The pool is more than 30ft deep and a number of deaths have been recorded after this place became popular in social media. As such it is extremely advisable to avoid bathing in the deeper part of the pool. Alternatively, you can take the footpath at the side of the bridge to walk along the stream to see the natural beauty of it.   Photo Credit: team_journey

Kallebokka viewpoint is one of the best viewpoints in Sri Lanka which gives 3600  magnificent views of the Kandy, Matale and the beautiful Knuckles Mountain Range.  From the viewpoint, you can also see the Sembuwatta Lake, Huluganga valley, Hunnasgiriya, Makulussa Mountain, and Dumbara Mountain range etc… The viewpoint is located in the highest peak of the Kallebokka estate which belongs to Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation. The estate is located between Kabaragala and Madolkele on the boundary of the  Kandy and Matale District. Therefore it can be accessed from both Mathale and Kandy directions. However, the route from Matale to Kabaragala is better in terms of the scenic view. The last part of the road to the peak is a bit difficult and Bikes and 4WD are recommended.   Photo Credit: team_journey   External Links උඩරට කඳුකරයේ සැබෑ මිහිර විඳින්න රාජ්‍ය වැවිලි සංස්ථා නිල නිවෙස් වෙත එන්න – සිළුමිණ දුම්බර වන පෙතේ සැඟවුණු ‘‘දෙවැනි’’ කිරිගල්පොත්ත  

Kithulgala, in the Kegalle district, is the best and safe place for whitewater rafting. Rafting activities are done in the 8-10km section of the Kelani river. This place is located about 90km away from Colombo and it can be reached by Avissawella – Hatton – Nuwara Eliya (A007) road.  It is an ideal holiday haunt for both the young and the ‘young at heart,’ given the area’s ideal conditions for rafting or for a relaxing holiday away from the grind of everyday work.  The award-winning movie The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) was filmed at this picturesque location. Whitewater rafting is very thrilling and gives more than a few chills and gasps as the raft goes crashing through the seven rapids. For the really daring, the boat is suddenly tipped over and you will find yourself in swirling foamy waters – to swim back to the boat or just drift downstream. For this experience, one has to don a life jacket and a helmet. There is a number of travel agencies that provide whitewater rafting packages around Kithulgala. As they have well-experienced guides, you can safely do the whitewater rafting activities with them. If you are visiting Kithulgala, you can also do rainforest walks, mountain biking, bird watching, river expeditions, waterfall abseiling etc… in addition to rafting. External Links Kitulgala: Rocks, rapids, and retreat Ceylon’s Bridge on the River Kwai Kitulgala holiday packages: Rafting down the river

Pidurangala Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist monastery located in the Matale District of Central Province, Sri Lanka. The monastery was built by the King Kashyapa (473-495 CE) to relocate monks who were residing in Sigiriya rock before the construction of the fortress.  Also, it is believed that this monastery has been served as the royal monastery during the reign of King Kashyapa. Pidurangala is a massive rock similar to Sigiriya, said to be just four feet short of the height of Sigiriya. From certain places at a distance, one can see the view of both Sigiriya and Pidurangala. Surrounding the Pidurangala temple, lie many ruined dagobas and monuments. The entry point to the top of Pidurangala is along the stone steps through the temple. It is a one-km drive from the Sigiriya entrance, through the Pidurangala Sanctuary. The Pidurangala is also popular among both local and foreign tourists due to the stunning view of the Sigiriya rock. Many tourists climb the Pidurangala rock summit to experience this amazing view and take photographs. View of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress from Pidurangala Rock Summit View of Pidurangala Rock from Sigiriya Rock Fortress Click here to find a list of accommodations around Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. External Links අධ්‍යාත්මයේ කැඩපත පිදුරංගල රජ මහා විහාරයයි – බුදුසරණ ‘Discover Sri Lanka’ – Ritgala and Pidurangala – The Island Pidurangala: In the midst of serenity