Udawattakele Forest Reserve

Nestled in the heart of Kandy and surrounded by a busy city close to the Temple of the Tooth is the Udawattakele Forest Reserve. It was originally a pleasure garden used by earlier Kandyan Royals, but today it is an abundant, rich and luscious rainforest. It spans over 257 acres.
Bearing an interesting history, the forest reserve came into existence when the old village of Senkadagala was inhabited as one of the early settlements of Sri Lanka. However when Kandy gained position as the capital city of the country, it was stated as a forbidden forest by the royal kings. Restrictions were given to the public; therefore it was named as Thansi Kele which means in Sinhala as ‘Forbidden Forest.’ This had encouraged good preservation of the forest and the foliage to flourish in terms of density and abundance thus increasing wildlife and bird life over the years.
The royal queens used the pond in the centre for bathing thereby naming it the Royal Pond. Since the forest had been very thick it provided protection against any attack, therefore the forest was used as a hideout by the kings. On the whole, the forest reserve was used as a pleasure garden for the Royals.
In 1856, Udawattakele was declared as a forest reserve and then a sanctuary in 1938. The sanctuary serves as a watershed giving water to the city of Kandy.
The sanctuary is a birder’s paradise. Since Kandy has an intermediate climate, the composition of species that inhabit in the forest has been complimented by species from both wet and dry zones. There are over 400 species of plants which include ferns, herbs, shrubs and orchids. The native liana known as ‘Wevel’ and other creepers add stunning beauty. The forest has 15 different mammals, over 80 species of birds and 32 species of butterflies. Among the mammals, there are Barking Deer, Wild Boar, toque monkeys and more. There are reptiles and amphibians such as the fresh water turtle species called Black Turtle and f ish species such as Tilapia which are found in the pond. Some of the birds that inhabit the forest are the Layards Parakeet, Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, Yellow Fronted Barbets, Black Crested Bul Bul, Emerald Dove and much more.
Since Udawattakele Forest Reserve is within the city, you can enjoy many activities that can be experienced in the forest such as jungle trekking, bird watching and walking.
Entrance fee for Foreign Nationals is Rs. 575/-