Top Excursions from Kandy City.

As now you know about Ten Things to do in Kandy, you should as well know what is out there a short while away from the City. Here are some top excursion sites around Kandy that you can try out while you are staying there.

The Elephant Orphanage is about 45 kilometers from Kandy. It hosts about 70-80 elephants of all ages. Wild elephants that are orphaned, or injured due to numerous reasons are taken here for care. There are baby elephants who are born in the orphanage. Baby elephants who are taken from the wild are bottle-fed with milk here. Others are given hard food such as banana trees, coconut leaf, and Palmyra leaf, etc. Elephants are taken to bathe in the nearby 'Ma Oya' river twice daily, at 10.00 am and 2.00 pm. Watching these giants bathing is fun.

It is worthy paying a visit to the nearby factory that makes hand-made paper using elephant dung. They have a showroom of their products by the side of the way to the elephants' bathing spot in Ma Oya. Elephant dung paper is an innovative and patented product by Mr. Thusitha Ranasinghe, and he won the BBC World Challenge award for that.

Ekiriya is a small village about 45 kilometers from Kandy. The village of Ekiriya sits on a system of underground limestone caves naturally formed about 1500 million years ago, in the Precambrian geologic era. The mineral-rich water that bubbles out from springs deep inside the Ekiriya limestone caves come out and flow in streams throughout the village.

Riverston is about 45 kilometers from Kandy. It is a highly mountainous landscape about 3000 feet above mean sea level, in the Knuckles Mountain Range having breathtaking views of the undulating terrain around Rattota, Laggala, Pallegama areas. Climbing to the peak of Riverston is a popular hike among the local travelers and adventure lovers. The experience of mountain climbing through the misty forest is intensified by the strong wind constantly blowing through the Riverston wind gap. River Hulu Ganga, Pitawala Pathana, Mini World's End, Corbet's Gap are the other featured places in the excursion.

Loolecondera Estate is located about 35 kilometers from Kandy. It is the first commercial tea estate of Sri Lanka, established in 1867 by a planter named James Taylor. Loolecondera Estate has its beautiful landscape to enjoy, and it preserves the historic value as well. The original tea block and the ruins of James Taylor's log cabin are among the featured, with picturesque views all around in the hills of Central Sri Lanka.

Galaboda Falls, about 30 meters high, is situated in the small village called Galaboda, between Nawalapitiya and Watawala. This place is better accessed by railway, and the last portion of the journey by walking. Water from Galaboda Falls is famous as the tastiest water in South Asia, and so in British colonial times this water was specially supplied to the Governor's Residence in Colombo. The stream that flows from the waterfall appeals for a bath on a dry sunny day.

Wasgamuwa National Park is about 90 kilometers from Kandy. This is the only National Park in Central Province. It was declared as a National Park in 1984, and it covers over 36,000 hectares partially in the districts of Matale and Polonnaruwa. Wasgamuwa National Park is bordered by River Mahaweli and River Amban. It is a sanctuary for a vast range of plants and animals including elephant, bear, eagle, peacock, crocodile, wild buffalo, deer, leopard, etc. A number of man-made lakes and canals within the National park give evidence that this area had been highly populated centuries ago.

Galamuduna is among one of the ancient villages of Sri Lanka which still preserves its originality, environmental virginity, and the genuine relationship between man and nature. The village of Galamuduna is situated deep in the forest which covers the Knuckles Mountain Range, that rises over 3000 feet above mean sea level. Villagers are mostly farmers. They cultivate paddy, spices, and some of them know the art of collecting the sweet sap from the Kitul tree (Caryota urens). The sweet sap from the Kitul tree is used to make trecle (like caramel), or juggary (a sweet cube of kitul sap used as a sweetener in drinking tea). Kitul sap is also used to make 'Toddy', an excellent local alcoholic brew.

Low-cost excursions to the above sites are arranged by Magellan, a small group of experienced Sri Lankan travelers, for non-Sri Lankan travelers. This is a traveler-to-traveler support offered for a minimal charge on non-commercial basis. For more information click here.