Jathika Namal Uyana

Namal Uyana is a large stand of na, the ironwood that is Sri Lanka's national tree, said to have been planted as a monastic forest and to have served as a place of asylum in the eighth century. Behind it rises a hill of rose quartz, a pink crystalline outcrop that is claimed to be among the largest such deposits in Asia, with paths climbing to viewpoints on it. The forest is cool and quiet and the walk through it is the better half.

Highlights

• The ironwood forest - a large stand of na, the national tree, in a monastic reserve.
• The rose quartz hill - a pink crystalline outcrop rising behind the forest.
• The viewpoints - paths up the quartz to views over the dry-zone plain.
• The monastery - the working forest monastery within the reserve.

When to go

January to April is the driest and most comfortable. The ironwood flowers around March and April. Midday on the exposed quartz is very hot.

Good to know

The quartz claim about being the largest in Asia is repeated widely and not well supported. The climb is exposed with no shade. Monkeys around the entrance are aggressive about food.

Nearby

Aukana is north, and Dambulla is southeast.

Key facts