Udawattakele Forest Sanctuary

Udawattakele covers about a hundred hectares of forest on the ridge directly behind the Temple of the Tooth, and it was a royal reserve under the Kandyan kings, closed to commoners, which is why forest survives in the middle of a city. It became a sanctuary in 1938. Paths run through tall trees and giant lianas past a pond, a British-era cemetery and several meditation hermitages still in use by forest monks.

What you actually see

• The old forest - tall trees and lianas surviving because the ground was royal.
• The forest hermitages - meditation caves and huts still used by monks.
• The birdlife - Layard's parakeet, barbets and other species in the canopy.
• The British cemetery - colonial graves in a clearing inside the forest.

When to go

January to April is the driest window. Mornings are best for birds and cooler for walking. The forest is wet and leechy after rain.

Honest expectations

Robberies have been reported on the quieter paths and walking alone is not advised. Leeches appear after rain. Some hermitages are private and should not be approached.

Nearby

The Temple of the Tooth is directly below, and Kandy lake is beyond it.