The Royal Botanic Garden of Peradeniya is located 5.5 km from the city of Kandy and is the most popular garden in the country. It covers 0.59 km 2 and meets about two million visitors every year. This is a magnificent space of well-groomed trees, flowers and paths, some of which are several centuries old. Officially, the garden was created during the British colonial government in 1843, but the history of the park dates back to the XIV century and is associated with the kingdom of Kandian.
The history of the garden
The history of the garden begins in 1371. At this time, King Wikramabahu III took the throne and established his court near the Mahaweli River in Peradeniya. After him, King Vimala Dhharma erected a temple on this site, which the British subsequently destroyed. In 1821, Alexander Moon founded the Botanical Garden and began to grow coffee and cinnamon here. The date of the official foundation of the Royal Botanic Garden is considered to be 1843. Plants were brought here from Kew Garden, Slave Island, Colombo and the garden in Kalutara. In 1844, he gained relative independence and began his expansion under the leadership of Superintendent George Gardner. In 1912, the garden passed under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture. On the Palm Avenue, located in the Royal Botanic Garden of Sri Lanka, there is a tree with a significant history - a cannon tree, which was planted by King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary in 1901. The fruits of the tree look like cannonballs.
During World War II, the garden was the seat of the command of the army of Southeast Asia, led by Supreme Commander Louis Mountbatten.
Description and location
The Royal Botanic Gardens are located near the popular tourist destination of Kandy and can be reached by tuk tuk from any nearby hotel. It is a well organized and well thought out place. At the entrance, visitors receive a map that helps them navigate the territory.
In the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sri Lanka, according to tourists, the most popular place is the house with orchids. But many trees also grow here. A cozy garden with intersecting paths is shaded by these majestic trees. Fern lovers will appreciate the collection, which includes about a hundred local and exotic species.
In the description of the Royal Botanic Garden of Sri Lanka, you can highlight a lake with marsh plants, a spice garden with cinnamon, pepper, cardamom and nutmeg.
The flower garden has a curved walkway made of colorful annual coles. Nearby are all kinds of trees that bloom at different times of the year. Most impressive is their greenery - lush and reaching such amazing heights.
There are three palm avenues and they are magnificent. Palm trees on Cabbage Alley are more than 21 meters high and are lined up. Some of the two hundred species represented in the garden are decorative. The double coconut palm comes from the Seychelles (fan-shaped Seychelles palm) and has the largest seed in the plant kingdom - it weighs 18 kg.
Moving along the road to the Big Circle, you can see young couples standing or sitting behind trees on both sides of the road along palm alleys. This is the place where the young Sri Lankans, the representatives of this relatively conservative society, "hang out". The park has a large lawn with a huge willow in the center, which looks like a big umbrella. Here families with children relax and play.
Sadovnikov Memorial is in a sheltered place, and to get to it, you need to go along the main road. In this place you can feel like part of the world community.
Part of Sri Lanka's life
Sri Lankans are very proud of their history and know it well. It includes a colonial period, and a visit to the Royal Botanic Garden of Peradeniya is a great way to find out how a typically British creation has become part of Sri Lanka's life. The garden welcomes two million visitors every year, and about 5% of all Sri Lankan students come here annually. Sri Lankans are friendly and easy to communicate with, and in the gardens there are many families and couples enjoying the beauty of this place.
Vegetation of the Botanical Garden
Sri Lanka is an incredibly green island. And the botanical garden of Peradeniya reflects the richness and variety of flowers. Here, the vegetation is mostly tropical, and there are a total of 4000 plant species.
In this tropical climate, plants bloom well. In the bamboo collection, for example, there is a giant representative from Burma, and its new shoots grow by about 30 cm per day.
Part of the vegetation seems rather wild and similar to the jungle, for example, a giant bamboo by the Mahaweli River.
The Royal Botanic Garden of Peradeniya is home to many species of flora native to Sri Lanka. Here visitors have a great opportunity to find out the names of plants that they see everywhere in Sri Lanka. For example, a cannon tree is really quite common here, and it has a peculiar appearance.
Orchids and spices
The Royal Botanic Garden of Sri Lanka Peradeniya, as a place of plant conservation and sustainable development, is a must to visit. It will also be interesting to those tourists for whom orchids and spices are of interest. If visitors have a desire to discover many different types of orchids, you should visit the pavilion of these flowers. Growing them is a real art and a delicate process. To do this, find the perfect balance of temperature, humidity and shading.
The Sri Lanka Royal Botanic Garden has a spice garden, but is worth a visit separately. It is located to the right of the entrance and is replete with exotic spices.
Royal Botanic Garden Entrance Tickets
Traveling by bus to the Botanical Gardens from Kandy is very cheap, but the admission fee makes you wonder if it's worth a stop. A ticket to the Royal Botanic Garden of Sri Lanka for foreigners is 1,500 Sri Lankan rupees. International students can enroll for 1000 Sri Lankan rupees. The Sri Lanka currency exchange rate is quite stable: one Russian ruble is 2.5 rupees, so you need to divide the cost in rupees by 2.5 when you need to convert them to rubles, for example: 100 rupees / 2.5 = 40 rubles.
Although the entrance fee to the garden is considerable, a visit is worth it. There is also the opportunity to hire a guide, however, experienced tourists recommend that you agree on a price in advance.
The garden is open to visitors 365 days a year from 7:30 to 17:00.
How to get to the Royal Botanic Garden
You can get to the botanical garden by bus from Kandy. It is also the cheapest way to get there. You need to catch a bus at the bus station in Kandy, near the clock tower. This station cannot be missed. This is where all the buses to Kandy stop.
Need to find a bus to Pilimatalava. If you cannot find it, you should ask the bus driver how to get to the Royal Botanic Garden in Peradeniya. Many tourists note that bus drivers very kindly show the way and give information.
It will be useful to download offline Google maps to know when to get off the bus. If this has not been done before, you can always ask the bus driver to tell you when to get out. This is a fairly noticeable stop, and if you follow the road, it will be difficult to miss it. The bus ride takes about 20 minutes and costs a total of 20 rupees.
The surroundings of the Botanical Garden
Another key attraction of this city is Peradeniya University, which is the second oldest university in Sri Lanka. Its buildings in a mixed colonial and Indian style are concentrated among the lush vegetation of the rolling hills of Sri Lanka. The Ministry of Agriculture is also located here.
There are many more things that can be seen in the Kandy area, the most important of which is the Temple of the Tooth. Those tourists who are fond of needlework and crafts are advised to visit the batik factory.
Visit to the botanical garden
In the Royal Botanic Garden of Sri Lanka, you can simply enjoy a moment of rest at the foot of a giant tree. If these plants give the visitor a sense of calm and determination, he can sit in their shadow and dream for some time.
This is the right place for those who love nature, trees, plants and foliage. Here you can also see many monkeys moving around the park, many different species of birds and water monitors. The garden is quite large, and it will take at least two hours to inspect it, slowly walking along tree-lined paths, reading nameplates of various kinds and just enjoying a stay in a quiet garden.