| |
| |
| Cascading waterfalls, high wind-swept plateaus, dizzying precipices and mist-draped mountains where deers, wild boars and jackals lurk in pockets of wilderness, and where mysterious cloud forests, medicinal herbs and rare birds await discovery – all high in the magical mountains of Sri Lanka – The Land of Serendipity!
Thanks to its remarkably varied topography, the country’s ecosystems range from coastal plains, wetlands, arid zones and rainforests, to culminate in the verdant hill country, which lies slightly south of the island’s centre. The cool highlands (often as high as 2,000 metres) offer a haven for nature lovers, hikers, golfers, anglers fishing for trout in the chilly streams, adventure seekers and those simply in search of peace and tranquility amidst great natural beauty and spring-like temperature.
|
|
|
Cascading waterfalls, high wind-swept plateaus, dizzying precipices and mist-draped mountains, that is where the beauty of upcountry Sri Lanka begins. The Tea Country or Hill Country, a glorious verdant swathe of hills and mountains set slightly south of the island’s centre. Intensely green hillsides are covered with neatly pruned bushes which come right down to the roadside. Women, draped in vivid saris resemble butterflies as their hands dart over the bushes, plucking the tender tips and throwing them into the large baskets carried on their backs. The newly picked leaves are then carried to tea factories for processing, here you can visit a Tea Factory to learn the process which produces the famous Ceylon Tea.
Large areas rich in flora and fauna are conserved in 13 National Parks and over 100 other protected areas. With so many climate zones, some 3,350 species of flowering plants are found with an amazing 23% endemic to Sri Lanka.
|
The Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya, Kandy was once the pleasure garden of Queen Victoria and the headquarters of Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of the British Empire with over 300 species of flora and fauna including spectacular orchids, spices and medicinal plants and palms.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
