These 147-acre botanical gardens hold more than 4,000 plant species, in a bend of the Mahaweli River. The site was a royal pleasure ground in the 14th century, was kept by the Kandyan kings, and became a botanical garden in 1821 under Alexander Moon after the British took the kingdom. Today it is a research collection and a public park, known for its avenue of royal palms, the orchid house, giant bamboo and a vast Java fig tree on the Great Lawn. It sits below the headline sights but earns its place on a longer visit to Kandy.
What It Is
Stroll the long avenue of royal palms, step into the orchid house to see hundreds of varieties, and cross to the river section where bamboo towers overhead. Monitor lizards sun themselves by the Mahaweli, and at dusk the fruit bats begin to move.
Why Visit
Walk through one of Asia's finest tropical botanical gardens with rare plant species and peaceful river views. It is not the first thing you should see in Kandy, but with two or more days it fills a gap the major sights leave. Mornings are quieter if you want to take your time.
More on Kandy
The nearest area to base yourself is Peradeniya Road. See where it ranks among the things to do in Kandy.
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