A first look
Udawatta Kele Sanctuary in Kandy is wild country with a timetable. Go for the habitat, not a guaranteed sighting. SoloRoost lists the place; we do not sell jeep tickets.
Protected area in Kandy, Sri Lanka
British Garrison Cemetery located adjacent to the forest reserve
Cittavisuddhi Lena is one of the three caves in the forest reserve
There are 11 species of lianas
History and meaning
During the days of the Kandyan kingdom, Udawattakele was known as "Uda Wasala Watta" in Sinhalese meaning "the garden above the royal palace". Udawattakele was designated as a forest reserve in 1856, and it became a sanctuary in 1938.
Being there
Udawattakele Forest Reserve often spelled as Udawatta Kele, is a historic forest reserve on a hill-ridge in the city of Kandy. It is 104 hectares large. The sanctuary is famous for its extensive avifauna. The reserve also contains a great variety of plant species, especially lianas, shrubs and small trees. There are several giant lianas. Listed stays nearby appear on the Kandy hub when hosts publish. If a house is not on SoloRoost, we do not invent it.
Practical notes
- Park tickets and licensed jeeps are sold at the gate or through local operators — not as a SoloRoost add-on unless a host lists one on their stay.
- Sightings are weather and luck. Dawn and late afternoon are usually the kinder hours.
- For a walking commentary — names, layers of history, and what to look at as you go — download StoryPGT from ervanta.com.
Walk it with a voice guide
For a fuller tour — history, what to notice as you walk, and a guide in your ear — download StoryPGT, Ervanta’s voice book guide. Download StoryPGT. Install the app, then open this place when you are on the ground.