Udawattakele Forest Reserve

Udawattakele Forest Reserve, or Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, is a protected hill forest of about 104 hectares on the ridge behind the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the Royal Palace in central Kandy, Sri Lanka. It suits birdwatchers, walkers and anyone who wants a quiet morning among old trees within walking distance of the city centre.

The forbidden forest of the Kandyan kings

The name comes from Uda Wasala Watta, the garden above the royal palace. Under the Kandyan kings it was a royal pleasure ground closed to ordinary people, and it was also called Thahanci kele, the forbidden forest. In 1803 Kandyan forces attacked a British garrison post on the hilltops in the south-east of the forest. Governor Horton built Lady Horton's Drive through the trees in 1834 in memory of his wife. The British declared the forest a reserve in 1856, and it became a sanctuary in 1938. The forest also serves as a water catchment for Kandy, and its highest point stands about 635 metres above sea level, some 115 metres above Kandy Lake.

Trails, caves and hermitages

A network of footpaths and old carriage roads crosses the reserve, many named after governors' wives: Lady Horton's Drive, Lady McCarthy's Drive and Lady Gordon's Road among them, though some have long been overgrown. The most popular route is the Shady Lovers' Walk beside the Royal Pond, where royalty once bathed. Monks live and meditate in rock shelters such as Cittavisuddhi-lena and Maitri-lena and in three forest monasteries, the Forest Hermitage, Senanayakaramaya and Tapovanaya. Keep your voice down near them. The old British Garrison Cemetery lies next to the reserve, and a nature education centre stands at the south-eastern entrance. Walks of one to three hours are possible.

Endemic birds, macaques and night mammals

About 80 bird species have been recorded, including the endemic Layard's parakeet, yellow-fronted barbet, brown-capped babbler and Sri Lanka hanging parrot. Mammals, mostly active at night, include the toque macaque, golden palm civet, mouse deer, slender loris and the Indian giant flying squirrel. A 2013 survey counted 58 native tree species, and at least nine endemic land snails live in the leaf litter. Early morning is the best time for birds and the coolest time to walk.