Walk around the Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya
About 5.5 km to the west of Kandy City in the Central Province of Sri Lanka lies Peradeniya Botanic Gardens, stunning gardens noted for its rich and varied collections of tropical woody plants. They were once reserved gardens for Kandyan royalty, then in 1821 became botanical gardens by Alexandar Moon to introduce coffee trees and cinnamon plants to the region. In the late 1870s, the botanist George H.K. Thwaites brought in and cultivated the tea and Brazilian rubber tree, making it a centre for horticultural activities. Today, occupying 147 acres, the gardens include more than 4000 species of plants, including orchids, royal palms, spices, and medicinal plants. Another highlight is the giant Javan fig tree with its colossal umbrella-like canopy of branches, and a few historically prominent trees.
