The botanical garden in Kandy make for a great 1/2 day excursion.
The Trees!
I can’t get over the trees! Gnarly tall ones with huge canopies, trees with holes in their trunks big enough to walk through, trees skinny on the bottom and fat on top, trees whose roots jut up like knuckles, trees who grow almost horizontally, providing the best climbing platform ever.
Our family had a delightful time enjoying the fresh air and greenery in the botanical garden in Kandy. I found the spice garden interesting as I saw how so many of the spices I cook with look like in natural form – cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper, vanilla, etc.
Many, many bats in a tree
We came upon one tree whose upper branches (way up there) were covered with bats. Eeckers!
The bats
We also loved the huge bamboo forests and dahlia gardens. It’s seems almost anything could grow in this rich soil and warm climate.
And the featured attraction at the botanical garden in Kandy was….us!
An unexpected attraction at the park was our children. We were stopped every 5 minutes by somebody asking for a picture with my sons, especially my middle child who has blond hair and very fair skin. We were rather obliging, just stepping in when people started to pick him up – that scared him somewhat. It made me feel a little less guilty about all the photographs I was taking of their country. And it was a great way to meet Sri Lankans – we especially liked a group of college-age female students that wanted to play games with our kids.
No pressure – nobody is watching.
Family Tips:
- This is a big park for little legs – don’t feel like you have to see everything, just enjoy rambling.
- Bring a raincoat or umbrella as it can rain at anytime in the botanical garden in Kandy.
- Inside the park there is a nice cafe with decent food and a lovely view out onto a big lawn. This is also a great spot for picnics.
Lawn next to cafe
- Find the giant climbing tree in the woods section for your children and challenge them to shimmy across (it isn’t too high).
Best climbing tree EVER!
For educational activities related to a trip to the botanical garden in Kandy with children, click here.
