Central Province

Central Sri Lanka is a province within Sri Lanka.

Devon Falls close to Talawakele

Cities

• 1 Kandy
• 2 Nuwara Eliya
• 3 Matale

Other destinations

• 1 Dambulla — a cave temple included in the UNESCO world heritage list site.
• 2 Knuckles Mountain Range — ideal for trekking.
• 3 Sigiriya — a UNESCO world heritage list site with a stone fortress and palace ruins surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens

Get in

• Sigiriya Airport (GIU ^IATA) has scheduled helicopter and light aircraft flights from Colombo (mostly), Hambantota and Trincomalee.
• Kandy is very well connected with Colombo by train. Direct trains also connect Kandy with Nuwara Eliya and Matale.

See

Landscape in Knuckles Mountain Range

The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka comprises the mountainous regions of rain forests, and consists of three separate wet-zone protected areas: Knuckles Mountain Range, the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, and the Horton Plains National Park. The Central Highlands is a UNESCO World Heritage site

• Peak Wilderness Protected Area — Adam's Peak is the major attraction in the Peak Wilderness Protected Area. There is a third-class train service available from Kandy railway station to Hatton. It is better to take the bus to Hatton as the trains are usually overcrowded and take the same as the bus. The bus leaves from Kandy Bogambara bus station, takes 3 hours and costs Rs. 125. From Hatton bus station, you'll have to take another bus to Maskeliya, and from there, yet another bus to Dalhousie - the buses depart hourly. Another option is to take a tuk-tuk from Maskeliya to Dalhousie, which will cost you around Rs. 500 and take 30 minutes.

Dalhousie is the nearest place to Nallathanni town, which is one of the many entrances to Adam's Peak (Sri Pada). This entrance is one of the most favored by those undertaking the climb. Although this trail is the steepest, it is also approximately five kilometers shorter than any of the other trails. It is recommended to stay overnight at any hotel in Dalhousie and start climbing Adam's Peak early in the morning. There are plenty of budget hotels in Dalhousie. It will take 2-3 hours to climb up and some 90 minutes to come down depending on your fitness level and weather conditions.

When buying tea while climbing, ask for loose tea as they give low quality tea bags to foreigners by default. Also watch out for a Buddhist monk at the start who tries to lure you into a temple where you have to pay (you don't have to pay anything to climb up).

• Horton Plains National Park — The World's End is a major attraction in the Horton Plains National Park, and Ohiya is the closest city. From Hatton, take the train bound for Badulla and disembark at Ohiya railway station.

Do

• Hiking — Knuckles Mountain Range is an excellent area for hiking. Several tour operators offer anything from day trips to week-long hike and camp tours.

Go next

The North Central Province is within easy reach of Sigiriya and Dambulla.

Take the train direct from Kandy to Ella.