Bandarawela, Central Highlands of 

Sri Lanka

Approach to Bandarawela

We approach Bandarawela, along the splendid A4 highway from Ratnapura and then Haputale, the flavour of the town gradually becomes apparent. The town's post office is prominent not just because of its hillside view but also because of its round, colonial George VI pillar box, painted in traditional post office red. The hillsides are pleated with housing schemes, vegetable plots and tea gardens. Then the road, after cresting the cantonment of Diyatalawa, swoops into the town.

Health Triangle

At the centre of the Uva "Health Triangle" & midway between the famous Ella, the Paradise village & Haputale is charming Bandarawela. Therein is the most favourable climate in the island. Averaging around 21 centigrade, it is invariably dry & sunny, & the air is clean & fresh. Its invigorating spring-like climate favours plants & people alike. 

Healthiest climate

During colonial times, the picturesque town of Bandarawela was once hailed as possessing one of the healthiest climates in the world, & nothing much has happened here to change that. The Bandarawela Hotel is a former tea planters club with comfortable period furniture & enormous bathtubs. Bandarawela is still the best area for what in tea planter's jargon is termed "flavoury tea", & where some of Lanka's best tea is produced. Pears & strawberries also reach their prime here as the climate is drier & milder than Nuwara Eliya. 

Town

A centre for tea & fruit-growing, the town is pleasantly small. With a bustling market-town feel, the town is good for picking up supplies & provisions. Bandarawela is also good for seeing Sri Lankan lifestyle in harmonious action. The town's population is mixed, with a Buddhist temple, a Hindu kovil, a Catholic church and a Muslim mosque in close proximity to each other.

Woodlands network

Woodlands network is worth if you plan to spend any time at all here. Set up by the late Father Harry Hass, a Dutch pastor, in 1994, this is a non-profit organization which works towards   sustainable tourism by engaging the local community in tourism projects. Good advice is available on local walks & treks (Knowledgeable guides are available), or meditation or Ayurveda, or drop in for a Sri Lankan cooking demonstrations. 

Uva herbarium

Between here & Welimada in the hamlet of Mirahawatte lies the Uva herbarium, a garden dedicated to growing herbs & re-establishing forests. Many species of birds of the Uva are easily   photographed here, & picnicking is a delight.

Dowa Rock Temple

Dowa Rock Temple, 6 km from Bandarawela, is squeezed between the road & the stream in the bottom of the valley. It is a pleasant walk if you follow the attractive valley down. The cliff face has an incomplete carving of a large standing Buddha with an exquisitely carved face, while inside the cave there are murals & first century BC inscriptions. The inner cave has a "House of Cobra".