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Western Province

The western province which is the most densely populated province has three administrative districts, namely Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara. The country’s legislative capital Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte as well as the commercial capital Colombo is located in the Province.
  • Meanwhile, the Indian Ocean around Sri Lanka is home to large families of cetaceans including the mighty blue whales, sperm whales and lively dolphins. Altogether, 26 species of cetaceans rule the waters surrounding the country, making it one of the best locations for whale and dolphin watching.
  • Sri Lanka has one of the richest diversity of amphibians in the world, containing over 106 species of amphibians of over 90 of which are endemic. The country has long claimed to have the highest amphibian species density in the world with 85% of endemicity ratio in Amphibians, especially in the Sinharaja rainforest, one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka.
  • Besides the mighty elephants and rare amphibians found in the country, it is also a paradise for bird watching, and are a glory of the Sri Lanka’s wildlife. Boasting nearly 433 bird species of which 233 are resident Sri Lanka, and 20 are endemic species while another 80 species have developed distinct Sri Lankan races, compared to their cousins in the Indian mainland.
  • To enjoy the behavior of animals, and to get into fun and knowledge-filled travel, there are 22 national parks in the country accessible for visitors; the Yala National Park, Kumana, Willpattu, Galoya and Udawalawa wildlife sanctuary are the larger once. Among the smaller wildlife sanctuaries are the Maduru Oya, Bundala, and Wasgamuwa National Parks. Horton Plains, which is a UNESCO Heritage in the central highlands also offer breathtaking trekking trails.
  • The Peradeniya Botanical Gardens in Kandy hosts a fine display of local and foreign flora of Sri Lanka including the rarest of palm and orchid varieties. Also, there are several other botanical gardens that host dry zone and wet zone vegetation; mirijjawila dry zone park, Seethawaka wet zone park, Hakgala gardens are the most popular places that one can relax with families.

Western Province

The western province which is the most densely populated province has three administrative districts, namely Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara. The country’s legislative capital Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte as well as the commercial capital Colombo is located in the Province.

Colombo

Colombo is the gateway to Sri Lanka for most travelers—but don’t be tempted to simply pass through this diverse and interesting city. There is a lively nightlife at a number of International standard hotels, clubs, pubs and dining venues while it is limited mainly to the high-end customer. During the day, Colombo’s colorful street markets, colonial-era buildings, museums and galleries, churches, mosques and temples, and the lovely Viharamahadevi Park with it beautiful trees, makes it a great place to explore on foot. Colombo Sri Lanka Gangaramaya (Vihara) Buddhist Temple, Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, Mount Lavinia Beach, Colombo National Museum, Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct, Viharamahadhevi Park, Jami Ul- Alfar Mosque, Independence Square, Galle face Green, St. Anthony’s Shrine are some places of interest.  The City is not short of green spaces and even wetlands to enjoy and relax, also take a boat ride with family at the Bera  Lake or enjoy the shopping and eateries at arcade independence near the historical independence memorial Hall. The Deepadittarama temple has been a place of worship by Thai Buddhists.

Gampaha

Located by the famous Kelani River, the urban city of Gampaha is renowned for Ayurveda and indigenous medicine practice.  In Henarathgoda botanical garden, the first rubber tree of Sri Lanka was planted and this enhanced the popularity of the town.  The Negombo lagoon is said to be the largest lagoon. The land around the lagoon is mainly used for the agriculture and fishing purpose. This lagoon near to the Negombo city also includes small rivers and canals including the famous Hamilton canal. Negombo, has some of the best beaches and is a popular stop among the visitors given the proximity to the International airport, a variety of luxury star class hotels as well as humble abodes that suits to any budget. Also the province has the country’s largest and important Marshy wetland the ‘Muthuraja Wela Wetland’, where you can enjoy an interesting day tour.

Gampaha

Located by the famous Kelani River, the urban city of Gampaha is renowned for Ayurveda and indigenous medicine practice.  In Henarathgoda botanical garden, the first rubber tree of Sri Lanka was planted and this enhanced the popularity of the town.  The Negombo lagoon is said to be the largest lagoon. The land around the lagoon is mainly used for the agriculture and fishing purpose. This lagoon near to the Negombo city also includes small rivers and canals including the famous Hamilton canal. Negombo, has some of the best beaches and is a popular stop among the visitors given the proximity to the International airport, a variety of luxury star class hotels as well as humble abodes that suits to any budget. Also the province has the country’s largest and important Marshy wetland the ‘Muthuraja Wela Wetland’, where you can enjoy an interesting day tour.

Kalutara

Due to the proximity to the Capital, Kalutara is popular city in the country’s Western Province that has fast developed into a tourist spot. Kalutara Bodhi is a famous place among devotees and visitors with its unique location and history. The tropical modernist Architectural wonders of Sri Lanka’s Geoffrey Bava should not be missed out and the popular Thai Hotel Chain Anantara is among his creations. Other interesting places includes,  Richmond Castle, Kalutara Beach, Thudugala Ella Waterfall, Fa Hien Caves, an archaeologically significant place where  Late Pleistocene human fossilized skeletal remains were discovered in the cave’s sediments during excavations in the 1960s, the 1980s and in 2013.