Southern Province

Dry Zone Botanic Gardens, Mirijjawila is one of the five botanical gardens in Sri Lanka and It is the first Dry Zone botanic gardens in the country. This was the first time a botanic garden was set up in Sri Lanka after 130 years. The garden is located in Mirijjawila in Hambanthota District. The construction work of the garden was commenced in 2006 and the first stage was opened for visitors in 2013. The gardens consist of plants, trees and herbal plants that are grown in the dry zone, a butterfly garden, a plant nursery, a student park, a plant conservation unit, Read more...

Kanneliya Forest Reserve is located in Galle District of the Southern Province, Sri Lanka. The forest is considered as a tropical humid forest and it is the largest of Kanneliya – Dediyagala – Nakiyadeniya (KDN)  forest complex. Kanneliya is a wet, evergreen forest snuggly ensconced in Udugama, Galle and is a perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city of Galle. The Kanneliya forest was declared as a forest reserve in 1934 by the Gazette no. 8062. The UNESCO also designated this forest complex as a Biosphere Reserve in 2004. Enter your current location in the search box below the map to find the Read more...

Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya is one of the greatest ancient Buddhist monasteries located in the Hambanthota District in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. The history of the monastery dates back to 2nd century BC. It is believed that this place was built by King Kawanthissa ( 205–161 BC). According to Buddhist literature, this place was a center for Buddhist education for Buddhist monks, and once there had been 12,000 arhat monks around this location. Many caves, temples, images, houses, stupas, and ponds located around this large area bear witness to this story. Read more...

Kirinda Temple is a Buddhist temple in Hambantota District of Southern Province. It is located closer to the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. The temple is built on a summit of a large rock located closer to the coast giving a magnificent view of the beautiful Indian Ocean. The history of this temple is dates back to the reign of King Kawanthissa ( 205–161 BC). As per the story of  Queen Viharamahadevi, Kirinda is the place where she was brought by sea and landed. The king Kawanthissa has built this stupa commemorating the incident. Read more...

Yala National Park lies within Monaragala District of Uva Province and Hambanthota District of Southern Province.  The park covers about 979 km2 and one side is bounded by South East coast of Sri Lanka. The park was first declared as as a protected area in 1900 and it was gazetted as National Park in 25th February 1938. The entrance to the Yala National Park is located in Tissamaharama. There are many tour companies who operate jeep safari at Yala and visitors can select suitable one. Vegetation This area is characterized by semi-arid thorn scrub habitat. However it has been modified by Read more...

The Hummanaya (Blowhole) is located in Dikwella, Matara District in Southern Province. Due to it’s uniqueness Hummanaya is well known destination in the Southern Province. The name Hummanaya has evolved from the words “Hoo” and “Manaya” over the time. In Sinhala the word “Hoo” refers to the sound generated from the blowhole. The word “Manaya” has the meaning of dimension or measurement. Together these words “hoo-manaya” means the distance that the sound of blowhole can be heard. The Hummanaya is said to be the second largest blowhole in the world. Here, water shoots up every couple of minutes, depending on the nature of Read more...

The Galle Fort, also known as Dutch Fort, located in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. It was first built by the Portuguese in 1588 and then by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onward. UNESCO has inscribed this site as a cultural heritage. External Links UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka Read more...