Udawatte Kele Sanctuary is a cherished historic forest reserve, cradled upon a hill ridge directly behind Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth. Spanning about 104 hectares, it was once the exclusive pleasure garden of Kandyan royalty, declared a forest reserve in 1856 and a sanctuary later in 1938. The area sustains both wet- and dry-zone species, with roughly 400 plant types, including majestic canopy trees, lianas, orchids, and ferns.
Wildlife abounds here: approximately 80 bird species — such as endemic Layard’s parakeets, yellow‑fronted barbet, Sri Lankan hanging parrots, and kingfishers — and mammals like toque macaques, mouse deer, civets, and porcupines. Trails wind past rock‑cave hermitages, meditation monasteries, viewpoint ridges, and a historic royal bathing pond, blending heritage into the ancient natural landscape.