Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, Protected forest reserve in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Udawatta Kele Sanctuary is a 104-hectare forest reserve on a hill ridge in Kandy, rising 115 metres above Kandy Lake to a high point of 635 metres. Dense forest covers the slope behind the Temple of the Tooth, and a royal pond lies within the reserve. The forest has an emergent layer, a canopy and an understory, with lianas, shrubs and small trees.

Known in the Kandyan kingdom as Uda Wasala Watta, the garden above the royal palace, the forest was reserved for the royal family and closed to the public. It was designated a forest reserve in 1856 and became a sanctuary in 1938. On 24 June 1803 King Sri Wickrama Rajasingha's forces attacked a British garrison post on two hilltops in the southeast, taking the troops prisoner.

The sanctuary serves as a spiritual center for Buddhist practitioners, with temples and meditation caves woven throughout the forest. Visitors often encounter monks and notice how the forest is maintained as a place for both prayer and reflection.

Wear sturdy footwear as trails can be steep and slippery, particularly after rain. Arriving early in the day gives you better light for walking and helps you avoid crowds.

The forest holds 57 kinds of lianas, creepers and vines, four of them endemic, according to a 2013 survey; the Sinhala Wikipedia notes a very rare puswela vine here. The ridge also hides the overgrown ramparts and moats of a British garrison post stormed by King Sri Wickrama Rajasingha's forces on 24 June 1803.