Looking for a magical destination that will forget your daily rigours? Take it easy, simply because the splendid island of Sri Lanka offers you the best! Indeed, there is so much for you to explore on this beautiful land. Starting from the grandeur of its history, the beauty, thrill and excitement, the serenity and the tranquillity, and what so not? Yes, Sri Lanka has it all! And that is the sole reason why we suggest to you that Sri Lanka is a must visit for you. However, if you are planning to arrive on this island any sooner, there are many and more places that you should not miss. Among them, is the Henarathgoda Botanical Garden, the amazing land of charms.
Henarathgoda Botanical Garden is also famous as the Gampaha Botanical Garden, and it is one of the six botanical gardens on this marvellous island. Its spectacular landscaping, vibrant blossoms amidst the greenery, and the huge tall trees have the power of amusing any. In brief, it is a well-maintained land of beauty and is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.
So, need to know more about this beautiful garden? Keep calm, and continue reading!
The History of the Garden
In 1876, during the colonisation period in Sri Lanka, British constructed this Botanical Garden in order to perform experiments on tropical economic plants, such as Rubber. Moreover, investigating plant resources and economic growth in the colony was also a main aim coupled with regard.
And the speciality is, that this garden is home for the first imported rubber tree in Sri Lanka. Some of its parts have been destroyed during a rainy season in 1988. Yet, the authorities took steps to preserve its remains thereafter.
However, several species of rubber plants were planted accordingly on this land. Later, the garden developed into a fascinating land with a great variety of plantations. The garden still houses a number of trees from the 19th century. Besides, it is now famous as a low-lying Tropical Botanic Garden. Moreover, this garden is under the Department of National Botanic Gardens at the present.
Where is the Henarathgoda Botanical Garden?
Henarathgoda Botanical Garden is located in the suburbs of Gampaha, amidst a town bursting with colour, noise and life. To be specific, it is located around 29 km away from Colombo, closer to the Gampaha-Minuwangoda main road. Of course, one might feel that this garden might be noisy and polluted owing to its location in such a bustling environment. Yet, the tranquillity it offers once you enter this beautiful land, is simply wonderful. However, reaching this delightful spot is never any hard.
You can reach Henarathgoda Botanical Garden, by any of the following means.
- If you are taking a taxi, or driving a vehicle of your own from Colombo, you can take the Negombo – Colombo road, through Welisara and Kandana to Ja-Ela. Next, you have to take the Kirindiwita – Ganemulla route and go through Batuwatta and Ganemulla to Gampaha. Ride roughly 1.4 km along the Malwatta route on the Gampaha-Minuwangoda main road, and then you can reach the Gampaha Botanical Garden.
- By chance, if you are using public transportation, all you have to do is to arrive at the Gampaha Railway Station, or the Gampaha main bus station. The garden rests approximately 450 m away from the railway station and the bus station, and you can easily take a tuk-tuk to travel that distance.
The Diversity and the Beauty of the Henarathgoda Botanical Garden
The Gampaha Botanical Garden houses a wide range of plants, that come from varying tropical climate regions. Hence, it holds a significant importance as a place that is effectively involved in the development and education of botanical science in the country. Thus, this garden is also popular as one of the most important conservation institutions in the country.
Besides, the Henarathgoda Botanical Garden occupies an area of around 43 acres of land. Further, the river ‘Attanagalu oya’ borders this wonderful land. Thus, this garden also includes boat tours, and the bridge that stands across the river provides astonishing panoramic views of the surroundings.
Also, the children’s park in the garden is a wonderful place to play with kids. The playground premises are available for games or other excursions as well. The Water Park, the most recent addition to the park, is another enticing location. And why not? The verdant lawn is also a great place to rest in the garden. Moreover, it creates amazing opportunities for you to observe the serenity of the surroundings peacefully.
Besides, the garden has a wide variety of tropical flowering plants with a stunning landscape with lots of shrubs, bushes, and beautiful sky-high enormous trees. To be specific, the garden consists of two main sections. Its orchid garden houses a rare specimen of the Queen of Orchids. Besides, the woodland road, palm trees garden, Japanese garden, the educational garden, and medicinal gardens (with a selection of trees that render arrow poisons from Africa and Malaya, such as Antiaristoxicaria) are some main highlights of this charming land.
In addition, the Henarathgoda Botanical garden is home for more than 80 bird species of which ten are endémic. Further, it houses 18 mammal species including Petauristaphilippensis (Sri Lankan flying squirrel), 12 butterfly species, and 10 species of dragonflies.
The Bottom Line
Owing to all these wonderful features of the Henarathgoda Botanical Garden, tops the lists of the delightful destinations of Sri Lanka. Besides, this garden happens to be a high attraction of the youth as well. However, if you are planning to visit this land of beauty, it is important to note that the best time to visit this botanical garden is after the monsoon. Yes, you guessed it right! The garden is full of vibrant colours, and alluring shades of greenery during that period.
However, the garden is anyway open all year round to the public, daily from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Hence, despite the time you arrive in Sri Lanka, you can always visit this wonderful destination. So, what are you waiting for? Take a step ahead, and plan your visit to Henarathgoda Botanical Garden. It would surely be one of the best decisions you make. Happy and Safe Travelling!
