Tipped to be one of the must-visit highlights for all theme park enthusiasts visiting Sri Lanka, the Guruge Nature Park is a mammoth recreational space for the masses. Open from 9am to 6pm daily this sprawling venue is a hotbed of activity all year round and is especially crowded with visitors during weekends and public holidays. As an amusement park cum splash centre this engaging attraction also delves in to Sri Lanka’s rich history with replicas of key battles and prominent monarchs while also celebrating the country’s inherent bio diversity with areas devoted to nature and wildlife.
Some of the key highlights in Sri Lanka’s first theme park includes Jurassic Park where adventures complete with dinosaurs and other giant reptiles awaits visitors while Veddah’s Village delves in to the life and times of Sri Lanka’s jungle-dwelling indigenous communities. Their way of life and the tools employed by this hunter-gatherer community is explored in detail here while train ride enthusiasts can hop on board Saradials’s Train Ride which takes guests to “Uthuwankanda” through the “Kadugannawa railway.”
Nature lovers however can head down to Guruge Nature Park’s Animal Park where exotic bird species including white peacocks reign supreme. Boat rides across Dhanawardana Lake are also available in addition to horse riding tours and pony rides. Culture buffs on the other hand can marvel at the true-to- life replicas of Adam’s Peak, King’s Tower, Mihintale Rock and the Dutugamunu Battle which represents the epic battle between King Dutugamunu and King Elara. A typical Sri Lankan village is also found within the Korale and Dandu Kanda enclave while other rides include a Ferris wheel and merry-go-rounds which occupy the large playground in the park. A history museum, gem museum and the Heroes and Leaders Gallery are also on-site in addition to a paint ball arena. Retail stores and the Nilwala Restaurant are also on-site while a Photo Shop where children can pose with animal inhabitants of the nature park is also part of the landscape.
The Guruge Royal Hall is also on hand for private functions and other corporate or personal occasions.
Travellers in search of a cosy budget hotel in Sri Lanka should look to Hotel J for the best deals in town. Providing guests with stylish rooms at reasonable rates this elegant rest affords backpackers and other visitors the best budget accommodation Sri Lanka has to offer.
Jayani Senanayake is a writer who dabbles in travel and all things exotic. Under the pseudonym of Caliope Sage, she writes of the allures that must simply be discovered.