Sri Lanka’s first-ever Dry Zone Botanical Gardens was opened up to the public in 2013 in Mirijjawila, Hambanthota on a land covering 300 acres (121.4 hectares) in extent. There are 6 botanical gardens in Sri Lanka out of which the largest and the most popular 3 have been built by the British during their occupation. These three are the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens (opened in 1821), Hakgala Botanical Gardens (opened in 1861), and the Gampaha Henarathgoda Botanical Gardens (1876). The others are the Ganewatta Medicinal Plants Gardens (opened in the 1950s), the Mirijjawila Dry Zone Botanical Gardens (2015), and the Seetawaka Wet Zone Botanical Gardens (opened in 2016).
The dry-zone botanic gardens consist of plants, trees, and herbal plants that are grown in the dry zone. Areas for a butterfly garden, a plant nursery, a student park, a plant conservation unit, a flower garden, and ornamental bushes have been separately developed.
With the highway developed up to Hambantota, this latest attraction of Hambantota has been a popular destination for those who travel to Kataragama. This place can get quite overcrowded during holidays. The walk paths inside are quite long, you can also hire an electric cart (4 or 8-seater) at an hourly rate given below.
To reach this site from the highway, you need to exit from the Sooriyawewa Exit and travel towards Hambantota town 16 km. Another new attraction close to this is the Hambantota Birds Park which lies about 13 km off the Botanical Gardens.
Hambantota Dry Zone Botanic Gardens Opening Hours
Open Days | all 365 days |
Opening Hours | 7.30 AM – 6.00 PM |
Ticketing Hours | 7.30 AM – 5.00 pm |
Hambantota Dry Zone Botanic Gardens Entrance Ticket Prices
Description | LKR |
---|---|
Local Adults | 200 |
Local Children below 12 years and School Children | 30 |
Local Adults over 60 (NIC proof needed) | 50 |
Foreign Adults | 3000 |
Foreign School and University Students ((Must have satisfactory proof) | 2000 |
Foreign Children (5 to 12 years) | 1500 |
Electric Cars (4 seater) – 1 hour ride | 1000 |
Electric Cars (8 seater) – 1 hour ride | 2000 |
Vehicle Parking | charged |
Electric Cars and other facilities are available only in certain locations and prices may be increased regularly.
Also See
- Attractions of Sri Lanka
- Heritage of Sri Lanka
- Waterfalls of Sri Lanka
- Nature and Wildlife of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Hambantota Dry Zone Botanic Gardens
The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites
Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.
Travel Directions to Hambantota Dry Zone Botanic Gardens
Route from Colombo to Dry Zone Botanic Gardens |
Through : Mattala Highway – Sooriyawewa Distance : 250 km Travel time : 3.5 hours Driving directions : see on google map |
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