
Ambuluwawa Tower is another of the most discussed travel destinations among local travelers in Sri Lanka. The place is situated in Gampola City, in the Kandy District. Hiking to the tower is a fabulous adventure experience for anyone. But Ambuluwawa is not only an adventure park; it’s also a biodiversity complex and a trigonometric station.
Location:
The distance to Ambuluwawa from Colombo is 129 km, and from Kandy it is 25 km. You need to travel 5 km to reach the entrance of the Ambuluwawa biodiversity complex from Gampola. From there, you need to go down a hilly and sloppy road to reach the tower. However, you need to bring a ticket to enter the entire complex.
If you reach there by bus, then you need to take the Gampola-Hemmthagama bus. You need to drop out at the halt, which is near the entrance. Walking 2 kilometers will bring you close to the tower. But it’s ideal that you can go here by bike or a small car. Starting from Colombo, you don’t need to travel to Gampola via Peradeniya. You can turn your vehicle onto Hemmathagama Road in Mawanella Town. Driving for 24 kilometers will get you to Gampola. Apart from this road, you can reach Gampola via Kadugannawa.
Trigonometrical Station
Ambuluwawa was the first multi-religious sanctuary in Sri Lanka. It consists of a tower with a Buddhist stupa, a Hindu Kovil, a Muslim Mosque, and a Christian Church. This estate means that the place is available for everyone. Along with them, which consist of three ponds, a Bodhi tree, a stone park, and an herbal garden,
Hike to the Ambuluwawa Tower
This is an extremely adventurous activity to experience. The tower’s height is nearly 48m. There is an inside road to reach the top of the tower. But you need to choose the outside road to feel the fear. The staircase becomes narrow when you are reaching the top from below. It’s really hard work to reach the top in these crowded days. There are few caves to escape in crowded conditions. The wind is blowing hard when you are moving to the top. It definitely causes fear for anyone. The important thing to notice is that it’s not a risky activity. The elevation of the tower from sea level is 1047 m.
What can you observe?
You can easily observe 360-degree views from the Ambuluwawa Tower. The picture is absolutely marvelous. You can clearly identify the surrounding towns, villages, mountains, and rivers. But rainy days are invisible in the mist.
You can see
Piduruthalagala Mountain from the eastern side,
Bathalegala (Bible Rock) Mountain from the west,
Sri Pada Mountain from the south and
From the north, the Knuckles Mountain Range
Apart from them, you can clearly identify these mountains: Hunnasgiriya, Alagalla, Nelligala, Peacock Hills, Kabaragala, Dolosbage, Saptha Kanya, Namunukula, and the Hanthana Mountain Range. Area-wise, you can see the entire picture of Gampola City, Kothmale Village, Dolosbage Villages, Balana, Katugasthota, and Ulapane.
Biodiversity of Ambuluwawa
Ambuluwawa and the surrounding area are home to many plants and animals. It contains 200 different kinds of plants that belong to 80 different families. The hill area and the nearest forest have been designated as a forest reservation area with the name “ICC Forest Reservation’.
The entire area is home to 29 endemic species. Further, it is a home for
11 mammalian species (including 1 endangered species) ,
59 avian species (including 7 endangered species)
There are 30 reptilian species in total (13 of which are endemic).
13 amphibian species (six endemic species) and
13 butterfly species (two of which are endemic).
In total, they have found 126 species. 28 endemic species have become nationally threatened out of the 29 endemic species mentioned above. But it has also found two non-endemic species that are nationally threatened. The total area of the entire area is 927 acres.
Ambuluwawa History
The area has a recorded history of over 700 years. Gampola and the surrounding area were the capital of Sri Lanka in the 14th century. King Buvanekabahu IV was the first king of the Gampola Kingdom. He ruled the area from 1341 to 1357 AD.
The initial development of the Ambuluwawa Tower, hill, and forest area was started in 1997. On September 18, 2007, it was opened to the public. Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister D.M.U. Jayarathna was the man who first opened this place.
Consider the following:
- Little children, the elderly, and those who are afraid of heights should not try to go to the top of the tower.
- There is a huge wind at the Ambuluwawa Tower.
- Don’t try to take risky photographs or selfies. It’s a dangerous activity that you shouldn’t try.
- Holidays and Sundays are very busy with crowds.
- Mornings and evenings are great times to visit here.
- Gampola can be reached by train from any direction.
(Cover Image Credit Goes to the Original Owner)