Deniyaya Sri Lanka
Nuwara Eliya is the most popular health resort for local travellers in Sri Lanka. The development of Nuwara Eliya as a holiday destination is going back to the 1800’s. The development of Nuwara Eliya is essentially attributed to the British colonial rulers.
“Wasantha sanakeliya”, the peak holiday season of Nuwara Eliya falls in the month of April. During which, the city is flooded with local travellers, making some hardships to find accommodation and other facilities needed for holidays in the area.
Foods and accommodation are overpriced during the period due to the overwhelming demand. Therefore in recent time, local travellers have started to find alternative holiday destinations such as Bandarawela and Deniyaya.
Nuwara Eliya Vs Deniyaya
Deniyaya is very similar to Nuwara Eliya in terms of weather, vegetation and landscape. The city sits over 2600 feet above sea level. The entire region is a mountainous area located near the central mountain range, in the direction of the south-west of Deniyaya in the Rakwana-Bulutota pass.
Mountains in Deniyaya
A large number of mountains and valleys can be seen around Deniyaya making similar landscape to Nuwara Eliya. The lowest elevated area of Deniyaya is about 1000 feet from the sea level while the highest point of Deniyaya is 3900 feet above the sea level.
Deniyaya is the highest point in the Matara district. Atinkanda mountains (2655 feet above sea level), Tibbatugala (2065 feet above sea level), Kurulugala (3880 feet above sea level) and Gongala (3900 feet above sea level) are picturesque mountains surrounding Deniyaya.
The unique geological pattern of mountains and valleys of Deniyaya creates picture-perfect scenery for the travellers. Deniyaya is a valuable catchment area in southern Sri Lanka.
Perennial waterways of Deniyaya
A number of leading rivers such as Gin Ganga and Nilwala are fed by the perennial streams of Deniyaya. Due to the richness of water resources in this mountainous area, a number of waterfalls arise from the streams. One of the beautiful cascading waterfalls here is Satmala Diyaella and it attracts a large number of people every year. The streams, rivers, waterfalls of Deniyaya are beautifully shaped by a large amount of water throughout the year.
The weather pattern of Deniyaya
The weather pattern Deniyaya, Sri Lanka is largely influenced by the Sinharaja rain forest and Rakvana mountain range. The temperature in Deniyaya is very modes and February is the month with least rainfall of the year, the highest temperature is also recorded in the month of February. Several rainforests such as Sinharaja and Diyadawa forest reserve are located bordering Deniyaya. Therefore, the Biodiversity of Deniyaya is considered to be at a very high level.
Places to visit in Deniyaya
Apart from the natural wealth, the city accommodates many important cultural and historical places such as ancient Buddhist temples. Gatabara Devala and Kolawenigama Raja Maha Vihara are the two most visited such Buddhist temples in the area.
Gatabara Devala
The history of Gatabara Devala is going back to the 1st century BC, to the Anuradhapura period. The temple is remotely located in the southern province. The journey from Colombo to this off the beaten track tourist site takes at least 6 hours.
The temple believed to be used as the safe place by King Walagambahu, during the south Indian invasion. Later, once the king regained his kingship, he had built the Gatabara Devala, as a tribute to providing shelter to the king.
According to the historical information, the tooth relic was hidden in Kolawenigama Raja Maha Vihara during the reign of King Buwanekabahu. The tooth relic was hidden in the temple for five years, during this period the country was partly controlled by the invaders.
The rich vegetation, attractive landscape, and mild temperature with high rainfall make Deniyaya a very attractive destination for Sri Lanka nature tours. There are plenty of opportunities in Deniyaya for adventure holiday lovers to do hiking, trekking, mountain biking and mountain climbing.
After considering the natural and historical resources of Deniyaya, Sri Lankan government has chosen Deniyaya to develop as a holiday destination in the country.
The authorities are planning to direct some travellers to Deniyaya, especially from Sri Lanka’s southern beach resort areas such as Galle and Unawatuna beach. Many steps have been taken to improve the infrastructure needed to improve tourism in the area.
Deniyaya is one of easiest one-day trip place from most western and southern coast beaches such as Bentota beach and Hikkaduwa. However, it may not be suitable for a one-day trip place from Colombo due to the long journey.