Located a short distance away from salubrious Nuwara Eliya, the Hakgala Gardens lies at the foot of the Hakgala Rock, surrounded by dense montane forest. A specialty of the gardens is its emphasis on temperate species, beautifully laid out over its terraced slopes. The gardens feature a large rose garden, with its myriad of colorful blooms perfuming the air around it, and an exotic orchidarium that contains numerous endemic mountain orchid species. A fernery hugs the cliff face and amidst babbling streams displays a good collection of local species as well as some from Australia and New Zealand.

Written by Jonathan Roelofsz for Travel Lanka Compass