Quiet town in the Hill Country

Train journey to Bandarawela - a young traveller
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Rail journey to Bandarawela is 192 kms (119 miles) and the train goes from sea level to a Summit peak of 6226 feet near Pattippok. Bandarawela is 1230 Metres (4036 feet). Because of the gradient, the sinuous route up and through the mountains and the poor state of the track and equipment, the journey takes 8 hours,  but the scenery is beautiful and I had a comfortable seat with good view. Weird though, because the Observation Car is at the rear of train and seats point backward .. so you see what you might have photographed if you were looking the other way and had adequate notice. The whole Hill country area proved to be more dramatic and beautiful than I expected. Tea is grown in at least three settings .. traditional terraces with highly uniform rows which look like a maze from a distance as they wrap around hills ; some  lower level beds cut into chevron shapes and finally, random plants interspersed with trees. In addition to irrigation channels there  are small streams coming down from the mountains, often over smooth rock with small waterfalls - this is a striking place. The sight I enjoyed the most was the tulip tree in the midst of tea plants .. this is the African tree which grows to great heights here. Its hot orange red flowers stand out against the dark green tea plants ; hard to photograph from moving train.

The garden at Bandarawela Hotel
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Bandarawela Hotel is a real throw back to colonial times. It was founded in 1893 as a club for plantation owners. In 1938 there was a refurbishment and extension of the place to its present size of 32 rooms. It is essentially this 1938 look and feel that you see today. Beds are steel framed (adjustable like a hospital bed) ; lighting and baths all old style. Everything gleams .. a buffer is used on the lino floors so the whole place shines. Perhaps the best feature is that the service is efficient but relaxed .. this is not a cloying atmosphere .. it's almost as if they do not know that it is 2007 out there somewhere. I loved the food ; the set menu (960 Rupees £4.25 or $8.70) was Western food but their chef is excellent and the 4 course meal was in sensible portions and Australian Shiraz reasonable at 1900 Rupees a bottle (£8.40 or $17.20). I like the fact that the hotel is secluded with a nice garden and restricted views of surrounding hills. but you are not stranded. The hotel is up a short hill from the main street of the town. In fact, the Post Office and small supermarket are right at the entrance road to the hotel. I walked around town and was surprised to find it is all business serving the local farmer plantation community. No souvenir shops, no travel agents (that I could see) no touts (hurrah!). The Internet shop was in the tiny corner of a barber shop ; cramped but connection good enough.

Hakgala Gardens - swirling with clouds

Hakgala Botanic Gardens
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I had plans to travel about but this is such a relaxing place that I decided to do just one excursion .. Hakgala Botanic Gardens, 27 kms away. Car and driver 3500 Rupees ( £16 Pounds). Hardly any straight road for 27 kms as we passed through vegetable growing country (leeks, potatoes and strawberries all figure large in the local economy). The field patterns are far more erratic than in the tea plantations and this gives the hills a patchwork look which is pleasant. The small towns had no tourist facilities ; there was the occasional isolated guest house or sign for Rooms. This is not particularly a tourist zone. The Hakgala Botanic Gardens are built on the lower slope of a mountain dominated by a huge rock. They were established in 1861 to cultivate Cinchona, the tree from which the anti malarial drug quinine is derived.

Hakgala Botanic Gardens
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The rock rises 1500 feet above the gardens and I was disappointed that there was a fence along the top side of the park which prevents you from getting up the mountain for good views of either the rock or surrounding hills. The lower portion of the gardens is a the traditional affair with flower beds, rock garden a 'JapaneseGarden’ (don't get me started!!). The real delight of the place is in following the trails which weave their way up the hillside through magnificent trees. in a landscape strewn with lichen covered huge boulders. It really feels like a natural forest through which paths have been cut, but that illusion ends when you get to the top fence and see the dense jungle on the other side which is the true state of affairs.

Hakgala Botanic Gardens - the illusive rock mountain
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This is what I would consider a cloud forest .. clouds hover around the peaks above and occasionally drop down bringing mist and moisture. There as actually rain for a short period but I was lucky .. 5 minutes out of a 2 hour visit was good going.