PROMOTE UVA AS A REMARKABLE TOURIST DESTINATION;WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO BADULLA DISTRICT, SRI LANKA

Abstract

Sri Lanka is considered as one of the most wonderful tourist destination partly due to the compact physical diversity of its nature, surrounded by various top ranked beaches into mountain plains, rivers and water Falls, wild life as well as misty mountains. From East to West in the central highlands, the picture changes in to rainforests, misty mountains and plains and from green Tea plantations. Small miracle waterways as well as wonderful waterfalls riches the natural picture of the Island. Uva province, one of the most salubrious environment regions of the Island, is an area full of waterfalls, misty mountains including giant Namunukula Mountains and surrounded by Tea plantations. The climate of the triangle formed by Ella, Haputale and Welimada is regarded by many local and foreign tourists as the most favorable climatic area in Island. Salubrious environment enriched the area with many kinds of vegetables, fruits and flower gardens and make the way to tourism attraction from ancient times. Uva consists of two districts as Badulla and Monaragala and Badulla is the district that consists with salubrious environment and surroundings. Ella, Haputale , Bandarawela and Welimada areas enriched with natural beauty as well as potentiality to attract tourists as their tour destination. Also Badulla town is one of the oldest town in Sri Lanka with proven traces of the earlier settlement and surrounded by tea estates, paddy fields along the banks of the Badulu oya and Namunukula mountains. Badulla is also popularized for its ancient stories and tails as ?Rama-Rawana legend? and have some hidden places and caves to prove that legend archeologically. If tourist visit to Badulla, he can impressively experience the eco-tourism, pilgrim tourism, tea tourism, adventure tourism and historical tourism at one place. Eco tourism could experience by natural salubrious environment and Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya , Mahiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya and other important religious places provides pilgrim tourism experiences. Surrounding Tea plantations has potentiality to promote Tea tourism. Adventure tourism could experience by hiking in mountains, climbing waterfalls and other adventure experiences, Dowa Temple, Demodara station, Bogoda wooden bridge implies the historical tourism. Ancient legend of ?Uva Wellassa? heroes reflects the historical heritage in the region.