Ambuluwawa Tower

Ambuluwawa, on a peak 25 km south of Kandy near Gampola, is one of the more unusual viewpoints in the hill country. The biodiversity complex at the summit includes a spiral tower that visitors can climb, a small forest reserve, a lake, and shrines representing all five major religions of Sri Lanka (Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Christian again, in different denominations). The inter-religious component was a deliberate political statement by the local politician who funded it.

The tower climb is genuinely vertiginous — narrow, exposed, and not recommended for those uncomfortable with heights. On a clear day the views are outstanding. The drive up is steep and winding; tuk-tuks can struggle on the final approach; a four-wheel drive or confident driver is an advantage.

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A story
The Ambuluwawa Tower was built as part of a biodiversity complex on a 1,066-metre peak about 25 km south of Kandy. The tower itself — a narrow spiral structure with a tiny platform at the top — was designed to be climbed, though the uppermost section requires pressing yourself against the outer wall and inching around in a space too narrow to open an umbrella. On clear days it offers a 360-degree view of the hill country that extends, on exceptional days, to both the east and west coasts of Sri Lanka simultaneously.

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