spice garden

Many travelers associate Sri Lanka with the aroma of herbs, spices and incense. And this is no coincidence: the state in the Indian Ocean has been a leading producer of high-quality herbs and spicy-aromatic mixtures for several centuries. The Spice Garden in Matale is the most fragrant, colorful and vibrant garden, which has no analogues in the whole world.

Historical information

Since the Middle Ages, Sri Lanka has been the home of all the most valuable spices. The ancient Romans, Arabs, Greeks, and later European merchants worked closely with the Sri Lankans and purchased spices. All colonial wars and conquests of Sri Lanka are connected specifically with spices: the Portuguese, Spaniards and British sought to conquer the country and gain preferences in the spice trade. Cinnamon, vanilla, various types of peppers and other spices have been grown in the forests and plains along Indian rivers since ancient times. It was only after the 16th century that the cultivation of aromatic crops was concentrated in Colombo and then in the Matala province. This is where the climate is most suitable for growing spices of different groups.

Landscape

The Spice Garden is not a park or a nature reserve. These are fully functioning plantations in miniature, where all known spices are grown. If in the Middle Ages they tried to hide plantations from prying eyes in the forests, today spices are grown on an industrial scale and in many private farms. Plantations in Kandy, Colombo, Kagala, Kegalle are represented by a variety of aromas and tastes. The spice garden in Matale is represented not only by the main species of plants, but also by collections of spicy endemics that grow in different parts of Sri Lanka: cinnamon and cocoa, coffee and ginger, cardamom and jackfruit, lime and shatavari, as well as cannabis and cannabis, which are prohibited in many countries. hemp.

Visiting rules

The Spice Garden is a unique excursion area, visiting which is absolutely free for all guests. Spices and spices will give their aroma daily from 9 to 21 hours. And a professional guide (Russian, English and other languages ​​of your choice) will colorfully tell the story of each plant that grows in the garden.

Excursions

A holiday in Sri Lanka would be incomplete without visiting the Spice Garden. Immersion in a fragrant haze begins with the first steps through the Garden. The guide will tell the story of the famous vanilla vine - the most popular spice in the whole world. He will tell you in detail about all types of pepper: black and white, gray and green, pink and red. Introduce you to the cinnamon tree and banana palm, wild pineapple and rubber giants, Liberian coffee and the tree with full cocoa beans. Walking through the Garden will allow you to see the aromatic castor oil plant, from the seeds of which castor oil, curry and medicinal ficus are extracted, tinctures of which help get rid of many diseases. It is difficult to find plants in the Garden that are not used in cooking or medicine. Sri Lankans believe that useless and empty plants do not exist.

Mysteries of History

Sri Lanka is not only the birthplace of almost all known spices, but also the cradle of the teachings of Ayurveda. Everything physical that is on Earth is medicine - this is the main dogma of the great teaching, the history of which goes back more than 3 thousand years. The plants that are presented in the Spice Garden are successfully used to prepare healing mixtures for the treatment of various diseases. On the territory of the Spice Garden in Matale, not only herbs and spices are presented, but also ancient devices for Ayurveda. Near each plant there are jars with spices and medicinal mixtures, which can be purchased in specialized Garden stores. In addition to the store, there is a magnificent veranda where they demonstrate the use of medicinal products and introduce non-trivial ways of using spices familiar to everyone.

Getting there

The Spice Garden is located in Matale, between the cities of Kandy and Dambulla. You can get to the Garden either by bus (distance about 25 km and ticket price 10-12 rupees) or by rented car.

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