The Royal Botanical Gardens are among the finest tropical gardens in the world. This is a 60 hectare (147 acre) garden and is the largest in Sri Lanka. Ideal for walkers, you can also bike or drive through it. They have a comprehensive collection and a scientific programme in biotechnology, ecology, conservation and taxonomy. The history of the gardens dates to 1371, when royalty shifted the court to Peradeniya and subsequently, when King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1741-1780) made them into royal gardens. Their modern history started when a garden named Kew was started at Slave Island in Colombo, and then shifted to Kalutara due to space restrictions. In 1821 these gardens were shifted to Peradeniya by Alexander Moon. With tree lined avenues and drive and a variety of flowers, the gardens were the setting for the South East Asian Command Headquarters during World War II.
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The gardens are open every day and have flowers in bloom all year round. To mark their visits to Sri Lanka, many distinguished visitors, including royalty and heads of governments, have planted trees at the gardens. Today these gardens have acquired a worldwide reputation, for their history and plant collections. Among others, the gardens contain the tallest bamboos in the world and also the oldest tea plant in Sri Lanka.
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