The Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council has taken steps to start a tourism promotion project centred on the World Heritage Sinharaja Forest.
Accordingly, the small towns of Rakwana, Suriyakanda and Kalawana in the Ratnapura district bordering the World Heritage Sinharaja Forest are rich in tourist attractions and steps have been taken to promote these towns as tourist zones.
Under this move, the initial phase of the project took place with the participation of Sabaragamuwa Province Governor Navin Dissanayake, recently.
Under this programme, the development of access roads to places such as Rakwana Handapan Falls and Suriyakanda ‘Morning Side’ which attracts tourists with an investment of Rs. 10 million was started.
It is also proposed to develop Sinharaja, Suriyakanda, Rakwana, Handapan Falls and Kalawana as tourist zones. The preliminary discussion about this was also held on August 2 under the chairmanship of Governor Dissanayake at Rakwana.
This programme, which was named ‘Sinharaja Tourism Development Programme’, was attended by a group of businessmen from the area.
According to the geographical location, these cities are more than 2,000 feet above the sea level and the common access road runs from Madampe to Galle, passing the ten bends of Bulutota Gorge.
Besides, several other projects have been proposed to be implemented under this programme. Accordingly, the carpeting of the Rakwana–Kalawana road, filling up the abandoned paddy fields in Rakwana city centre with water so tourists can take boat rides and constructing a jogging path around it, constructing a cable car project near fourth mile post of the Rakwana–Kalwana road up to Handapan Falls, constructing a golf course at Allington Estate and establishing a wet zone botanical garden at Block No. 9 of Allerton Estate have been planned.
In addition, projects such as promotion of hot air balloons, arrangement of a trucking and camping site at Handapan Falls, initiation of mountain biking, construction of a shopping complex at the Botiyathenne area, construction of a helipad and establishment of an Air Force unit base to receive support in emergency situations, development of access roads to visit the waterfalls in the area, visits to the mining industry in the Rajawatta–Rambuka area and establishing a gem complex to buy gems, establishing tourist houses on 25 acres of land in the Rajawatta (Dipkin Watta) area development of the Morning Side access road and the improvement of the existing tourist sites around Maduwanwela Walawwa and Waulpana will be carried out.
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