Mawanella Spice & Herbal Garden

Several working spice smallholdings line the Colombo-Kandy highway (A1) just before Mawanella town, on the stretch of road between Kegalle and Kandy, each offering the same basic stop. A guide leads a walk of 20 to 30 minutes past cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, vanilla, and other plants used in Sri Lankan cooking and Ayurvedic remedies, explaining each one's use along the way. The walk itself is free and ends with a complimentary herbal tea and a short Ayurvedic hand or head massage demonstration, though the shop that follows sells oils and spice blends at a markup and staff do push sales. It works well as a short stretch-your-legs stop between Colombo and Kandy or Pinnawala, rather than a destination in its own right. Skip the shop entirely if you are not interested in buying, the walk and tasting do not require it.