Ritigala, at 766m is the highest isolated hill in Sri Lanka that rises sharply from the flat surrounding countryside. Although Ritigala is a Strict Nature Reserve measuring 3,878 acres, where elephants, sloth bear and leopard have all been sighted, you are not permitted entry into the reserve further than the archaeological ruins of an ancient forest hermitage. This monastery was home to an aesthetic order of Pamsukalika monks in the ninth century AD, though Ritigala's antiquity is believed to stretch as far back as the second century BC.

Your visit to these extensive remains deep in the forest will allow you to experience a part of Ritigala's significant nature despite not being able to venture further. Even though it is located in the Dry Zone, its peak has a surprisingly cool, wet microclimate that spawns vegetation similar to a wet, evergreen forest. Many medicinal herbs and plants are also found while the area is rich in bird life.