Jetwing St.

Andrew’s Nature Tours 1

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 2

OUR
NATURALIST
WILL ACCOMPANY YOU
ON ALL
THESE EXCURSIONS

Please contact

Nadeera Weerasinghe
Naturalist

Or

Reception
Ext. 0 / 406
Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 3

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT OUR RESIDENT

NATURALIST
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION
Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 4

The Jetwing Vision

To Be World Class

The Jetwing Mission

To be a family of people and companies committed to provide legendary and

Innovative service with high stakeholder satisfaction.
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We are delighted to welcome you to a Jetwing Hotel with a

Resident Naturalist. We hope you will find something of interest
in the enclosed program of excursions, ranging from cultural
visits, to walking to natural history tours. Some of our excursions
are designed to involve the local community, for two reasons.
Firstly because we recognize them as an important stakeholder
who should share in the financial benefits of tourism. Secondly,
we believe it is important that the local community play a lead
role in the conservation of our cultural and natural heritage.

Resident Naturalists are employed at Jetwing Hotels with several

objectives in mind. One objective is that they are available to
entertain and educate guests to the hotel, of the nature and
culture, in and around the hotel. But more importantly they are a
part of a wider strategy to demonstrate that the private sector,
especially in tourism can play a significant role in creating
environmental awareness and being a champion for research and
conservation. Jetwing is committed to sustainable tourism and to
minimize the impact of its activities on the environment. Each
Jetwing Hotel has a 'Green Directory' listing the activities it is
taking to be a responsible hotel. The naturalist or General
Manager can e-mail this to you, if you wish to receive a copy.

Jetwing Hotels together with Jetwing Eco Holidays (the wildlife &
luxury travel subsidiary) is also engaged in a campaign to impart
knowledge to Sri Lankans, especially school children, on the
island's fauna and flora. To this end, we have published a
number of low cost leaflets, booklets and posters. The naturalists
also encourage class room activities to further reinforce our
involvement with the local community.

Under the path breaking Jetwing Research initiative, Jetwing

Hotels are used as an island-wide platform of research stations.
We support research by providing free food and accommodation
to researchers, overcoming one of the key logistical hurdles
Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 6

faced by research. For more information visit www.jetwing

eco.com.

We hope you will enjoy your stay with us and carry the message
of sustainable tourism to others.

Renuke Coswatte (standrew@eureka.lk)

Manager Jetwing St. Andrew’s

Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne (gehan@jetwing.lk)

Director Eco Tourism (Jetwing Hotels)

Ruan Samarasinghe (ruan@jetwing.lk)

Managing Director (Jetwing Hotels)

Kumar Senaratne
Head of HR (kumar@jetwing.lk)
Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 7

Jetwing St. Andrew’s

Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Towering over 6182 feet (1884 meters) above sea level cradled amidst the
mist covered mountains lies Jetwing St Andrew’s Hotel in Nuwara Eliya. Much
respected and admired, the history of St Andrew’s Hotel runs past well over
100 years.

It is said to be part of land gifted to a faithful servant of the crown in 1875

(approximately) where a house was built which was later identified as a
Sctot’s Club. A German national by the name of Mr. Humbert has been
running the club which was converted to a hotel during the early 1900’s.
During world war 1, he was interned by then British Government. In 1918, the
hotel was bought by a syndicate headed by Mr. Arthur Ephraums. Many
additions including a two storey wing to the west, a large dining room and
pantry, large kitchen, store room and servants quarters were instigated during
this era. In 1919, Mr. J H De Zilwa a young cousin of Mr. Ephraums was
appointed as Manager of the newly expanded and refurbished hotel. However,
due to an disagreement with the owner, Mr. & Mrs. De Zilwa left St Andrew’s
to begin their own hotel business.

Over 100 years of proud history continues……….

Presently, Jetwing St Andrew’s Hotel has 52 rooms with 7 deluxe rooms, 5
suites and 40 standard rooms. All rooms are equipped with hot & cold water,
bath / shower, 220v to 240v electric power, telephone, individual heaters,
shaver sockets, in room safes, Tea / Coffee making facility & TV’s in all suites
and deluxe rooms, mini bars in suites and hair dryers provided on request.

The hotel boasts of a climate with delightful and freshening days to cool and
cozy nights. Horton plains national park, Baker’s falls and visit to Hakgala
gardens are few of many places of interest at the disposal of all guests at St
Andrew’s. There is a saloon for billiards and snooker. It is said that the
billiards table and cues are over 123 years old which has been imported from
C. Larzzurus and company from India. The floor around public area takes you
back in history over 123 years…..evidence of the bygone era. Huge emphasis
is given to maintain these antique items in the original condition. The billiard
table would probably be the oldest and best preserved of it’s kind in Sri Lanka.
Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 8

Excursion 01 ( Nature walks )

Cloud Forest Trail

Cloud Forest Trail is designed for you to see typical Cloud Forest patches in
just 300M above the hotel.

Cloud Forests of Sri Lanka are one of the most endangered habitats,
occupying less than 2% of the total land area. Due to deforestation in the
past, for coffee and then tea, the cloud forests of Sri Lanka have been
decimated, leaving only, small but precious fragments of bio-diversity. It host
to some of Sri Lanka’s most unusual flora & fauna.

Most of the plants in the Cloud Forest seem to have medicinal uses in
ayurveda to treat everything from malaria to hepatitis. Mist surroundings &
small water falls bring you fresh air and cool feelings.

The Nature Trail is up a fairly steep slope, which can be difficult in places.
Much of the fauna and flora can be seen in just a few hundred meters of the
trail. Therefore, you need not be in good shape to be able to follow the trail
up to the water catchment, documented in the section of the flora. If you wish
to go beyond this, then it would help if you are sure footed and reasonably fit.

In this nature trail guide, we will start with the flora, with separate sections
later on the birds and other wildlife. The nature trail, is along a footpath which
was constructed by the British, to lead up to a water catchment up on a ridge.

Time of departure - Morning & Evening

Duration
Walking distance
What is included
What to bring / What to wear
- 2 hrs
- Approximately 2 km
- Water Bottle
-
Comfortable Clothes,
Binoculars, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Field Guides

Cost - US $ 10 per person

** Every additional person 25 % off (Up to 04 person)

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 9

Excursion 02

Horton Plains National Park

(Journey to the end of World)

The Horton Plains National Park is located on Sri Lanka's highest plateau,
between altitudes of 2,000m and 2,300m. The landscape typically consists of
undulating lands covered in a tropical cloud of forests or verdant montane
Savannah Grasslands, locally known as patannahs.

Horton Plains, a beautiful gift of nature and it is Sri Lanka’s most elevated
National Park containing Kirigalpotta and Totapola Mountains, which are
second and third highest mountain peaks of Sri Lanka (2395m, 2359m).

Horton Plains was declared as a Natural Reserve in 1969, and upgraded to a

National Park in 1988. It is also the only national park within which visitors
are permitted to walk.

The Plains are actually named after Sir Robert Wilmot Horton, a rather selfish
and bloody-minded Brit (no surprise there then) who was singularly
responsible for the slaying of all the elephants in the area between 1831 to
1837. Although there is little hope of elephants ever returning, you can at
least walk around in comparative safety admiring the many other interesting
creatures around and about. Of these perhaps the most worthy of a mention
are the Samber a common sight at dusk and in the early hours of the
morning.

Situated within this park, at nearly 700m is World’s End, a sheer precipice that
is popular with visitors. World’s End offers a spectacular panoramic view
including the Nonpareil Tea Estate. Also within, is Baker’s Fall, which is a small
exquisite waterfall.
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Time of departure - 0600 hrs

Duration - 6 hrs
Walking distance - Approximately 7 km
Distance to Entrance - 30 km
What is included - Water Bottle, Transport,
Entrance Ticket

What to bring / What to wear

- Comfortable Clothes, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Binoculers, Spotting Scopes,
Field Guides, Sun Block.

Cost - US $ 65 per person with transport

** Every additional person 25 % off (Up to 04 person)

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 11

Excursion 03
Sri Pada (Adams Peak)

Adam's Peak (also Adam's Mount; Sinhalese Samanalakanda "butterfly

mountain", Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai), is a 2,243 meters (7,359 ft) tall conical
mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well-known for the Sri Pada
"sacred footprint", a 1.8 m rock formation near the summit, in Buddhist
tradition held to be the footprint of Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva
and in Muslim tradition that of Adam.

The mountain is located in the southern reaches of the Central Highlands, in

the Ratnapura district of the Sabaragamuwa Province - lying about 20 km
northeast of the city of Ratnapura. The surrounding region is largely forested
hills, with no mountain of comparable size nearby.

Climbing at night can be a remarkable experience, with the lights of the path
leading up and into the stars overhead. There are rest stops along the way.

Leave hotel after dinner for Adam’s peak via Nanuoya, Hatton and Maskeliya
up to Nallatanniya. Cross the river and start to climb the summit in the night.
Rest on the way and walk to the summit to be there early morning. See the
beautiful sunrise, the shadow of the mountain of the surrounding area. Return
for lunch to the hotel.

Time of departure - 2230 hrs (Leaving after Dinner)

Duration - 12 hrs
Walking distance - Approximately 7 km
Distance to site - 70 km

What is included - Packed Breakfast, Water Bottle, Transport,

Milo Packet,

What to bring / What to wear

- Comfortable Clothes, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Binoculars, Field Guides,

Cost - US $ 100 for 1st person with transport

** Every additional person 25 % off (Up to 04 person)

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 12

Excursion 04

Hakgala Botanical Gardens and Arboretum

Botanic garden at Hakgala is the second largest garden in Sri Lanka situated
in salubrious environment near the capital city of the hill country. It provides
charm and cold atmosphere with picturesque beauty by its own landscape and
many blooms seen in various sections in garden. It enhances natural beauty
by small water streams run across the garden and wooden bridges built over
them.

The main reason caused to establish the garden at Hakgala was cultivation
and promotion of Cinchona, a tree of commerce in Sri Lanka. The garden was
established in 1861 with the auspices of Mr. G. H. W. Thawaites then director
of Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya and M. R. W. MacNichholl was the
pioneer curator of the gardens. Later, the garden was used for
experimentation of tea cultivation in up country and then garden was
developed to a botanical direction since Mr. William Nock was appointed as a
curator in 1884. Many sub tropical and some temperate plants were
introduced and planted in the gardens.

It was recorded in the legend of Sri Lanka, many thousands of years ago, a
famous king of Ceylon Ravana whose name is remembered in connection with
the epic love story with Sita, a beautiful queen of India, made a pleasure
gardens in the region where the Hakgala garden spreads today. The king
Ravana brought queen Sita, a famous female character described in eastern
mythology here and kept hidden in the area vicinity to the botanic.
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Time of departure - Morning (Leaving after breakfast)

Afternoon (Leaving after Tea)
Duration - 6 hrs
Walking distance - approximately 2 km (within the park)
Distance to Entrance - 15 km

What is included - Water Bottle, Transport, Entrance Ticket

What to bring / What to wear

- Comfortable Clothes, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes,
Field Guides, Sun Block.

Cost - US $ 50 per person with transport

** Every additional person 25 % off (Up to 04 person)

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 14

Excursion 05

Pedro Tea Factory & Tea Estate

Tea cultivation began on the island in 1867 with the commercial introduction
by the Britisher James Taylor and he planted 17 acres of tea in 1866 at
Loolecondera. Ceylon tea is a world recognized product, with some of the
most sought after fragrant and delicious tea in the whole world being
produced in Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya in the central hills of Sri Lanka is an area
which produces some of the finest tea of Ceylon.

When you visit this Tea Factory, you will have the opptunity to observe first
hand Tea cultivation practices such as fertilizing, pruning and plucking. Tea
plukers in Sri Lanka are usually women and watching them pluck tea, dressed
in their colourful Sarees against the verdant green of tea bushes is a sight not
to be missed.

Manufacture of tea the best known and most familiar of Ceylon Tea black tea
requires withering, rolling, fermentation, drying and grading. You will see all
these processes.

Also easily visible are panaromic views of natural and man-made contours,
beautiful vistas and landscapes rising out of the mist laden sky.

Finally you can quench your thirst with a typical top quality Cup of Ceylon Tea.

Time of departure - Between 0800 hrs to 1600 hrs

Duration - 2 hrs
Distance to site - 03 km

What is included - Fresh Tea, Water Bottle, Transport,

What to bring / What to wear

- Comfortable Clothes, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Binoculars,

Cost - US $ 25 per person with transport

** Every additional person US $ 5 wiil be added(Up to 04 person)

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Excursion 06
Water Fall Tour

The mountains of Sri Lanka are embellished with a slew of picturesque

waterfalls. Many of these splendid waterfalls lie unknown in the forests and
remote tea plantation tracks. The numerous rivers of the island fed
adequately by two yearly monsoons, the topography of high and steeply
scarped pen plains and river beds of hard metamorphic rock, all set an ideal
ground for the formation of waterfalls. The serene ambience of a waterfall
with the sound of water rushing down along the Rocky Mountains will send
many visitors in to ecstatic moment of riverine.

The island is based 103 rivers and many numbers of streams radiating from
the central hills, rushing down rocky precipices forming a number of roaring
waterfalls of various shapes and height, all ending up loosing the momentum
at the Indian Ocean.

Among those water falls Devon Fall, St. Clair Fall, Dansinan Fall, Saheen Fall
and Sheen Fall are famous water falls in the country.

Time of departure - 0700 hrs

Duration - 06 hrs
Distance to site - 100 km

What is included - Packed Breakfast, Water Bottle, Milo Packet

Transport.

What to bring / What to wear

- Comfortable Clothes, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes,
Field Guides, Sun Block.

Cost - US $ 115 per person with transport

** Every additional person 25 % off (Up to 04 person)

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 16

Excursion 07
Galway’s Land National Park

Galway’s Land National Park located about 2 km away from the Nuwara Eliya
town and 2nd highest elevated National Park in the country.

Galway’s Land was declared as a Nature Sanctuary in 1938 and area was 56.6
ha. Due to having high bio diversity itself again in 2006 part of this land, 29
ha had upgraded as a National Park.

This small patch of land is very good model / example to mountain forest type
and its habitat type. Here you will see both native and introduced floral
species. The area giving good habitat for some interesting mountain faunal
species too.

Time of departure - Morning (Leaving after breakfast)

Afternoon (Leaving after Tea)
Duration - 03 hrs
Distance to site - 03 km

What is included - Water Bottle, Transport, Entrance Ticket

What to bring / What to wear

- Comfortable Clothes, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes,
Field Guides, Sun Block.

Cost - US $ 50 per person with transport

** Every additional person 25 % off (Up to 04 person)

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 17

Excursion 08
Victoria Park

The Victoria Park of Nuwara Eliya is said to be named to commorate the 60th
Jubilee Coronation of Queen Victoria in the year 1897. Originally the park was
used as the research field of Hakgala Botanical Garden which is located about
10 km away from the city centre. It is known that this park was established by
planting an Oak tree by a German Princess who visited Nuwara Eliya at the
latter part of the 19th Century. The park is 27 acres in extent and about 90%
of the tree species available are those of foreign plants. Nanu Oya which flows
through the park and a number of lakes within it enhances its beauty. A large
number of rare bird species can be found in the park.

Victoria Park is an attractive and well-used oasis. It is popular with

birdwatchers at quieter times because of the good opportunities it gives to see
Indian Blue Robin (Luscinia brunnea), Pled Ground Thrush (Zoothera wardii)
or Scaly Thrush (Zoothera imbricata) lurking in the denser undergrowth.
Kashmir Flycatcher (Ficedula subrubra) is another attractive bird species found
in the park.

Time of departure - Morning (Leaving after breakfast)

Afternoon (Leaving after Tea)
Duration - 03 hrs
Distance to site - 1 km

What is included - Water Bottle, Transport, Entrance Ticket

What to bring / What to wear

- Comfortable Clothes, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes,
Field Guides, Sun Block.

Cost - US $ 15 per person with transport

** Every additional person 25 % off (Up to 04 person)

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 18

Excursion 09
Bomure Ella

Bomure Ella is very good place for you to see and have experience of a typical
mountain eco system and its bio diversity.

In the morning after breakfast or after afternoon Tea, drive to Bomure Ella
which is 06 km away from Jetwing St. Andrew’s and then proceed by foot on
a guided nature tour with our Naturalist.

Bomure Ella is a small forest patch which is surrounded by a small Lake. This
is a very good place to see many species of Sri Lankan endemic birds such as
Dusky Blue Flycatcher (Eumyias sordidus), Spot-winged Ground-thrush
(Zoothera spiloptera), Ceylon Blue Magpie (Urocissa ornata) and also many
number of winter visitors during the migratory season.

You could also see endemic mammals such as Toque Macaque (Macaca
sinica), Highland Bear Monkey (Trachypithecus vetulus monticola) and also
Mountain Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura macroura) too. When you proceed
towards the reservoir, you will able to see some raptors such as Grey-headed
Fish-eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus), Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus indus),
Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus) and also many other forest birds
too.

Time of departure - Morning (Leaving after breakfast)

Afternoon (Leaving after Tea)
Duration - 03 hrs
Distance to site - 05 km

What is included - Water Bottle, Transport,

What to bring / What to wear

- Comfortable Clothes, Caps or Hats,
Cameras, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes,
Field Guides, Sun Block.

Cost - US $ 25 per person with transport

** Every additional person US $ 5 wiil be added(Up to 04 person)

Jetwing St. Andrew’s Nature Tours 19

WHAT VISITORS SHOULD DO IN NATIONAL PARKS

YOU ARE IN ANIMAL TERRITORY – BE CONSIDERATE !

• Read the rules and regulations of each national park BEFORE entering
the park and follow them.

• Adhere to specific time limits when visiting.

• Obtain the services of a guide (which is required) and, at all times, follow
his /her advice.

• Because you are entering the domain of wild animals, always remember
that you are in their territory and treat them with consideration.

• Please bring to the notice of the park authorities any special

observations, infractions of regulations within the park.

TAKE ONLY PHOTOGRAPHS – LEAVE ONLY YOUR FOOTPRINTS !

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Text and Trail Research

By

Nadeera Weerasinghe
Naturalist
Jetwing St Andrew’s

Consultation

Renuke Coswatte
Manager
Jetwing St. Andrew’s
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