Roadside herbal and spice gardens where guides walk you through cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg and Ayurvedic plants.

Overview

Matale is the centre of Sri Lanka's spice trade, and a cluster of spice and Ayurvedic herbal gardens along the Kandy-Matale and Matale-Dambulla roads welcome visitors for free guided walks. Guides demonstrate how cinnamon bark is peeled, point out growing cardamom, pepper vines, nutmeg, cocoa and vanilla, and usually end with a shop selling oils, teas and balms. It is a popular, easy introduction to the spices that drew colonial powers to the island.

History

Spice cultivation around Matale dates back centuries and was central to Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British trade in Ceylon, with cinnamon especially prized. Many of today's demonstration gardens grew up along the main tourist route between Kandy and the Cultural Triangle.