Sabaragamuwa

Sabaragamuwa is a province in Sri Lanka. It is named after its former indigenous inhabitants, the Sabara, an Indic term referring to hunter-gatherer tribes.

• 6.66666780.4002781 Ratnapura — Sri Lanka's gem mining capital surrounded by tea and rubber plantations
• 6.99782680.4092942 Kitulgala — white-water rafting destination and filming location for The Bridge Over The River Kwai on a wide stretch of the Kelani river

• 6.40654580.4602831 Sinharaja Forest Reserve — a national park and a biodiversity hotspot which has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• 6.42377280.8185482 Udawalawe National Park — famous for its large wild elephant population, making an excellent destination for safari-style tours

The province has a strong Buddhist heritage, with monasteries such as the Palabaddala Monastic University, established during the Dambadeniya period in the 13th century by King Parakramabahu II. Today, 85% of the province's residents report being Buddhist.

The mining of sapphires, rubies, and garnets have gone on in this province for centuries. Visitors can tour the mines, watch the gems being cut, polished and then sold in bustling gem markets.

Despite bordering the greater Colombo area, this province is poorly connected by train. A small part of the Colombo-Kandy railway line skirts the far northern part of the province. Travelling by bus or taxi is the only way to reach the tourist centres of this province.

The cheapest way to get around is with the bus. The province's bus network stops and timetables are integrated into Google Maps for navigation.