UGA | Ulagalla Experience | Riding | Horseback Ride
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 2.32 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 3 ft
- Max elevation
- 400 ft
- TrailRank
- 19
- Min elevation
- 377 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 44 minutes
- Coordinates
- 93
- Uploaded
- December 19, 2020
- Recorded
- December 2020
near Galkiriyagama, North Central (Sri Lanka)
Viewed 359 times, downloaded 1 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
All rides are guided, and our resident horses cater to all riding abilities.
Waypoints
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Wannamaduwwa Tank
The Wannammaduiwa Tank is our largest neighbouring waterhole, and is thought to date back to the time of King Mahasena, and the Anuradhapura era, in the third century AD. The tank extends some 100 acres and is usually beautifully festooned with water lilies and lotus flowers in whites, pinks and purples. Edging the tank, and dominant in this area, are stands of kumbuk – water loving trees that are often found in dry regions of the island. The tank attracts a rich variety of water birds. These include herons, storks, egrets, grebes, cormorants, swamp hens, water hens, coots, pelicans and kingfishers (including the Stork-billed Kingfisher, the largest of Sri Lanka's seven kingfisher varieties).
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Paddy cultivation
We cultivate just under 10 acres of rice here at Ulagalla. The rice paddies have created their own ecosystem where we may see snakes, monitor lizards, peacocks, storks, ibis, orioles and other birds attracted to the area depending on the time of year. Nocturnal species occasionally spotted include the Indian Scops Owl and the Brown Fish Owl.
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Village bathing location
Sri Lankans across the country often use irrigation canals, rivers and lakes as a free source of bathing water. The Wannammaduwa Tank is a popular (and picturesque) bathing place. Towards the end of the day villagers converge to wash in the cool waters. Some may have bathing facilities at home, but given that water supplies in rural areas such as ours can sometimes be intermittent or unreliable, they may prefer bathing in the lake.
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Lake fishing
Fish is a firm staple in the Sri Lankan diet. Most fish consumed on the island comes from the ocean though freshwater fish is the mainstay in rural, inland regions such as ours. In our neighbouring lakes, you're very likely to see fishermen. They fish with a line but may often be seen casting nets in the evening and then returning the next morning to draw them in. Fishermen then sell their catch to local vendors who hawk their produce from the back of bicycles or motorbikes equipped with weighing scales, loudly calling out ‘marlu’ (which means fish), as they scoot up and down lanes. The Mozambique Tilapia – a fish species native to Africa that was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 1950s to boost freshwater fish stocks – is the mainstay of most local diets and used to make curries. Other fish found in these lakes include catfish, golden carp and eel.
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Stables and solar energy plant
The stables are located near our solar energy plant. Sustainability is a keystone of the Uga Resorts brand. Ulagalla's solar energy plant which can produce around 450-500KW of power – not quite enough for supporting the whole resort though it is a substantial leap in the right direction. We also have our own sewage treatment plant and a river osmosis plant, all of which is situated in this area.
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Reptiles and jungle birds
Within the resort and during the ride there's always a good chance of seeing a monitor lizard. These are the largest lizards we have in Sri Lanka and their appearance is decidedly prehistoric. There are two varieties – land (thalagoya) and water (kabaragoya). Water Monitors are larger (not dissimilar to a small crocodile), and built for the water – the largest water monitor ever recorded was in Sri Lanka, and registered over three metres long. Other reptiles we might come across include the Soft Shell Tortoise, the Black Shell Tortoise and the Common Garden Lizard. Our grounds are also home to Rat Snakes – harmless grey/black snakes which feast on little creatures and are natural pest controllers. Within our resort and our local surroundings we've discovered over 100 bird species. Those living amidst a canopy of coconut and palmyrah palms, fig trees and kumbuk include the Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, the Black-headed Oriole and the Brown Fish Owl. Some of the local endemics to look out for include the Grey Hornbill and the Ceylon Jungle Fowl.
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