Let me take you back in time, to a time 32,000 years back when ancient man walked the earth and when life was closer to nature and everyday was a wild walk in the jungle.

On our journey we head to the famous”Beli Lena caves” situated close to the town of Kitulgala. The road to our destination is filled with lush greenery and dotted with tea plantations and little roadside shops offering Sri Lankan tea and coconut roti, an ideal snack for the weather in this area which is cool and sometimes rainy. Once reaching the end of the roadway we embark on a serene jungle trek to reach our destination. After a short trek we arrive at our destination, our lungs full of clean jungle air and excitement to see the “Beli lena”caves. The sounds of the jungle are inter-mingled with the constant rush of water from the cascading waterfall by the entrance of the cave.

The name ” Beli lena” was given to these caves because early archeologist who excavated these caves found deposits of snail shells which they believed were one of the main food source of the ancient man who inhabited the caves. Also many tools, weapons and even jewellery fashioned by these ancient race has been found in this cave. Some of these shell deposits still can be found at the location.

While,we walk through the cave there is a sense of how primitive man may have lived in this quiet and natural environment. It is easy to picture our early ancestors walking among this jungle, hunting and going about their day to day activities with one with nature.

The Beli lena caves were later converted into a buddist monastery that was used by monks as a meditation center,it is not hard to see why as the caves offer a sense of tranquility and closeness to nature.