After an astonishing train ride through hundreds of Ceylon tea fields between Haputale and Nanu Oya, followed by a bus to Nuwara Eliya, we arrived in a family owned hostel called Hi Lanka. Perfect environment to rest outside the city, which look like it was taken over by English people and English-Victorian buildings. The owner was totally friendly and helpful, the baby-cat also, as he organised the climb to the Horton Plains for us, as well as, our meals and breakfast.
The Horton Plains hike in the National Park with the same name is the best thing you can book while in Nuwara Eliya. Located 32km from the city centre, you can take a prepaid taxi until the entrance of the park (entrance fee for foreigners 2900 LKR, about 16 EUR) or sometimes participate in tours organised by the local hotels/hostels. The National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and a cloud forest. Large herds of deers feature as typical mammals and the park is also an important bird area with many species. Among the tourist attractions of the park are the steep precipice known as World's End and the Baker's Falls.
The Horton Plains plateau has a total height of 2.300m and comes to a sudden end at World’s End, a stunning escarpment that plunges 880m. The walk there is 4km, but the trail then loops back to Baker’s Falls (2km) and continues back to the entrance (another 3.5km). The 9.5km round trip takes a leisurely 3 hours, but you have to start pretty early in the morning, or usually after sunrise. Unless you get there between 5-9 am, the view from World’s End is often obscured by mist (mostly during the rainy season - April to September) and all you can expect is a swirling white wall.
Next Stop: Hatton, Sri Lanka
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