SRI LANKA - Horton Plains

11:20 Travel Bunny 1 Comments

Horton Plains National Park, located in the highest plateau of Sri Lanka is known for its beautiful landscapes, rare plants and animal life. Covering an area of 3,160 hectares, Horton Plains contains the most extensive area of cloud forest in the country.

Horton Plains is part of the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka which has been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Described as home to extraordinary range of flora and fauna, the region is considered a super biodiversity hotspot.
  

Early in the morning, we departed from The Rock Hotel and headed to Horton Plains.



I am Sri Lanka.




Passed by the Pattipola Railway station. Located at a summit of 1,892 meters, Pattipola Railway station is the highest railway station of Sri Lanka.


Had a stopover here beside the road for some photographs……


…….of the beautiful surroundings.


Just spectacular!


The mean annual temperature is around 15°C, so remember to bring along a sweater.


My beau was freezing from the cold weather. He later wore another layer of clothes. Horton Plains is the coldest and windiest location in Sri Lanka.



I have finally arrived at Horton Plains National Park.


The Horton Plains location map.


A signboard at the entrance of Horton Plains informing visitors that the Central Highland of Sri Lanka including Peak Wilderness Nature Reserve, Horton Plains National Park and Knuckles conservation forest was declared a ‘Mixed Cultural and Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO.


Paid for the entrance fee and I’m on my way.


The misty landscape of Horton Plains.


Encompassing an area of 3,160 hectares, Horton Plains is huge.


My guide informed me that if you are ‘lucky’ you might be able to see a Sri Lankan Leopard. Well, during my hike in Horton Plains, I didn't encounter any leopard and was glad not to be the ‘lucky’ one.


Spotted a Sri Lankan Sambar Deer.



I quickly got out of the car for some pictures.


This species is the largest and the most commonly seen mammal in Horton Plains.


The deer felt curious.


The deer sure was not afraid of humans.


Haha! Actually the deer was sniffing for food. Our tour guide was shouting at the deer to get loss!


“Food! Give me food!”



I wanted to give the deer a pat but with its sharp horns, that’s the closest I'll be.


You don’t want to get headbutt by that dear.


Bleh!


The mischievous deer.


Whoa! Spotter another deer at the entrance.



It seems that elephants used to roam the plains, but have been all hunted to extinction by the British in the 18th century.


At first I was not sure whether it was a real deer or just a stuffed animal placed at the entrance as an attraction. It was just standing there without moving, but it sure looked lifelike.



I was certain it was a real live deer when the deer turned its head and looked at me.


This male deer sure is bigger than the previous deer I met on the road side and the antlers looks beautiful.



I was not so afraid to stand beside the deer as the horns are not sharp.


This is my first time standing so close to a wild animal. What a nice way to start my day.


Walk to the End of the World.


Mini World’s End, Greater World’s End and Baker’s Fall are three of the main attractions of Horton Plains.


Okay, let’s begin the journey around Horton’s Plain. The total distance of the trail is 9km.


No, you cannot drive around the trail. You have to walk along the natural earth path.


Panoramic view of Horton Plains with its rolling hills and endless grass lands.


Crystal clear streams flows through the valley.


The original name of Horton Plains was Maha Eliya Thenna, which means ‘great open plains’.


The plains were renamed after Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton, the British Governor of Ceylon from 1831 – 1837.


The trail leading towards the forest. Horton Plains is covered by montane grassland (2,000 hectares) and cloud forest (1,160 hectares).


The trail can be considered to be flat except for some steps over a few hills.


Climbing up the steps can be a bit tiring after a long walk.


The montane forest is the source of three major rivers of Sri Lanka - River Mahaweli, River Walave and River Kelani which I went for White Water Rafting.


The surroundings of Horton Plains is just so beautiful.


Just enjoy the cool breeze, the greenery and stream that flows through the plain.


Truly a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.


It truly is a journey into the wilderness.


You can walk for an hour without seeing anybody around. Just you and mother nature.


After about an hour hike, I arrived at the subtropical montane evergreen forest.


Suitable walking shoes are highly recommended, as the trails are uneven.



Good luck with kicking the rock to the side. It is simply too heavy.


First stop, the Baker’s Falls.


A tourist complaining as she climb up the steps. “Why can’t they make the steps a bit lower?”


A daunting task descending the steep steps.



The first glimpse of the waterfall.


Baker’s Fall is named after Sir Samuel Baker.


The viewing platform of the waterfall is actually very near to the fall.


Hmm…a longer exposure sure does makes the waterfall more appealing.


Baker’s Fall is just a place for visitors to relax while enjoying the view of the waterfall. You can't actually go down to the falls and swim.




After resting for a while at the Baker’s Falls. I continued on with my journey.


Took off my sweater as I was feeling a bit hot from all that walking.


After trekking through the jungle, I was out again on the plains.


Horton Plains is large. Just stay on the walking path and you won’t be lost.





Finally, I have arrived at the ‘World’s End’.


Welcome to World’s End.



From World's End, you can look down a cliff which is 870m in height and on a clear day, you see all the way to the sea.



Immediately below are tea estates and the Kiriketi Oya, a small stream that runs into the Walawe Ganga. The river runs across the plains of the dry zone and in the distance you can see two reservoirs, the closer being the Walawe reservoir in Uda Walawe National Park.


An abrupt end of the highest plateau of Sri Lanka.


How close to the edge do you dare to be at the World’s End?





Just love the beautiful view from here.


Feels like we are on top of the world.


That’s the closest I will go to the edge!


There are no guardrails. Just use your common sense and stay off the edge! People have died from falling off the cliff. Some intentionally (suicide) and some accidentally. 


The bodies can only be recovered few days later.


My beau with his brave pose. Word of advice, don’t stand at the edge. A gush of wind will push you over the edge!


The trail heading back.


Okay…lets make a move!


The distance from Baker’s Fall to World’s End is 1.7km. Another 1.25km to the Mini World’s End.


More trekking.





There are about 750 species of plants recorded from the National Park.


The one that caught my eye was this tree.




This is the Mini World’s End.


Something like the Greater World’s End but the cliff is shorter at 270m drop.


Walk around for a while before moving on.


Horton Plains’ trail is actually one big circle.


You can either opt to head back using he same trail or walk round the loop.


The other trail heading back is rocky and uneven.


You don’t want to use this trail when it rains as it will be flooded thus forming a small river.


Many photo opportunities here at the rocky terrain.


The trail is definitely harder to hike than the previous one.


Heading back. The whole journey through the circular route took about 3 hours.


Trekking through the Horton Plains sure was invigorating. The scenic beauty of Horton Plains is just marvellous. My encounter with the Sri Lankan Sambar Deer just made my day. I love Horton Plains and in my opinion, is the best destination to be in Sri Lanka.


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