The raining in Spain stays mainly in Horton Plains! Climbing up to this high plateau has always reminded us of the song from the film My Fair Lady! As you climb up it gets cold and there are swirling mists everywhere. It is best to climb in the early mornings, and get back before the sun sets and the mists come down upon you suddenly.
Sometime back when we used to travel the path to this forest park, it was all wild and there was really no proper access to get there, nowadays it is much more easily accessible due to modern day clearance and it has been recognized as a protective nature site in Sri Lanka. In my time the mist used to come down very quickly, and it was not hot and humid as it is today. I guess it is called climate change! There were no entrance tickets either.
The mountain side is a very large place with a deep precipice looking down to the valley below. This is a park full of birds, and wild life, plenty of butterflies, deer, and samba. If you are in lucks way you may even be able to spot a leopard. It opens at about 6.00 a.m. in the morning so it is a bit chilly and best to wrap nice and warm. Once you start your trek however, you will start to sweat after sometime and you won’t need any more warm clothing. The sun will come down by about 9.00 a.m. nowadays so you need to take a hat or cap with you and plenty of water to be hydrated in the scorching heat. It is about a 3 hour walk up and may be about 10 kilometers walking distance up to the summit and Worlds End which is within the nature park.
Try going very early in the morning, if there are no mists and clouds you will be able to view the morning sunrise. Trekking up the park way through winding trails will get you to see many kinds of birds; the park is a wetland area and is in the highland mountain vicinity. The nearby towns are Nuwara Eliya and Ohiya. There are plenty of fauna and flora and lots of other rare forest plants in the nature park. Tourists from all walks of life come this way to visit this park, and to sight the beautiful waterfall
Once you are up at World’s End you feel that you are on top of the world or may be in heaven! Such is the exuberant feeling that you get once you climb this beautiful summit and get a magnificent view of the scenic adjoining area of mountains and forests.
Always be careful and heed all warring signs, and don’t get too close to the precipice which is a sheer drop of about 2865 ft down below. In the same area a few yards away you will find the smaller versions of the worlds end. This is about 867 feet down below. The area is also popular because of Bakers waterfall. You have to walk a bit more to get to see this beautiful water fall. It is good idea to see this as well, the climbing up is a somewhat steep hard climb but worth the while once you get to the falls and Horton Plains Sri Lanka.
If you are coming from Nuwara Eliya or travelling by train or vehicle, whichever mode of transport you take you can always stay in at Nuwara Eliya, the little England which is full of luxury hotels, cabins, guest houses or rooms to book and make your stay a memorable stay. Staying for a couple of days at this place you can view the rest of your tour in leisure. The Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya is one such luxury hotel that you will most definitely want to stay in with its luxury and comfort and a beautiful garden and old world charming hotel with all amenities included.
If you in Ohiya there are plenty of hotels that you can chose from for your vacationing.
The entrance fee for a tourist is about 15$ per adult, and 30$ for an overnight stay in the park at night. Locals have a better deal with Rs.60/= per adult and over night Rs.120/=.
For a foreign child 8$ and over night stay 16$. Bit pricy but worth your while after you get to see Horton Plains Sri Lanka
