"A trek to the end of the world" Horton Plains by mafi_moya

Horton Plains Travel Guide: 8 reviews and 34 photos

Horton Plains is Sri Lanka's highest plateau, an isolated national park covering about 3000 hectares. It's a beautiful place to walk around (ideally when there's not too many people) - much of the scenery, a mix of forest and grassland, is strangely reminiscent of the moors of Northern England and can be equally bleak and windswept. You can easily spend the best part of a day hiking round all the sights, such as Baker's Falls and the famous World's End cliff face, but a morning is probably sufficient for most people and it makes an ideal day trip from Nuwara Eliya or (even closer) Haputale.

Horton Plains

Horton Plains used to be famous for its wild animals - there are still some to see but the main reason to go is the natural scenery rather than the wildlife. Elephants and leopards are long gone but there are some rare birds, butterflies and occasional bear monkeys to keep an eye out for. It's quite easy to spend a morning there without seeing anything though. The park is open all day but you should really try and get there as early as possible - it often rains in the afternoons and when the heavy mist descends visibility is extremely poor.

Last visit to Horton Plains: May 2003
Intro Updated Nov 13, 2003
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Reviews (5)

Getting there Transportation (1)

Probably the most common route for getting to Horton Plains is from Nuwara Eliya. The long, winding and very scenic road... more travel advice

You can come in... but leave your litter outside! - Horton Plains

Environmental damage Warnings and Dangers (1)

The forests of Horton Plains are said to be dwindling, many of the wild animals have disappeared from the area, and the... more travel advice

Staying the night Hotels (1)

Like most people, I've never stayed the night here - instead coming for the day from Nuwara Eliya. At some point I... more travel advice

At the foot of Baker's Falls - Horton Plains

Baker's Falls Things to Do (2)

Named after the famous explorer Samuel Baker, these falls suddenly appear out of nowhere after a short trek through the... more travel advice

Comments (4)

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victorwkf Aug 31, 2007 at 2:49 AM

Really beautiful scenery of Horton Plains, I may visit Sri Lanka next year and will take note of this place :)
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freya_heaven Nov 16, 2004 at 1:21 AM

Very sad about the environmental damage here, looks a beautiful area though especially the waterfall. Nice page (~_~)
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sachara Aug 16, 2004 at 8:13 AM

Great page ! I have nice memories of my walks in this area.
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yumiyun Jan 27, 2004 at 12:06 AM

Next time in SL, I should definitely visit Horton Plains! Thanks for the info.