Mist-shrouded mountains, rolling tea plantations, cascading waterfalls and quaint hilltop villages - these are some of the aspects of the enchanting hill country, which rises to over 2,500m in the island’s central heartland. This region offers you the chance to escape to a world that scarcely seems possible in the tropics. With surreal landscapes, cool climate and a rich heritage, the hill country is a haven for nature lovers, hikers, adventure-seekers and those who seek a calm and cool environment.
Kandy 115kms from Colombo - Kandy located in the beautiful lush green hill country and a heritage city of Sri Lanka, is regarded as one of the most sacred places for Buddhists and is built around a scenic lake, the Royal City of Kandy, at 500m above sea level, is the hub of any visit to the hill country. The most important place of the sacred city is the famous Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Holy Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha. Also to be explored is the Kandy botanical gardens.
Kitulgala 90kms from Colombo - Kitulgala is a scenic village to the west of the Hill country. The landscape here is particularly dramatic with vertiginous forest-clad cliffs plummeting down to the wild waters of the Kelani Ganga (river). This is also the site of some of the best white-water rafting in Sri Lanka with grade three rapids some 5km upstream. Kitugala’s other claim to fame is that it was the site for the filming of the 1957 Academy Award winning film, The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Nuwaraeliya 180kms from Colombo - Nuwaraeliya is Sri Lanka’s highest town and a favourite hill station during British colonial times. The town is still touted as ‘Little England’. Nuwaraeliya is a great base to explore the surrounding countryside; there are many walks on offer, including hiking around the lower slopes of the thickly-forested Mount Pidurutalagala, at 2,555m the island’s highest peak. A visit to the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, a short distance from Nuwaraeliya, is also recommended.
Horton Plains Lies at a height of more than 2,000 m in the central highlands. A world apart from the rest of Sri Lanka, the plains offer excellent trekking, including a 9km circular walk to World’s End, where the cliff plunges dramatically for nearly 1,000m, offering marvelous views to the south. Horton Plains are a plateau covered by grasslands, cloud forests, lakes and waterfalls. The Plains are key habitat for a variety of wildlife species including leopard, sambhur, langurs, and a number of endemic birds.
Adam’s is a mountain of great spiritual significance in Sri Lankan culture which has a foot print at its peak believed by Buddhists to be that of Lord Buddha, Hindu tradition hold it be that of Lord Shiva and in Muslim and Christian tradition that of Adam. It is located in the southern reaches of the Central Highlands. The surrounding region is largely forested hills, with no mountain of comparable size nearby. The region along the mountain is a wildlife reserve housing many species varying from elephants to leopards.
Knuckles Mountain Range - Provides travelers with the opportunity to experience Sri Lanka at its most primal. A rugged area of pristine wilderness - including rare dwarf cloud forest - the Knuckles has 27 peaks over 1,000m, with the highest rising to nearly 2,000m. It is also home to an exceptional array of endemic animal and plant species. The region contains some of the most isolated hamlets in the island, where it is still possible to witness a way of life largely untouched by modernity. Trekking in the Knuckles is a prime eco-tourism experience in Sri Lanka
