Our Horton Plains experience in January 2024.
Our Horton Plains experience in January 2024.
Find out about our fantastic hike in the montane cloud forest in the Sri Lankan Hill country.
Second time for a father, first time for a son
My oldest friend, Peter, and I had hiked the circuit at Horton Plains National Park in January 2023. On that visit Peter came on his own to Sri Lanka.
This year Peter brought his son, James, who is also my godson.
We were replay looking forward to experiencing the hike together.Â
After paying and chatting to the person manning the ticket office we drove towards the car park
We saw some Sambar Deer in the distance as we enjoyed this spectacular landscape.
.Â
The start of our walk through through Horton Plains.
I call it a walk as today I didn’t want to rush around the 11 kilometre circuit.
It was my godsons first experience of hiking in this beautiful landscape and I wanted us to take our time and take in all that this special place has to offer.
My level of fitness was another element to why we should take it a little slow today.
Education put to good use.
My godson, James, had studied Geology at Exeter University in England.Â
Here was an opportunity to put his studies to use and get to know a little about the pathway we were walking on.
More challenging that I expected
When we started over the section that I remember as being the harder part of the walk I was pleasantly surprised at it looked like it had been repaired.
Unfortunately, I had mistaken the part of the hike we were on.Â
The more difficult part was as challenging as it always had been.
Stunning colours as you hike Horton Plains.
It is worth spending a little more time on your walk enjoying the trail.
There are some stunning colours and lines in the rock formations on this part of the route.
The birds and insects provide the soundtrack in the background as you walk.
A rough track to tackle.
We stopped for a while as there was a bit of a kerfuffle taking place nearby.Â
If you listen carefully you will here the monkeys having a little disagreement about something.
James was a little ahead of us and was able to see the monkeys in the trees before they scampered off.
After the harder track of the evelen kilometre circuit, the surface got a little better and easier to navigate.
We met several other hikers who had taken the anti clockwise route. They had already reached Lesser World’s End and were eager to tell us what we were about to see.
We made it to Mini Worlds End and the other hikers were spot on.
This was the best view I have seen at Mini World’s End. The view was quite clear and we could see for quite a distance.
We took our time here to admire the view and take some photos.
Onward ho! Our January 2024 Horton Plains Experience
After a real to reenergise after the harder part of the hike, it was onward towards Greater World’s End.
We had an 870m precipice to look forward to and expected a clear view similar to that at Lesser World’s End.
Greater World’s End did not disappoint.Â
We met a Sri Lankan family who had also made it there.Â
The father was quite proud that he was able to show his two daughters this marvel for their first time. It was school holiday time so they were exploring the Sri Lankan Hill country, an important thing to do as a local person.
We really enjoyed the stunning tracks that take you around the circuit at Horton Plains National Park.
In the past we have raced around the track, but today we really wanted to enjoy the nature and landscape.
Spectacular landscapes and scenery at Horton Plains
As you walk on the track towards Baker’s Falls the landscape changes and there are more plants and birds to see.Â
The Rhododendrons are not yet in bloom yet but there were a few flowers coming. Hopefully I will be able to do another hike a little later in the year and see these plants in full spectacular flower.
Crossing the bridge
There are interesting places that you pass and see as you walk. This times I really noticed the amount of birds and wished that I had brought along sone binoculars.
We came across a lake which looked very inviting, but we knew we would have to wait to get back to GlenMyu Estate for a swim.
Difficult signs, easy signs
There are small green signs on the route which will provide an indication of how hard or easy the section of the trail is.
Beautiful Baker's Falls
I was looking forward to getting out of the sun and reaching Baker’s Falls.
The waterfall is reached by descending some concrete stairs and which is sheltered by trees.
The temperature drops and the sounds of the water crashing down the waterfall is evident in the background.
When we reached Baker’s Falls there was a family group enjoying the cascade and taking lots of pictures. Â This was one of many highlights of our Horton Plains experience.
We helped out by taking a group photo for them.
It was great experience watching local people loving their time at Baker’s Falls.
Local people loving the waterfall.
We really enjoyed the atmosphere and talking to the other travellers who were enjoying the waterfall.
I have learnt from my time on the island that Sri Lankans love fresh cool water. If there is a small pool or waterfall they want to bathe in it.Â
Unfortunately, a lot of local people can’t swim and I read about lots of drownings in the press during the year.
We also visited Upper Diyaluma Waterfall in January. Although I am a good swimmer, there were pools that I would not venture into as the water power was strong and dangerous.
Feeling closer to natures power.
The sound and the power of the waterfall makes me think of nature. I know that the erosion from the strength of the water hitting the rocks means that the waterfall is alive and forever changing.Â
A place for friends and family
Sharing your experience as you walk through Horton Plains is a joyous part of the being at Horton Plains.
I travelled with my oldest friend and his son, my godson. The shared experience was something that we talked about for several days afterwards. It’s a memory we will all take with u
Saying hello or good morning to fellow travellers as we hiked the trail at Horton Plains provides a sense of community.
Sharing the experience with each other, encouraging others to go on and being excited about what they are about to see is feeling I will also remember.Â
So many people who were walking in the anticlockwise loop were able to tell us about the beautiful view at World’s End we were about to experience. They appeared to be excited about sharing what they saw with us.Â
The walk back towards the starting point of the trail was enjoyable and our legs were looking forward to a rest.
As the sun was getting a little more intense we were also keen to get to some shade.
Before we left for a snack at the small shop we went  into the shop to pick up a few mementos of our day. It would act as a good reminder of our Horton Plains experience.
Apart from some clothing they have some interesting books about Horton Plains which tell you more about the environment and the wildlife and plants.
There are leopards in Horton Plains and James kept an eye out for them while we were leaving.
We didn’t expect to see any and our expectations were met!
Recently we received a new book about the Leopards of Horton Plains called Ghost in the Clouds by …..
The book is available at BarefootÂ
Stay at GlenMyu Estate and visit Horton Plains National Park.
A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and see sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.
We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.
The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,
GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.
