For the keen hiker, there is a plethora of opportunities awaiting in Sri Lanka 's diverse and luscious hill country. The beautiful area of Haputale and Diyatalawa, located in the hill country of Sri Lanka , provides a base from which to try out a wide variety of hiking and trekking tours through jungle, across tea estates and up mountains. The river and numerous waterfalls in Sri Lanka are another key attraction that allows hikers and trekkers to enjoy a refreshing dip en-route !
In the same area the Horton Plains National Park offers some excellent hikes in an unusual environment, characterised by forest patches, grasslands and some high-altitude vegetation. Highlights include the dramatic 880 metre drop at World's End and the beautiful Baker's Falls.
When climbing the infamous Adam’s Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, its best to begin your ascent at night in order to arrive at the top in time for a magical sunrise when the mystical shadow of the peak is perfectly cast across the clouds. It is one of those truly unique moments that will live on in your memory long after the aches and pains from the hiking have gone!
The attractive area of Bandarawela, in Sri Lanka's mountainous terrain and the nearby town of Ella are renowned for their many walks, including Little Adam's Peak, Ella Rock and the Namunukula Mountain Range.
If you're in the Kandy vicinity, don't miss out on exploring the beautiful Knuckles Mountain Range. The region stretches an impressive 155 sq km, with five major forest formations, a wide variety of rare and endemic flora and fauna and some breathtaking mountain scenery. It is a real paradise for hikers, offering numerous trails that journey across clear rivers, through dense forests, past flowing waterfalls and lush tea plantations, and alongside terraced paddy fields and colourful Kandyan home gardens.
A hiking tour in Sri Lanka wouldn't be complete without a visit to the fascinating Sinharaja Rain Forest where a variety of trails can be tailor-made to meet the specific interests/fitness levels of the group.
Following are some of the scenic trekking trails in Sri Lanka crafted by our expert trekking guides who are very experienced and knowledgeable in their areas.
For the keen hiker, there is a plethora of opportunities awaiting in Sri Lanka 's diverse and luscious hill country. The beautiful area of Nuwara Eliya, Haputale and Ohiya, located in the eastern side of central highlands of Sri Lanka, provides a base from which to try out a wide variety of hiking and Sri Lanka Trekking Tours through jungle, across tea estates and up mountains. The rivers and numerous waterfalls in Sri Lanka are another key attraction that allows hikers and trekkers to enjoy a refreshing dip en-route!
In the same area the Horton Plains National Park offers some excellent treks in an unusual environment, characterised by forest patches, grasslands and some high-altitude vegetation. Highlights include the dramatic 880 metre drop at World's End and the beautiful Baker's Falls. Trail starts to Kirigalpoththa Mountain, the 2nd highest mountain of Sri Lanka from Horton Plains National Park.
Scenic areas of Bandarawela, in Sri Lanka's mountainous terrain and the nearby town of Ella are renowned for their many walks, including Little Adam's Peak, Ella Rock and the Namunukula Mountain Range.
The Pekoe Trail by Serendipity Trails is a journey filled with chance encounters and spontaneous moments. a 300km walking journey split into 22 segments through the beautiful hill highlands of Sri Lanka.
The Pekoe Trail links several habitats and communities, offering long-lasting advantages to both people and the environment.
Travelers will experience breathtaking scenery as they stroll along tea plantation walkways and picturesque rural roads. The 22 stages are generally simple for most individuals to walk. Each stage ranges in length from 9 to 17 km, so one can choose one that takes as little as 2.5 hours or as much as 6 hours. Visitors get a diverse first-hand picture of Sri Lanka thanks to a variety of well-traveled "tea trails," virgin forest paths, jungle trails, and rural roads flowing through towns and villages.
If you're in the Kandy vicinity, don't miss out on exploring the beautiful Knuckles Mountain Range. The region stretches an impressive 155 sq km, with five major forest formations, a wide variety of rare and endemic flora and fauna and some breathtaking mountain scenery. It is a real paradise for hikers, offering numerous trails that journey across clear rivers, through dense forests, past flowing waterfalls and lush tea plantations, and alongside terraced paddy fields and colourful Kandyan home gardens. A hiking tour in Sri Lanka wouldn't be complete without a visit to the fascinating Sinharaja Rain Forest where a variety of trails can be tailor-made to meet the specific interests/fitness levels of the group.
When climbing the infamous Adam’s Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, the 2nd highest mountain of Sri Lanka, its best to begin your ascent at night in order to arrive at the top in time for a magical sunrise when the mystical shadow of the peak is perfectly cast across the clouds. It is one of those truly unique moments that will live on in your memory long after the aches and pains from the hiking have gone!
Sinharaja Rain Forest is situated 172.1 km from Colombo via the Southern Expressway and is accessible from any of its three entrances; Pitadeniya, Kudawa and Morning Side. The vegetation at Sinharaja is that of a tropical wet evergreen forest with large trees that grow to heights of 35m to 40m and even going up to 50m, believed to have unbelievable genetic potential, waiting to be tapped. Some families of Dipterocarpaceae show an endemism of over 90%, of the 211 woody trees and lianas, 66% or 139 of them are endemic to the forest reserve. The lower plants such as Ferns and epiphytes of the 25 endemic species 13 have been recorded within Sinharaja itself.
Sinharaja has recorded over 154 species of birds and is known to have a ‘mixed-species feeding flocks’ or informally called a ‘bird wave’ where two or more species feed and move together. This unique sight witnessed at Sinharaja sometimes consists of flocks containing 30-50 birds of various species sometimes 10-12 species, erupting in various bird sounds as they feed and move within a short time. Taking lead in this exercise is the Orange-billed babbler and the Crested drongo.
Sinharaja rain forest’s southern bordering areas provide ideal situation for cultural walks and country walks to experience unspoiled village life of Sri Lanka. We at Best of Lanka offers country walks in this region of Sri Lanka with the help of village guides to support the community in order to benefit from our trekking tours. For those who want more than a mere walk through the countryside, at Best of Lanka, we offer the opportunity to journey on a nature trail through Sri Lanka's rich and diverse natural environment with a special focus on the four key areas of the country's natural environment. These areas include the animal community, plant community, man-made habitats and scenery of Sinharaja’s bordering villages. Let our experienced and knowledgeable village trekking guides enlighten you with fascinating information about the environment through which you are walking so that you can develop a real understanding of everything you see, hear and smell–a true multi-sensory experience!
