This glorious trek is through Horton Plains National Park, a vast stretch of high altitude grassland that is perched the edge of the hill country, approximately 45 minutes south of Nuwara Eliya. The park is part of the ‘Central Highlands of Sri Lanka’, a UNESCO World Heritage site, due to its extraordinary range of flora and fauna, but also archaeological findings within the park that date back to the Mesolithic period.
What makes a walk through Horton Plains so special is World’s End, a sheer precipice that falls almost a kilometre to the lowlands below. On a clear day this is one of the most spectacular views found on the island as it stretches to the south coast. This moderate and circular trek normally takes around 4 hours in total, covering approximately 9km. It covers both the escarpments known as ‘Mini World’s End’ as well as ‘World’s End’. A little further on you have the choice of making a somewhat slippery and steep descent to see ‘Bakers Falls’ a glistening cascading waterfall named after the famous British explorer, Sir Samuel Baker. Alternatively at this point you can continue the trek through spectacular cloud forests and grasslands back to the start.
The weather can change quickly at any time of year, even during dry season, so we recommend that you bring good shoes and a waterproof jacket. We also suggest starting the trek early (approx. 5am depending on which hotel you’re staying at) in order to catch sunrise from one of the viewing points; mist comes in around 10am daily so we don’t want your view to be blocked!. Please note that there are no water sources for at least 5km so we recommend that you bring lots of water with you.
Please note that a good level of fitness is needed for the ‘World’s End’ hike as it can be rough underfoot and steep in some areas. The National Park is also at high altitude (over 2000m in parts) so take it at your own pace – the views around you will be stunning and peaceful! We encourage you to bring a packed breakfast from the hotel to keep you going, but there is a small café at the top to buy refreshments.
