Hiking in Sri Lanka

The Pleasure Of Hiking

It is next to never that a hiker who walked the beautiful winding ways of Sri Lanka would say something bad about the experience. Instead, whoever comes here, takes back a million shining fragments of glitter-coated memories. If life feels utterly miserable at one point: that would be the point you would consider paying a visit to Sri Lanka. Take our word for it, this place does wonders. Be it hiking, be it vacationing, be it an adventure – Sri Lanka will not disappoint you.

Wait, did I say hiking? Almost felt a little excitement there, coming from all you hikers! To be on point, the Sri Lankan hiking experience can vary from an easy walk through a country road to an intense climb towards a cloudy peak. Based on your levels of endurance and passion, you can choose someplace nice from a number of hiking spots. If you are already a passionate hiker, you will find Sri Lanka to be very exquisitely original. If you are just a beginner, that is also totally fine. The initial difficulties will pass within some minutes, and the tiresome experience would soon transform into a wholesome memory! Do you know how the batter needs to be battered for the cake to be yummy? Just like that, the joy of hiking lies not in focusing on the pains and aches, but in living and reliving the moments you spent. A hike does not kill you. Grab a pair of boots. Bite into an energy bar. Break a sweat!

Where In Sri Lanka

To be frank, the whole island itself is a hike. But aiming for the best, we immediately have to admit that the hill-country is the best hiking destination one can think of. You can try different places because each will be different from each. A list of the best-hiking destinations will lead you to choose what suits you best.

Ella Rock

Ella is situated about 1000 metres from sea level, located in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. After the 5 hours long train ride that is believed to be the most scenic train journey in the world, the Ella trail starts about 1.5km from the Ella strip, leading up to a lushly cultivated tea stretch and deep green foliage. As far as your eyes allow you to see, Ella would be a dense expanse of greenery painted on a hilly landscape. The Ella trail is not difficult to climb, just a trek of about 2.5 hours uphill, and 1.5 – 2 hours downhill. Give yourself a lot of time to take pictures, enjoy the view and feel the misty breezes across your face. Ella is just a day-long hike, but if you want to settle in for more, there are many homestays that you can spend the night in.

Sinharaga Rain Forest

You can travel everywhere and trek through every little village in Sri Lanka, but you are just an incomplete hiker until you try Sinharaja. It is an evergreen rain forest named by UNESCO as a world heritage site, a biosphere reserve and a preservation site for future. Quite a big deal, is it not?

The specialty of Sinharaja trails is that you can request the local guide to personalize the trails for you, based on your interests and endurance. However, there are two major trails that are recognized as best. The trek would be an approximated duration of 3 hours. Sinharaja is home to many endemic and endangered reptile, amphibian, mammal, fish, butterfly and bird species. 60% of the trees here are endemic to Sri Lanka; you will see them nowhere else on the planet. It is like a small world in the world!

Horton Plains And World's End

Horton Plains National Park is a rich plateau in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, elevated 2000 metres from sea level. Icy cold and windy, the place teems with fauna and flora. In the entrance, you will find a little shop where you can stop by to take a quick bite of a snack, or enjoy a cup of Ceylon tea. With the little pond with delicate white flowers blooming at the edges and the wild stags standing up proud and daring to stare at you, the trek begins. There are short paths that bring the walk to an end after like an hour. Longer 2 hours trails circle the whole plateau, giving you the best of the view. You will have to jump across cold brooks, trek through stones and mounds. The sides of the path have a variety of natural wonders; grasslands, ponds and very mysterious forest patches. There will be road signs directing you to Baker’s falls and World’s end. Baker’s waterfall is a must-see. The world’s end, which is the dead end that falls 800 metres down, is the best of all. It can actually give you the virtual feeling of falling down to eternity. It gives you a panoramic vista of lush countryside, covered here and there by mist, gently brushed over by the mild upcountry sunlight.

Adam’s Peak

Adam’s Peak is a pretty long, much-crowded hike. The hike is not the exact word; this one is more like a religious expedition – a pilgrimage. The trek has two mainly favourite trails, one that stretches up to 9 km from Nallathanniya, another that starts from Ratnapura and is 13 km long yet more of a walk than a climb. Adam’s Peak is visited by many locals and tourists each year, the former mainly because of religious significance. Tourists climb the peak for the amazing vista of sunrise (Ira Sewaya in Sinhalese), painted early morning before your eyes like a pastel artwork. Most people start climbing at night to reach the peak in the morning because the sunrise that undresses itself over Adam’s Peak is famed to be one of the best things a man can see on earth. During the peak season, (Starting from December full moon day – lasts till April full moon day) the climbing can get really difficult due to the large masses who visit daily, mostly locals. It would be perfect if you could climb in the off-season because it would be very calm and tranquil. Keep in mind that there will be no shops or kiosks on the way, though. Even in the season, the kiosks you find in your ascent will sell goods for very expensive rates. Therefore, pack your own food, and make sure you have plenty of water and medication.

Knuckles Mountain Range

If you plan to cover the whole area, the Knuckles hike keeps you 2-4 days hot on trail. The mountain range is situated between Kandy and Matale and is rich in biodiversity. This ecosystem is what surprises most hikers. Compared to other hiking spots, Knuckles has much to offer if you are a lover of animals, birds and nature. You can also choose simpler trails and climb the lowest peak if you want to make it a day’s hike. The longer and much exciting way is to follow a three-day trek to Meemure. And that, my folks, requires greater attention...!

Meemure

You can define “isolation” just by mentioning Meemure. It is the most solitary village in Sri Lanka. The Meemure hike takes at least three days (two nights) to be completed, and ask anyone; it is totally worth it. You should reach Meemure from Hunnasgiriya Mountain which belongs to the aforementioned Knuckles range. The village is a wonderful sight, with very strangely built little houses that are made of clay. You will find some 400ish villagers living very simple and meagre lives here. The total distance of the hike is almost 33 km. Difficult though it sounds; the view will keep you entertained throughout the trek. There will be huge vines that you can sit on, several streams and a river (Heen River) that you can dip in, open grass patches that you can camp on. The two nights you spend in Meemure will be two of your best nights, with the cicadas yelling their hearts out and the soothing night sounds surrounding you. If you are in for an adventure, you are definitely in for Meemure!

Hanthana Mountain Range

Hanthana is a challenging route, expanding up to 18 kilometres. The range belongs to the University of Peradeniya, from where the trail starts. The trail is beautified with tea plantations, forest patches and finally grassland on both sides. There are seven peaks, from which once you climb, everything starts to look so heavenly. Hanthana is excellent for camping, with so many available spots for you to set up your tents and camp away! The Sri Lankan leopard and fishing cat roam around nonchalantly through the wilderness of Hanthana, but you should be in extreme luck to spot them.

Pidurangala

Pidurangala is situated in the Sigiriya region. The Sigiriya rock fortress will be completely and uniquely visible from Pidurangala rock, along with an excellent view of the valley below. Pidurangala is great for photographs, and you can shoot some really great pictures that would look like you are standing somewhere in heaven, looking down at the world below. The hike is very short, less than thirty minutes. But once you go up, it would look too picturesque for such a short trekking trail. The sensible thing would be to cover Pidurangala and Sigiriya in one day. You can settle for sunrise at Pidurangala, climb down, get some food down your system, and settle for sunset on top of Sigiriya. Sounds like a plan!

Discover Much More

As there are a countless number of places, it is impossible to look at all of them without making the article super-long. Yet still, overlooking them will not be done. If you are one of those hikers who already stepped on every possible place mentioned above, there might still be something you missed. The train and trek from Bandarawela to Bambarakanda, Kirigalpoththa mountain trek, Rumassala hike, a short trek to Lovers’ leap falls, trek to Dunhinda falls, trek to Ramboda falls and Riverston are some of the most popularly sought out trekking trails in Sri Lanka. If nothing else, you can always plan a relaxed hike through rural villages of Sri Lanka to study the plantations and human life, if not a hike through the central tea estates and factories.Hikers, prepare!

These tips would absolutely come in handy if you are to hike around Sri Lanka. Preparation matters!

Hikers who come to Sri Lanka can choose to embark with or without tour guides. If you are more of an information-seeking person who would want every little fascinating detail about your trail, or simply worried about your safety – get a guide. If you are more of the solitary reaper, go by yourself! The greatness of your experience depends on how good you challenge the challenge. Accept small difficulties, disappointments and discomforts as challenges. Try to see the good stuff in every tiring journey. Meet locals, talk to the ones who are nice. Finally, when you go back, you will take with you a great collection of awesome memories. Happy hiking, all!!!