Horton plateau and the end of the world

Horton Plains is one of the most popular national parks Sri Lanka. It attracts tourists, first of all, for two reasons: here is the famous landmark the end of the World (World's End), and unlike most other major national parks in the country, this can be visited independently without accompanying paid guides, renting an SUV and the like. You can simply come here on your own and go for a walk along the marked routes. Of course, a guided visit is also offered, but this is not a prerequisite for visiting.

The National Park covers an area of 3160 hectares, located at altitudes from 2100 to 2300 meters in central Sri Lanka, 32 kilometers from the resort Nuwara Eliya (Horton plateau on the map). Here are the second and third highest peaks of Sri Lanka: Mount Kririgalpotta (Kirigalpotta, 2395 meters) and Totapola (Totapola, 2357 meters); many waterfalls; rich plant and animal life, and, of course, the famous "Land's end". Theoretically, you can see a leopard, wild boars, Gulman monkeys, mongooses, giant squirrels, but these animals live outside the walking area accessible to tourists, there are very few chances to see them. Most tourists meet during the walk monkeys, Zambezi deer, birds, beautiful butterflies, amphibians. In total, there are 24 species of mammals, 87 birds, 9 reptiles and 8 amphibians.

How to visit Horton plateau

You can visit the plateau with a guided tour, which are offered in hotels and travel agencies in Nuwara Eliya, Elle and other resorts in Sri Lanka; with an individual tour from Nuwara Eliya; organize a trip yourself. Which visiting option to choose depends on your preparedness, but we definitely recommend an independent trip for the following reasons:

The best time to visit the plateau is earlier in the morning, and all organized tours arrive at best by 10 o'clock, when all the animals are hiding, the weather deteriorates. Also, with a group tour, you will be limited by the time of the tour, and if you get into bad weather, you will not be able to see even the beauty that opens from the "end of the world". With an independent visit, you can linger and wait for the weather to improve, it changes very quickly here. And, of course, an independent visit will be cheaper. If you still want to walk along the route with a guide, you can hire him at the entrance to the park for 750 rupees.

It is best to organize your own trip from the tourist cities of central Sri Lanka: Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Badulla, Kandy, etc. And to make a trip here from the coastal resorts in one day is unlikely to work. For more information on how to get to the plateau yourself, see below.

And now, how the visit itself happens. The entrance to the park for tourists is carried out through one of the two points of the checkpoint, where the visit is paid and a fee is paid for the entry of transport. Further from the checkpoint to the headquarters of the park, from where the main tourist route begins,about 4 kilometers. There is also a small park museum at the headquarters.

The main tourist route is the ring route, so no matter which way you go, you will still see the same thing, just in a different sequence. The length of the ring is 9.5 kilometers, it will take at least 3 hours for a walk, but it is better to lay 4-5 hours with a reserve for bad weather. Along the route, you'll visit mini World's end, Big World's end, Baker falls. There will also be other viewing platforms, rivers, streams, lakes, and if you are lucky, then animals.

• Baker's falls

  

  A beautiful two-level waterfall of a very modest height compared to other waterfalls in Sri Lanka-20 meters. Located on the main hiking trail.

• The end of the Earth (also the end of the World, Great World's End)

  One of the most famous and popular natural attractions of Sri Lanka. This is a sharp cliff with a height of 1200 meters!!! From here there is a stunning view, and just breathtaking, many tourists spend most of their time in the park, just admiring the views. This place is so popular among tourists that many go to the park just to see this cliff. But don't expect to see wonders just because you paid such a high price to enter the park. In fact, there are no worse views in many other places in Sri Lanka, just this one is unique in that it is formed not by a mountainside, but by a cliff.

• Small world's end (also the end of the world, Mini World's End)

  Another cliff on the same rock as the big one, but more modest in height, only 300 meters.

In addition to the main route, there are several more trails. They are rarely visited by tourists, as there are no iconic attractions, but if time permits and there is a desire, you can go on separate trails to the waterfalls Slab Rock Falls or Aggra Falls.

When is it best to visit the Horton plateau

The best time to visit is early in the morning, it is best to arrive here for the opening at 06:00.

During the year:

• March-May. This is the best season. The probability of rain is small, the vegetation blooms violently.
• June-September. Little rain, but strong winds.
• October-November. Worst season, lots of rain.
• December-February. Good time, little rain, but pretty cool.

Inspection tips

Dress warmly, the temperature in the morning can drop to 12 degrees, in the afternoon it rises to 25. It is also advisable to have a raincoat with you. Good hiking shoes are needed, it is better not to go here in beach slippers or shoes. Also take a supply of water, and do not interfere with sandwiches. Theoretically, according to the rules of the park, it is impossible to carry plastic packaging and food with you, but the inspection is not carried out. In any case, do not throw away waste in the park, take everything with you. On the route, by the way, there is a toilet.

Working hours

From 06:00 to 18:00, seven days a week. Ticket sales end at 16:00.

Entrance fee

Payment for visiting the park by foreigners is made in rupees, but from the estimated price in US dollars:

• Adults – 15 dollars (about 2300 rupees, see currency of Sri Lanka, exchange rate)
• Children 6-12 years – 8 dollars (about 1250 rupees)
• Children under 6 years-free of charge.

Plus the quoted price is charged a service fee of $ 8. It is possible to stay in the park for the night, in which case the cost is doubled.

You also need to pay for entry by Transport (per unit of transport, not per person)*

• SUV - 250 rupees
• Car-125 rupees
• Minivan-250 rupees

The final price for a visit comes out in the region of 4000 rupees. For reference, Sri Lankans pay ten times less to visit.

How to get there

The easiest way to get to the park is as part of a tourist group, then the organizer will take care of your transportation. Tours are offered in almost all resorts of the country, but it is best to buy them in Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Kandy and other cities of the center. For the above reasons, we recommend a self-visit.

You can get here yourself from nearby cities, most often it is the popular high-altitude resort of Nuwara Eliya. But if you want to get here early in the morning for the opening, it is best to stay in a hotel in the town of Ohiya (Ohiya) in the Ambewela area or elsewhere in the district. Then you can wake up early in the morning and get to the entrance to the park on a tuk-tuk or even walk, but to the entrance to the trail will have to walk 10 kilometers, which is at least 3 hours. Ojia can be reached by train from Colombo, Kandy, railway stations near Nuwara Eliya and other towns along this route. These are all trains going to Badulla. Stay in Ohiya/Ambevel can be in one of several hotels that can be booked through the search form.

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Nuwara Eliya on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Nuwara Eliya on Trip.com (💥 our choice)
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

No matter where you get from yourself, at the last stage of the journey you will still have to use rented transport or hire a tuk-tuk, since public transport does not go directly to the entrance to the park. For reference, a tuk-tuk trip from Nuwara Eliya in both directions will cost about 3500 rupees, with a one-way time of 2 hours. For a minivan or Jeep will have to pay from 4500 rupees, but there is an opportunity to save money, as the fee is entirely for the car. You can also save money if you do not get from Nuwara Eliya, because prices there are monopolistically high, but for example from Haputale, Bandarawela, Patipolla, or as already mentioned, from Ohiya. Cheapest from Ohiya, a tuk-tuk will cost 2,000 rupees round trip. All these places can be reached from Colombo, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya by trains to Badullah. Schedule and cost of trains in Sri Lanka here - https://eservices.railway.gov.lk/