[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 26 August 2012. Minor edits have since been made from the original post to update some links and info.]
12 March 2012, Sunday: Haputale – Horton Plains National Park – Ella
Morning Call: 4:30am
It was another early start to the day as we woke up before the crack of dawn to get ourselves ready for a full day of exploration. At 5am, we set off from our Sri Lak View Holiday Inn guest house at Haputale to Horton Plains National Park. Our driver had prepared cheese & tomato sandwiches for YS and I, which we ate on the van along the way. It was pitch dark outside and the road was illuminated only by the van’s headlights, as there weren’t any street lamps. I managed to catch some sleep during the 1.5 hour journey.
The reason for setting off so early in the morning is because I had read in Lonely Planet that a thick mist often sets in at World’s End (a plateau at Horton Plains that plunges down 870m dramatically) around 9am, obscuring the spectacular view. Also, as it is a National Park, there will be lots of walking involved, so it’s better to go early in the morning when the sun isn’t so strong yet.
At 6:30am, we arrived at the entrance gate, and we got off the van and paid for our tickets and fees, broken down as follows:
- Entry fees for 2 x foreign adults: US$15 x 2
- Entry fee for 1 x local adult (our driver): Rs 60
- Service charge: US$8
- Vehicle fee (our van): Rs 250
- VAT: 12%
- Total = Rs 5,350.55 (S$60.46)
After getting the tickets and necessary permits, we continued driving to the start point of the trail. At 6:45am, we started our trek, leaving our driver behind to take a well-deserved nap.
The sun was already up but it was still quite chilly, maybe around 15 degrees Celcius, so the conditions were perfect for trekking. There were a handful of other travellers, but thankfully nothing like the crowds at Adam’s Peak the day before. It was a nice change to be in the countryside and trekking in the fine weather without jostling for space with others.
As Horton Plains is located at an altitude of 2,100 to 2,300m, the climate is much cooler and it receives rain almost throughout the year. The vegetation comprises of 2,000 hectares of wet grassland and 1,160 hectares of subtropical montane evergreen forests. Indeed, as I was walking through the park and looking at the vegetation around me, if I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was in New Zealand rather than in Sri Lanka.
Shortly after crossing the entrance gate, the path splits into two – one path leads to Mini World’s End first while the other path leads to Baker’s Fall first. The whole trail is a loop of about 9.5km, so it doesn’t really matter which path you take. But I wanted to visit World’s End first, before the mist set in, so we took the left path.
The left path brought us through the forest vegetation, where the trees provide shade from the sun. The ground is mostly comprised of soil and rocks, and along the way we saw some amazing reddish-brown granite rocks jutting out at an angle. Beautiful. It would have made for a great geography field trip.
After walking for about half an hour, the vegetation suddenly cleared and we were at Mini World’s End. According to a signboard there, the cliff at Mini/Little World’s End is about 270m in height, while the actual World’s End is about three times higher – at about 870m high. To be honest, it already felt pretty high up at Mini World’s End, and when I compared the views later at World’s End, they both felt pretty similar to me! I guess the only way to find out is to jump off the cliff and see how long it takes to hit the bottom.
The weather was great and even though we couldn’t see as far as the horizon, it was still a beautiful sight nonetheless, being surrounded by blue skies and mountainranges and fresh air all around. After snapping some pictures, we continued with our journey, walking for another 1.25km before reaching World’s End.
As mentioned, the view there felt similar to Mini World’s End even though it was supposed to be three times higher. It was also not quite like the plateau that I imagined. Before I went there, I had imagined a plateau to be like a giant plank of wood with the sides dropping down vertically and steeply. But the actual thing felt more like a normal mountain than a plateau, with slopes extending to the base. Maybe World’s End is not the perfect example of a plateau.
From World’s End, we continued our trek to Baker’s Falls, 1.7km away. From that point onwards, we left the forest area and emerged into the grassland area. The sun was higher up now, and without the shade from the trees, it started to get a little warmer so I removed my jacket and basked in the warm sunshine. Besides a couple ahead of us, there wasn’t anyone around within our sight, so it felt like we had the whole park to ourselves. We had plenty of time to take pictures and enjoy the scenery around us.
As we approached Baker’s Falls, we entered the forest once again. After negotiating a series of steps down, we began to hear the distant gushing of water. There were a lot more people here, more than we had seen for the entire morning. It seemed like most people started their trek to Baker’s Falls first before heading to World’s End, the opposite direction from us.
Baker’s Falls is quite a small waterfall, only about 20m tall, with several streams of water cascading down the solid block of charcoal black rocks. We found a path that led to the water’s edge and from there, we took some nice shots with the waterfall in the background.
After that, we headed back out to the entrance to meet our driver. It was past 9am in the morning and the sun had risen fully by then. As we were back in the grassland once again, there was no shade so it was quite hot, and we had almost exhausted our water supply. Maybe that is why more people choose to start their trek towards Baker’s Falls and then to World’s End, where there is more shade from the trees. It took about an hour to get back, and we immediately headed to the café to buy a bottle of ice-cold Coke to quench our thirst.
We left Horton Plains National Park at 10am and drove back to Haputale. It had been a good morning spent trekking for 3.5 hours and I enjoyed it a lot. Horton Plains National Park is not commonly listed as one of the top places in Sri Lanka for tourists but I would highly recommend a visit there if you like nature and trekking, to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The journey back was slightly quicker, no doubt due to better visibility, and we reached Sri Lak View Holiday Inn at 11:15am. We had lunch and rested for a short while. At 12:30pm, we loaded our bags onto the van and said goodbye to Haputale.
The itinerary for the afternoon was planned by our driver. I had read about Diyaluma Falls before the trip, so I told him we would need to make a stop there. Apart from that, he was free to recommend us places to visit. So we made our way to Diyaluma Falls first, a one-hour ride from Haputale.
At 171m tall, it is the third highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. When we arrived, we saw one small group of travellers who were just about to leave. They were still in their swimming things and had evidently just taken a dip in the pool at the base of the waterfall. Earlier, when our driver asked us if we would like to go swimming at the waterfall, YS and I were quite reluctant because we weren’t sure how fun it would be and we thought it would be troublesome to have to change into another set of clothes. And the weather was turning chilly again. But once we saw the waterfall in its full glory, we changed our minds quite quickly.
The base of the waterfall is hidden from view from the main road, so it is not that easily accessible. You have to navigate your way across the rocks and do a bit of climbing before you can reach the pool. Our driver told us to follow a Sri Lankan man stationed there, who acted as a guide and showed us the way. After traipsing across the rocks and climbing for about five minutes, we reached the pool.
It was like a hidden paradise. There was no one else around and we had the whole place to ourselves. We changed into our shorts and gingerly took a step into the water. It was cold but oh so shiok. I lifted my head and looked up at the wall of water falling down vertically from 171m above. It was a majestic sight. I took a deep breath, braced myself and walked underneath it. The sensation was like being simultaneously pelted by hundreds of needles on my body. It was slightly painful but lasted only momentarily. I also found out that the stream of water is not constant like a tap, but there are ebbs and flows – sometimes the water volume is like 1,000 “needles” per second, sometimes it’s like 50 “needles” a second, even though you’re standing at the same spot. Interesting.
It was my first time swimming under a waterfall and it was so, so fun. I decided it was a moment to remember so I went back to the bank where our belongings were to get my iPhone and snap some pictures and video, at the risk of getting my iPhone wet. YS and I agreed that it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
Diyaluma Falls is quite remote and I figure most people won’t even consider making a trip there. If you have never swam in a waterfall pool before, I think it’s worth visiting. On the one hand, I loved it because it was obscure and it felt like we owned the place while we were there, so I hope it will remain a hidden gem, only to be discovered by the adventurous explorer. Yet on the other hand, it seems selfish not to share a paradise like that so I hope more people will get to experience it and have fun like we did. So if you’re reading this blog and decide to visit Diyaluma Falls, good for you!
After getting our fill of soaking in the water, we decided it was time to move on to our next destination. The local guide showed us the way back down again, but before we reached the main road, he suddenly stopped and used his finger to draw something in the sand. It took me a while to figure out what he was trying to say, because he didn’t speak any English. He gestured and sketched the drawing in the sand again, and I finally interpreted it as a figure of “200”. He was asking for a tip for his services. So I gave him Rs 200 (S$2.26), hope I got it right.
We departed at 2:45pm and drove to an even more remote place next, located about 6km southeast of Wellawaya, arriving at 3:25pm. It was a temple containing the Buduruwagala statues. At the entrance, there was a booth manned by two people. We each paid Rs 200 for admission. They asked if we would like to hire a guide, but we decided not to. As this was an unplanned stop, I didn’t do any prior research and didn’t know what to expect. I thought we would be seeing a temple building housing a big Buddha statue.
As walked further along, we didn’t see any buildings at all, but were soon greeted by the sight of an open space with the huge rock wall and stone carvings, set within the forest. It was a very tranquil scene, with no other people around. The following information is what I gather from the Internet as I write this entry.
The name Buduruwagala is derived from the words Buddha (Budu), images (ruva) and stone (gala). Inside the premises, there are seven figures carved onto a huge rock face. They are believed to date back to the 10th century. The tallest standing Buddha stone carving is 16m tall and you can still see some traces of orange paint, suggesting that it was once brightly painted. On either side of the central Buddha statue is a group of three figures, depicting mythic characters.
We approached the giant rock carvings and examined them up close in detail. I never fail to be awed by how people in the past can create these magnificent pieces of art using the most basic tools, without the aid of any sophisticated machinery. And these monuments have withstood the test of time and are still standing today, weathering centuries of rain and wind erosion. Yet they are still here. Simply amazing.
We didn’t linger for long and headed out after 20 minutes. There was really no one else and we felt that those two men must have the most boring job in the world. We wondered how they could survive, when the admission fee is only Rs 200 (S$2.26) and they presumably receive less than ten visitors a day. Hopefully more people can visit the place and help them out.
At 3:45pm, we departed for our last stop before heading to Ella – Rawana Ella waterfall, arriving at 4:35pm. It is quite different from Diyaluma Falls in many aspects. Firstly, it comprises of not one steep vertical drop but a few sections of small drops, so it’s not quite as stunning as Diyaluma Falls. Secondly, there are far more people here due to its proximity to the popular town of Ella, so it didn’t feel as “exclusive” and special. Thirdly, the waterfall is easily accessible from the main road so there were a lot of people swimming in the lower pool. There were also locals bathing.
Well, if I hadn’t seen Diyaluma Falls before, I would have thought that Rawana Ella Falls was splendid. It is still beautiful (waterfalls are always beautiful, especially since we don’t have any natural ones here in Singapore), but I felt like we had already experienced a much better one earlier. I had an urge to tell those people swimming there that they should check out Diyaluma Falls instead. We didn’t stay for too long as we were anxious to head over to Ella.
After leaving Rawana Ella Falls at 4:50pm, we took only 20 minutes to reach Ella. Our driver drove us to Hilltop Guest House, which is located at the top of a very steep driveway. YS had booked a room there…or so we thought! As we drove up the driveway, we found that the main gate wasn’t open. There was someone inside sweeping the floor, and he opened the gate and let us in. Another lady came out and asked for our names, which YS gave her. There was some confusion for a while before she led us to a room upstairs.
We had barely unloaded our stuff before another man, the owner, came into our room and told us that there had been a mistake – our room was already being booked by someone else who would be arriving later that evening. He said the lady who brought us in had misheard YS’ name for the person who actually booked the room. It was unexpected because YS had already communicated to the owner via email that he would like to book the room on that particular date, so how could it be double-booked?
We went to the owner’s living room (he lived there too) to look through the email correspondences to find out what went wrong. Turned out that YS did explicitly state in his email to the owner that he would like to reserve a room on that date, but the owner did not reply to confirm the booking, which was really sucky! Don’t know why he didn’t reserve it for us and sold the room to someone else instead.
So the lesson is: you must always double confirm everything and get them to reply in black and white. But then again, like our first accommodation at Negombo, the driver didn’t turn up either, even though I had presumably confirmed the airport pickup beforehand. So sometimes it’s just due to negligence on their part, which I’m sure is unintentional. Tough luck!
As Hilltop Guest House was fully booked, we had no choice but to look for an alternative place to stay. The owner recommended a place nearby called Ella Holiday Inn. He knew the owner there, so he helped us place a call to the owner and explained to him our situation. We left our luggage at Hilltop and walked over to Holiday Inn, which was less than five minutes away. It had started to rain and I was feeling a little restless at the time. But once the Holiday Inn staff brought us up to the room to have a look, I felt better because it was so much bigger and it looked more comfortable than the room at Hilltop. It was also cheaper because it didn’t have a view of Ella Gap, which Hilltop charged a premium for.
Ella Holiday Inn
www.ellaholidayinn.com [Update: As of 4 October 2017, the website is not working anymore]
Address: Ella, Sri Lanka
Satisfied with the room, we made our way back to Hilltop to collect our luggage. As we walked briskly through the rain, we spotted CR and VT (whom we’d met at Dalhousie two days earlier) sitting at a café, taking shelter from the rain. So nice to bump into them again. However, we didn’t stop to chat for long as we needed to settle our accommodation, so we said goodbye hurriedly and climbed up the steep driveway to Hilltop once more.
The Hilltop owner’s brother happened to be working at Holiday Inn as a driver, so he managed to ask his brother for a favour to send us over to Holiday Inn, which was really nice of him, especially since it was raining. He turned up in his tuk tuk not long later, and we piled our luggage onto it and hopped on for the short ride to Holiday Inn. Finally, after all the drama, we had a place to stay for the night!
We settled into our comfortable room, and while YS took his shower, I lounged at the balcony, propped up my legs against the railings and looked out at the falling rain…ahhhh, this is life, I thought then. I felt perfectly relaxed and contented at that moment and marvelled at how far we had travelled, even though it was just Day 4 of my 30-day trip.
As it was still drizzling, we decided to have dinner at the restaurant below. I ordered rotti with beef curry, and the food took ages to be ready. We were quite starved by then. When it finally arrived, it tasted quite good, but the curry was super spicy. We were craving for dessert so explored the little town to see what else it offered.
We walked down the main road and saw a few pubs and eateries on both sides. There weren’t many street lamps and it was quite dark, just a peaceful little town. We popped into Dream Café and I ordered a chocolate pudding with ice-cream, which is actually a brownie with vanilla ice-cream, nice.
At the table beside ours, there was a family of four – an Asian man with his ang moh wife, and their two beautiful young children. The children were extremely well-behaved and their parents were speaking to them very enthusiastically and patiently. I didn’t eavesdrop on their conversation but the gist was that they were having a good time together.
I remember thinking at the time that it was significant for the parents to bring their young children to Sri Lanka for a vacation, instead of the usual first world countries like Europe or Australia or USA. I feel it’s important for kids to experience and see for themselves what life is like in less developed countries, and for them to know that there are many people and children in the world who are less fortunate than themselves, and learn not take things for granted. I will strive to do the same for my kids in future.
With our stomachs filled, fatigue began to set in and so we returned to our four-poster bedroom to get some rest. It had been another long day of travelling but it was a very fulfilling one, one of the best days of my trip. Next destination to spend our last full day in Sri Lanka: Unawatuna!