What does it feel like to be living among the clouds of the highlands ? Breathing in the chilly air of the mountains while walking towards the longest drop off of a cliff in the country. It has earned the name the world’s end because the 4,000 feet drop can’t always be seen from the top. You can see clear views if you head to Horton plains at the right time on a good day, if not you only see mist and the tips of some foliage because you are most certainly almost at the lowest level of the clouds.
The 9.5 km trek is a breeze because of how fun it is to take a walk outside in nature amidst such rich biodiversity. You’ll see moose and endemic birds like dull blue flycatchers all wandering freely in the boundaries of the plains. It is very safe as long as you stay within the guidelines and it’s a good place for a morning stroll to just relax and let your mind explore.
Possibly one of the best times to visit is 6:30 am so that you can enjoy the picturesque landscapes and you can be back home by around 10am depending on how long you stop at the sites. On your way back you can even go through what feels like a secret entrance to this beautiful hidden waterfall with white gushing water on most days which feels like it completes the experience overall.
This National Park was deemed a National Park in 1988 discovered by the planter Thomas Farr in the early 1800s. It is the headwaters of three primary rivers in Sri Lanka: the Mahaweli river, the Walawe river and the Kelani oya. Nearly 750 species of plants belonging to 20 families reside in these revered plains. Additionally, there is a little world’s end a kilometer away from the main attraction standing at around a 1000 foot drop.