Idalgashinna

I like railway stations. Typically, lonely little ones in the hill country like Rozella and Great Western.

Idalgashinna is by far the most beautiful railway station in Sri Lanka. It is situated between two stations Ohiya and Haputhale. It is at an elevation of 1600m from the mean sea level.

Idalgashinna is a vantage point and you can see panaromic views from both sides of the station. The stretch between Idalgashinna and Haputhale gap is very scenic. On a clear day, you can see up to Hambanthota towards South and beyond Nuwaraeliya - Welimada from the North. But that is a rarity as most of the days, mist is covering the surrounding areas.

The 8km stretch between Ohiya and Idalgashinna also unique, as the train passes through 14 tunnels! That is the maximum for a stretch between 2 stations in Sri Lanka.

To learn more on railway tracks in Sri Lanka, refer my earlier post.

Off Season

Sri pada season is from December to April each year. Any other period is off season and not many people go there. The weather is not suitable and temple at the top of the mountain is closed and open for few hours during full moon poya days only.

Yet, travelling during off season has other virtues.

This picture was taken in June this year, which had one of the highest level of rainfall, compared to last few years. The result is so many waterefalls that you would not see on other times.

I saw this anonymous quintuplet on the way to Sri pada just after this bend.

Mini World's End

‘World’s End’ in Sri Lanka usually means a high precipice. The one at Horton Plains is the more famous one. In addition there are many mini world’s ends in most parts of the Central Highlands.

Usually these places get misty very easily and sometimes you may not see anything other than the white clouds over the edge. To me the real feeling of world’s end is when it is full of mist. But many people like to see it on a clear day. So you can see the spectacular scenery below and over.

This picture was taken at the mini world’s end of Pitawalapathana. You can get to that rocky ledge and witness an incredible view of Knuckles Range and beyond.

To see more scenic images, explore this wonderful site - Scenic Sunday.

Tea Country

This picture was taken near Kotagala, between Ginigathhena and Thalawakele.

Kelani Valley

River Kelani flows through this splendid valley situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands.

This is one of my favorite areas of hiking and this particular picture was taken on the way from Laxapana Falls.

To see more scenic images, explore this wonderful site - Scenic Sunday.

More Bird’s Eye Views

Last time I had a similar view up on the top of Sri Pada Mountain. This picture was taken on the way from Thalawakele to Punduluoya.

Ginigathhena

There are many routes to enter Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. A7 road via Ginigathhena Pass is one of them. This particular picture was taken at Ginigathhena.

Hills of Rozella

Sometime back I showed you one of my favourite railway stations, but I could not show you how this area really looks like.

As shown in the picture, Rozella is a beautiful area in the hill country.

Montane Rain Forests

The Sri Lankan variety of montane rain forests are found in few places within central highlands like Horton Plains, Knuckles Range and Sri Pada Range (Peak Wilderness). Usually these forests can be seen in mountain tops above 4500 feet from sea level. Below that level we find another type known as sub-montane forests.

Montane rain forests have thick undergrowth and it is extremely difficult to walk across a forest patch. Due to the cold weather and high winds the trees in these forests are not that tall compared to the rain forests in lowlands. Trees are usually around 20-30 feet tall and there is a low canopy. Sub-montane rain forests are a transitional stage between the lowland and highland vegetation. Both these forest types are high in biodiversity. Another interesting feature is cloud forests, which I have experienced quite a lot while hiking in these forests.

Above picture, taken from Sri Pada Range shows part of the montane rain forest there. More photos in this link show both high montane as well as sub-montane rain forests.

More from Sri Pada

This picture was taken from the top of Sri Pada. The twin peaks are known as Bena Samanala.

As you may know, there are few routes to reach the top and the local letters in the picture directs you to Rathnapura, Palabaddala route. The same route will take you to Kuruwita, Erathna road as well as Maliboda route. The other route at the top is Hatton, Nallathanni route. Moraywaththa Trail also linked with Nallathanni route.

The complete set of photos taken from the summit of Sri Pada is uploaded here.

Dazzling Laxapana

This is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Sri Lanka and one of my favourite places. I brought more details about it some time back too.

To reach here, you have to turn to your right from Kalugala on A7 (About 5km after Kithulgala). After traveling about two kilometers you may turn to your right again near the power house. Then you have to proceed on this road for further 20km to reach the waterfall. Although this is the shortest path to the fall, this is not the best route as the road condition is not that good. Alternative directions are mentioned here.

It’s a Long Way to Go

The hike just started... Hope I can see where it leads to? This picture was taken during one of my hikes in Bandarawela.

Three hundred and sixty five days ago I wrote this post and that was my first one!

Scenic Beauty after Nawalapitiya

I am attaching one more from the railway tour to Badulla. This scenic view was captured close to Nawalapitiya, one of the main railway stations in the Colombo - Badulla railway line.

Tea Factory

Sri Lanka is famous for tea. Most of the tea come from the hill country of Sri Lanka as the geography and climate is ideal to produce the best in quality tea leaves. The tea was introduced by the British in the 19th century and it is popularly known as Ceylon Tea even nowadays. You can read more about Ceylon Tea in this link.

Tea estates and tea factories are common sights in the hill country and most of the hiking routes run through these tea estates. If you are lucky you can always hitch a ride in a tea truck rather than walking. It is interesting to stay a couple of days in a tea estate and learn the entire process of preparing tea for exports starting from plucking leaves.

The above picture of a tea factory was captured in Watawala area.

You can read more about the life of a tea planter here (written by Cerno) and some interesting memoirs of a tea planter in this link (written by Sigma).

Great Western Mountain

This is a colossal mountain in the central highlands situated in a very picturesque setting. If you travel by train you will see this between Thalawakele and Nanuoya, while passing Great Western railway station as seen in the above picture.

This is regarded as one of the more difficult climb in the hill country as there are a few sharp slopes to surmount to reach at the top.

Once I tried to climb this but could not complete it. We set off for Great Western on a Saturday morning from Colombo and got down at Great Western Station. We walked along the railway track and started climbing along the edge facing the railway track. We lost our way a few times and then finally got stranded at one of the steep edges. All of us were in a hurry to report back at work in the Monday morning, so sadly we had to call it off and return back home.

Anyway it was a great experience and hoping to do it again with a better plan soon.

Ambewela

Ambewela is a very picturesque area in the hill country and you reach here on the way to Horton Plains just before Pattipola. It is situated 6000 feet above the sea level and the temperature is always around 15ºC through out the year.

The climatic conditions are ideal for rich grasslands and to raise dairy cattle with high yield of milk production, therefore this area is popular for dairy farming. In addition the same area is popular for tea plantation and vegetable cultivation.

Above picture was taken from the train while passing Ambewela area.

Summit Point

The train journey to Badulla from Colombo is one of the best rides to enjoy the beauty of Sri Lanka. I mentioned some of the interesting trivia of this trip, in one of my earlier posts.

The train takes you up to about 6200 feet above sea level till Pattipola and then start to descend slowly towards Badulla. The highest point which is known as 'summit point' lies close to Pattipola Station.

The above picture was taken just before the train passes this summit level.

Spectacular Saint Clair

This dazzling waterfall known as St. Clair is one of the most admired waterfalls in Sri Lanka and most probably the widest of them all. It is situated close to Thalawakele Town which is about 25 km from Nuwara Eliya.

This waterfall is made out of Kothmale Oya, a tributary of River Mahaweli. It has two main steps and the entire falls is about 250 feet high. (The bottom step is not visible in the picture)

You can see the above view while traveling by train to Nanuoya. The same waterfall is one of the most preferred views for all commuters who travel along Nuwara Eliya - Hatton stretch of A7 main road.

St. Clair's Falls is one of the most spectacular sights in Sri Lanka.

The Fountain of Kandy

Kandy, the hill capital is the most beautiful city in Sri Lanka. The famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha (Dalada Maligawa) is situated in this city. Kandy becomes very colorful during the Annual Esala Perahera Season, which brings the country's biggest cultural pageant. The 2009 Perahera concluded a few days ago.

The Nuwara Wewa (Tank), which is in the middle of Kandy is very scenic and the surrounding mountains add extreme charm to the city. The Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya which is close to the city is one of the most attractive parks in the South Asia. Hanthana Mountain Range and Udawaththa Kele (Forest) are popular places for nature lovers and hikers.

This picture was taken from Udawaththa Kele and it clearly shows one of the newer attractions in the Nuwara Wewa, the fountain.

Closer to the Clouds

This beautiful picture was taken at the World's End of Horton Plains. This place is about 7000 feet above mean sea level and the precipice here is more than 3000 feet.

The clouds and the blue sky add extra beauty to the scenery seen faraway below.