Sri Lanka Experiences

visit to the Virgin White tea factory – Koggala

30 minutes from Galle Fort lies the Handunugoda Tea Estate, perhaps the closest tea plantation in the world to the sea. However, this is not the only thing that makes the Handunugoda Tea Estate special. The estate is known as the Virgin White Tea Factory – it produces a white tea completely untouched by human hands. The process of tea plucking follows an ancient Chinese Ritual where the choicest of teas were cut by virgins who never touched the tea with their bare skin and offered the resulting produce up as a tribute to the Emperor. Handunugoda mimics this tradition, although these days the ‘virgin’ concept only applies to the tea, not the tea pluckers! This white tea is rich in anti-oxidants and is said to be the healthiest tea in the world. Coincidentally it is also one of the most expensive teas in the world fetching at over 1500 USD per kilo. According to the latest testing Virgin White has an anti-oxidant content of 10.11 percent, which is said to be the highest naturally occurring content of anti-oxidants in any

beverage. Marriage Freres which is perhaps one of the world’s most exclusive Tea Salons situated at Faubourg Saint Honore in Central Paris offers its exquisite client Handunugoda’s virgin White tea.

Experience Overview

A resident tea planter will meet you and take you around the private paradise of a working tea plantation. The plantation, which lies at sea-level, is the famed Handunugoda Tea Factory founded by Herman Gunaratne. Herman (or a team member) will take you on a private tour of his Virgin White Tea Estate plantations, where you will learn how the famous white tea is plucked and made into one of the best teas in the world. The visit ends with a tasting session and a piece of chocolate cake! There is also a small shop where you can buy Virgin White Tea – and other less expensive options as well.

learning about the procees, particularly in the Tea Factory which has lots of noisy machines.

Bikes, Boats and Bites

Experience the diversity and raw beauty of rural  Galle. This stunning part of the island is best known for it’s Fort and beaches but in Galle’s hinterland areas the jungle, rice paddy, and quaint mud roads that make up the small villages surrounding the town are an attraction in their own right. In just three

hours, this experience brings to life nature, wildlife, rural communities and all through a boat and bike ride.

Experience Overview

Your journey begins with a boat ride that serenely floats down the Kapu Ela River. Sit back, and enjoy the ride as you pass along river banks, through canals, under bridges and by local village hamlets.

Children will race up to the river bank to wave. Grey fish eagles swoop by. Water monitors lazily cling to low branches after a big meal, while others zip through the waters in search of unsuspecting prey. The ride passes through rubber and cinnamon plantations, and even a few low bushes of tea can be spotted from the back yards as you float on by. The ride will stop by where small mounds of coconut husk can be seen drying up in the sun; one of many places where coir rope comes to life from the humble coconut husk. From here you will mount your bike and begin a 9km breathtaking ride through rural Galle and the heart of the south. Whizz by paddy fields and through small villages, past humble markets where the villagers trade and end up at a cool mud hut for refreshing herbal teas and traditional breakfast or cooking lessons with some traditional rice and curries, made in the ways of the past. From here you can choose to ride back to a pickup point or be driven back to the drop off point.

Includes:Bottled water, refreshments, boat ride, lightweight mountain bike, helmet. This experience has a breakfast option and a lunch option with cooking lessons.

Duration:3.5 hours.

Suitable for children:This would be suitable for older children, and smaller bikes for childrenare available on request

Times:7am -10.30am or 3pm – 6.30pm and 09am – 1.30pm for cooking lessons and lunch.What to wear or bring along:Light cool clothing, sun screen, a hat and shades, insect repellent.Important to know:

Longer bike rides are available on request. Any physical restrictions or injuries should be mentioned to SLIS prior to the bike ride. Parts of the mangrove were

Cook a meal with a local family

Out of humble Sri Lankan kitchens come plates full of rice served along with flavoursome curries, spicy sambols and wholesome salads. What is truly fascinating about Sri Lankan cuisine is witnessing the meticulous ways of traditional cooking that involve interesting methods and techniques. Learn to make a traditional Sri Lankan meal with a local family for an experience that is as immersive and authentic as it is delicious.

Experience Overview

Arrive at the home of your host family nestled in a little village in Galle and be warmly greeted by your host, her husband and two children. Get to know each other, share your stories and enjoy a leisurely stroll in their garden surrounded by towering tropical trees. Next, hop on a tuk-tuk with the family and head for the nearest town to pick up vegetables from a local store. Enjoy a refreshing King Coconut once you come back to your host’s place after the market visit. Everything will be set up in the garden to start the cooking class by the time you finish your drink. Start preparing your local meal by chopping off local veggies and scraping coconuts with the members of your host family. Starting from tempering potatoes to cooking chicken and frying thin slices of ash plantain, you will learn various traditional cooking techniques involved with making each dish. Finally, sit down for a meal with the family and enjoy the food you have prepared from scratch. Please note that a shorter version of this cooking class (approximately 2 hours) can also be arranged on request.

Ceylon Cinnamon Expirience.

“Downwind of the island, one can smell cinnamon eight leagues out to sea,” a Dutch captain reported of Sri Lanka in the 18th century. Perhaps this was poetic license, but it is true that Sri Lanka has long been famed for its cinnamon, and this coveted spice has led to many wonderful stories, wild claims and even wars over the centuries. More recently, its health benefits are becoming accepted by modern science and its unique aroma puts it among the world’s favorite spices.

True cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka and is still known across the world as Ceylon cinnamon, the name under which it rose to fame between the 16th – 19th centuries. Cinnamon grows as

a bush and goes through a complicated process to get to the products we find in shops. The bark is harvested at dawn, peeled and then carefully rolled into quills, whilst the leaves are dried and the essential oil extracted by steam-distillation. These techniques combine age-old skills fine-tuned with modern technology and are a completely self-sustaining process.

Little Adam’s Peak Hike Ella

a sleepy little town ringed by verdant mountains has become a sensation among travelers. The scenic hike to Little Adam’s Peak unveils lush landscapesandrewards you with sweeping views of the mountainside.

Experience Overview

Walk along rustic footpaths sandwiched between tall grass and thorny bushes as the

wind blow cold gusts in your faces every now and then. Covered in deep green vegetation that surroundings would stun you with the enormity of nature. This is approximately a 2km hike and is not as demanding as conquering Ella Rock. However, the views from the top of Little Adam’s Peak are bound to leave you awestruck. It is also believed to be the place where King Ravana engaged in his daily ritual of Worshipping the Sun God.

Duration:

Approx. 2.5 hour

Difficulty:

Easy

Suitable for children:

The climb could be too strenuous for small children. It is suitable for children around the ages of 12.

Times:

To be discussed with your guide. What to wear or bring along: Light, comfortable clothing.

 

A visit to Horton Plains

The Horton Plains National Park, is a protected area covered by mountain grassland and cloud forest. This plateau at an altitude of 2,100–2,300 meters (6,900–7,500 ft.) and has been said by many to resemble the African savannah. The National Park is unlike any other in the island; it’s as beautiful as it is eerily, and offers a world that is oddly different from any other part of Sri Lanka. The Horton Plains National Park is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. In Sinhala the plains are known as Maha Eliya Plains.

The Horton Plains National Park offers amazing hikes amongst the shadows of Sri Lanka’s second and third-highest mountains; Kirigalpotta (2395m) and Totapola (2359m), each of which rear up from the edges of the plateau. The ‘plains’ form a plateau of rises and fall over 2000m high, covered by wild grasslands and interspersed with patches of thick forest, rocky outcrops, filigree waterfalls and misty lakes. The plateau’s sudden end is famously known as ‘World’s

End’, a stunning near 880m drop. Entrance tickets are sold until 2:30pm daily, and travellers must exit the national park by 6pm.

Duration: Approx. 4 hours. If you are coming from Nuwara Eliya, the drive is approximately 45

minutes to get to the starting point for the trek.

Difficulty: Strenuous. We categorize this experience as strenuous due to the weather conditions, worn gravel pathways and occasional waterlogged paths.

Suitable For Children: The trek is suitable for older children.

Times: Early morning (between 6am and 10am) is the best time to visit, before the clouds roll in.

What To Wear Or Bring Along: Light, comfortable clothing, a raincoat as it sometimes rains, a jumper as it can get cold at the summit, and a cap to keep your ears warm. Wear trousers and a sweater for the evening and early mornings. We recommend wearing sturdy walking or trekking shoes.

Important To Know January to March are usually the clearest months, weather-wise. Other months mean heavy fog and poor visibility. We recommend that you carry a picnic lunch with you. If it rains, there will be leeches.

A visit to a Sri Lankan village with lunch

Enlightening and exhilarating, this authentic experience gives you a glimpse of Sri Lankan village life where the villagers go about their daily lives with the greatest respect to nature. Spend a morning in a remote village near to the Cultural Triangle.

Experience Overview

Swooping eagles and exotic butterflies are some of the visual highlights of the journey before the ultimate view of the majestic Sigiriya Rock Fortress and surrounding mountain ranges in the distance. Where the boat ride ends, a bumpy one on tractor begins. Take in wide open paddy fields and miniature forests that have a lot to offer by way of birds, lizards and butterflies. The tractor stops at another hamlet for a tour of vegetable and fruit plantations and a first-hand account of how traditional and superstitious farming are kept alive. Stop along the way at cool mud structures with palm-thatched roofs for refreshing fruit slices and native aromatic herbal brews served in coconut shells, which make this experience neither too hectic nor laid back. It does however work up a big appetite, so the mini-adventure is tied up with a feast of fresh vegetables harvested from the fields you have just explored. Prepared in Sri Lanka’s traditional clay cooking pots; olden day prep methods in cutting vegetables, pounding raw rice, weaving palm baskets, and cooking over a wooden hearth are demonstrated before the final reward of a large, delicious, warm meal served on lotus leaf, in keeping with good ol’ fashioned rural hospitality.

Includes:a bullock-cart ride and lunch (Lunch is only included if you start in the morning and end in Lunch – for those who visit in the afternoon, lunch is not included

Duration:Approximately 2 hours

Suitable for children:Yes very much so, kids will love it.

Dietary:Please let us know in advance if you have any dietary requirements.

What to wear or bring along:Light clothing, sun cream, a hat (careful with the wind).

 

Private or not?The visit is private however there may be a few other families in the vicinity visiting the village as well, though you are never mixed into a group It can be a little hot during the day particularly in April and May. It is important to drink plenty of water. The lunch is a basic rice and curry lunch in a traditional setting, nothing sophisticated.

Cycle Through World Heritage Site Anuradhapura

with your Guide

Experience Overview

Cycle through more than a dozen archeological sites of the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura with your guide. Ride alongside scenic paddy fields, hidden villages and cleverly thought-out irrigation systems which have withstood the test of time. Pedal around some of the most architecturally stunning structures including Abayagiri Dagoba, the largest Buddhist monument in the world. Along the way stop at the Elephant Pond to enjoy a scenic picnic overlooking the pond. After the picnic, guests have the option of continuing the ride. You will also visit the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree, a branch of the historical Sri Maha Bodhi in India under which Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment.

 

Times:

Better to do in early morning or evening

What to wear or bring along:

Light clothing, sun cream, a hat. You might want to bring a change of shirt or t-shirt.

Jeep Safari in Minneriya, Eco and Kaudulla national Parks

Located in the heart of the Cultural Triangle Minneriya, Eco, and evergreen shrubs, a favorite habitat for animals, which include deer and wild elephants.

Experience Overview

Which park you visit will depend on the time of year and the recent sightings in the parks. Since the parks are relatively close to each other, the decision of which park to visit will be often made on the day itself, based on up-to-date information about the location of the elephants at that given time, ensuring you the best sightings. From the safety of a well-equipped jeep you will navigate the park with a naturalist who will be able to point out various animal species to you and knows the best spots from which to view the elephants. It

 

Duration: Approx. 2.5 to 3 hours

Difficulty: Moderate. We class this as a moderate experience because of the afternoon heat.

Suitable for children: Yes, children will love the spectacle of the gathering herds, often with many baby elephants

Meeting time: To be agreed with your guide. The experience is best late afternoon, after the heat of the day has subsided somewhat

What to wear or bring along: Light cool clothing, a cap, and sunscreen, and a camera

Important to know: Guests are not permitted to get off the jeep and walk around the park. Please do not smoke inside the park and dispose of litter responsibly. Do not feed any of the animals

Discovering Knuckles Mountain Range With a Naturalist

The Knuckles Mountain range Offers some of Sri Lanka’s most hauntingly beautiful nature trails. Knuckles Mountain Forest Range covering an area of approximately 21,000 hectares. Also a part of the Central Highlands World Heritage site, declared in 2010. Further, it bears the superiority of 35 peaks over 1000 m above sea level. And also 20 peaks over 1500m above sea level.

Though it is a part of Central Highlands it is well separated by Mahaweli river valley from South and east. Similarly, by Matale valley from the west.Long studied by scientists and anthropologists alike for its high range of biodiversity and inhabitant native tribes, the area is home to 40 rural villages and a plethora of endemic wildlife, including some very rare species. Bordering both the dry and wet zones, the rugged terrain is almost always cloaked with a thick spectral fog that hangs low around the peaks year-round .

Access Trails

To access the Knuckles peak (1864 M) there will be two main trails. Both trails from Kandy District – Bambarella trail and Thangappuwa trail.

We recommend you to do trail Via Thangappuwa trail:

Apart from above mentioned two trails there are many trails which can use to reach other peaks in the range.

Trails like Manigala, Riverston, Pitawala pathana, Dumbanagala, Dotalugala etc.. are available for exploration.

Knuckles peak hike -620m elevation gain, 16 K.M (total length of the trek

Difficulty level – Moderate to high.

Waterfall hike – Kota Ganga waterfall hike in the Knuckles range – 365m elevation gain, 11 K.M (total length of the trek), Difficulty level – Moderate.

Best Season

December to April is the best time to do the Knuckles hike.

July and August also recommended.

Experience Overview

our guide will pick you up from your hotel at around 5.45am and you will take an hour and a half’s drive away from Kandy

towards the Thangappuwa trail.As you get closer, you’ll notice the scenery starting to change from palm trees, rice fields and tropical foliage to cloud forest, montane forest, and verdant plateaus of pygmy forest. You will be accompanied on your trek by a guide who knows the area intimately as well as one assistant (depending on your group size) . As it gets towards midday, you will stop en route for a hearty picnic lunch and then continue on to a hidden waterfall where it is possible to bathe in the crystal –albeit slightly chilly – water. Guests have the option of a short trek which is 8km or a longer trek which is 17km, so speak to your guide beforehand and let him know which trek you’d prefer. Whilst your local guide has a vast knowledge of the Knuckles Mountain Range.Dont forget to ask lot of question from him .

Includes: Water, a guide and helper, leech socks ,Up to date first aid, qualified medical officer, adequate refreshments(energy drink, Chocolate slab, Apple or Orange, Dates), pack lunch, back up vehicle for emergency transport

Excludes: tips

Duration:    Approx. 6 hours but it depends on the group and the speed. Treks can be organized to be either half day or full day in length.

Difficulty: Strenuous. We categorize this experience as strenuous due to the leeches. The trek, however, can be lengthened or shortened to suit your preferences.

Suitable for children: The trek is suitable for intrepid children who enjoy being outdoors.

Times:Early morning at 5.45am is the best time to start.

What to wear or bring along: Light, comfortable clothing, a good pair of trainers or hiking boots, a raincoat as it often rains, swimwear if you want to take a dip in the waterfall.

Important to know:March –April & June – August are the best months weather-wise. If it rains, there will be leeches. There may also be leeches if it is not raining.

Jeep safari in Yala National Park

Yala National Park gives the best opportunity to witness Sri Lanka’s broad variety of wildlife: colorful painted stork in troops are seen perched at the shores of lagoon where the crocodiles too have chosen to doze off; lovely fantailed peacocks in their resplendent blues and greens parade about amidst the woods where monkeys hang, leap and chatter; in the bush jungle are the Elephants; crossing the tracks and

Wandering off into the thorny scrub jungle is the star attraction of the park: the le Leopards

Sri Lankan leopards (Panthera Pardus Kotiya) are said to be a distinct sub-species from their Indian neighbors. Leopards can be seen throughout the park, though best period for enjoying the sights of leopards is during January to July.

Experience Overview

In the morning or afternoon your chauffer will drop you off at the meeting points by either 5.30AM or at 2.30PM. The meeting point will be one of the entrance gates of Yala National Park. You will meet your jeep driver here who will take you on a 2.5 to 3 hour game drive into the National Park.Your chauffer guide will join with you too. The Park is situated in the dry

semi-arid climatic region and rain is received mainly during the northeast monsoon. Yala hosts a variety of ecosystems ranging from moist monsoon forests to freshwater and marine wetlands. The number of mammals that has been recorded from the park is 44, and it has one of the highest leopard densities in the world.. The park is teeming with elephants, leopards, wild boar, spotted deer, crocodiles and jackals.

Includes:Game drive with an experience tracker/park warden, bottled water, entry tickets Duration:3 hours       Difficulty:Easy               Times:Early Mornings and afternoons Suitable for children:Yes, children that love the outdoors and wildlife will love this experience. What to wear or bring along: Cool, light clothing, caps, sunscreen and a camera

Important to know: In addition to the highest density of leopard anywhere in the world, Yala is also home to sambar, spotted and barking deer, water buffalo, sloth bears, abundant bird-life, butterfly swarms, iguanas, mongooses, fishing cats, wild boar, monkeys and crocodiles.

Private or not?This experience is private, that said there may be other jeeps in the park

Gal Oya experience: boat safari on the Senanyake Samudraya

The Senanyake Reservoir is the largest body of water of its kind in Sri Lanka and home to huge herds of wild elephants.In the cooler hours before the sun goes down, Asia’s gentle giants are on the move and an onlooker passing by boat might chance a peak at them as they shuffle out of the shade of the trees and down towards the banks of the water. As evening descends over the tank, these elephants can sometimes be seen swimming gracefully between the archipelagos of islands that aggregate the Senanyake reservoir. The Gal Oya National Park, the area is home to a diverse range of birdlife, reptiles and mammals. A cruise across the tank’s placid waters is a unique and serene way to enjoy the rich biodiversity.

Experience Overview  

The naturalists at the Galoya lodge will give you a briefing on recent sightings on the Senanyake Reservoir and then leaving the lodge in a comfortable 4×4 jeep, you will make your way towards the reservoir. The drive takes around 45 minutes, but it’s a smooth drive offering beautiful views of the surrounding scenery and you may even see some wildlife on your way. Once you arrive at the pier you will climb into a small covered boat and set out onto the reservoir. The calm waters of the Senanyake Reservoir make for a very relaxing boat ride. You can expect to see plenty of birdlife, both migrant and endemic and for the most part you are unlikely to see any other tourists, giving you the ideal opportunity to be alone with nature. If you are really lucky you may even see elephants swimming from shore to shore or crocodiles bathing in the shallows. The boat ride will take approximately 3-4 hours and if you chose to visit in the afternoon, you’ll catch the sunsetAnd to top it all off, you’ll stop half way through on a deserted island to enjoy a hot cup of masala tea served with delicious homemade shortbread – a tea break offering simply unbeatable surrounding views

.Includes:boat ride with an experienced naturalist, bottled water, entry tickets, refreshments

 

.Duration:6 hours            Difficulty:Easy.                        Times: Early Mornings and afternoons Suitable for children:Yes, children that love the outdoors and wildlife will love this experience. What to wear or bring along:Cool, light clothing, caps, sunscreen and a camera

Important to know:June to early December is the best time of year for elephant sightings within the reservoir area. That being said, this is a beautiful safari regardless and there is an abundance of other wildlife worth noting.

Gal Oya experience: a walk with the veddas, SriLanka’s indigenous people

 


Written into existence by the Mahavamsa in the 5th Century CE, the vedda people were said to have been the descendants of King Vijaya (The Sinhala king who first encountered Sri Lanka) and Kuveni (a native yakka, or devil, who was already inhabiting the island). The veddas are therefore descendants of the aboriginal people of Sri Lanka and are more shrouded in secrecy, mythology and mystery than any other group of people on the island. Referring to themselves as ‘forest-dwellers’, the veddas form several distinctive groups across the island. The veddas of Gal Oya once lived in caves protected by the forests of the areas, but were moved out by government developments in the early 1950s. These days the Gal Oya veddas mostly inhabit small mud houses within the forest and many of them have modernized and integrated into the local community. Recent years have brought developments such as TV and internet into the vedda communities and as such their language, unique religion, extensive knowledge of natural medicines, and ritual customs are being slowly lost. This walk with Gal Oya’s vedda chief provides a unique insight into a culture which is rapidly disappearing. This is a community on the brink of extinction and as you trek through the forest listening to the somber melodies chanted by the veddas, you will gain a deeper understanding of how fragile this tribal existence is.

Experience Overview

This experience is as non-linear as you can possibly get. It forms a fine line between a touristic show and an authentic experience, but don’t write it off because of this! This paradox mirrors the situation of the vedda people who sit somewhere in between traditional tribal customs and modern development and the experience will give you a real feel for those two opposing influences.  In order to ensure conservation of the culture of the local vedda people you will meet only with the chief and his second in command, who are keen to teach others about their ancient community. Although some parts of the walk have been constructed in a manner to make vedda culture more

understandable and accessible to tourists, for the most part this is an authentic meeting with two people who are very much unique from anyone else you are likely to meet during your time in Sri Lanka, and they 100% call the shots. This means that the experience really depends on their mood, as well as your mood and openness, to some extent.

 

There are few veddas who still wear the traditional dress of the vedda people – a simple loin cloth tied at the waist – and the veddas you will meet for this walk are no exception. They wear local sarongs, the favoured dress of the village people in the area. However, they still carry their traditional axes over their shoulders, passed down through several generations from father to son. You will meet the vedda chief and his second in command at the Lodge itself and then will take a small drive towards the forest. From here, you’ll continue on foot, walking through the jungle to learn more about medicinal plants, traditional methods of storing food (preserved in honey and buried in an underground cave), and you may even get an invite to the home of the chief vedda if you play your cards right.

You will quickly find that the vedda people are a friendly and open people with great knowledge of the nature that surrounds them. They worship dead ancestors and sing songs to the spirits in the forests to ensure safe passage as they travel. If you visit during the honey season, you may even have the opportunity to watch the veddas harvesting honey from the giant combs that sit high in the trees.

Includes:bottled water, accompanying naturalist.

Duration:3 hours

Difficulty:medium – you will walk for roughly 2 hours through the forest and there may be some climbing over boulders. It is not a particularly difficult walk but very young children or older travelers may find it a little tough.

Suitable for children:Very young children may struggle to understand the greater implications of this, but older children (age 10 and up) and teens that enjoy being outdoors will love this experience.

Times:Early mornings or afternoons

What to wear or bring along:Cool, light clothing, caps, sunscreen and a camera

Important to know:Veddas are the last tribe on the island, but parts of their culture have been modernized due to development. These modern aspects may be disappointing to some who were

expecting a truly ‘tribal’ experience. Try to go with the flow, learn all you can, and be tactful of their complex livelihood.

Private or not?This experience is private.

The Peak Wilderness Hike.(Once In A Lifetime Hike.)

The Peak Wilderness area known as “Samanala Adaviya” comprises the Western arc of the Central massif of Sri Lanka.The Peak Wilderness was declared as sanctuary in 10th October 1940, declared as a World Heritage Site in 2010 and it covers about 22,379

hectares.The contours of Peak Wilderness Sanctuary vary from 1000 to 7360 feet above sea level. Therefore, it possesses unusual geographical formations compared to the other natural reserves of the island. Bena Samanala, Dotalugala, Detanagala are some of the tallest mountains in the Peak Wilderness. Hydrologicaly this mountain range/sanctuary is extremely important. It is the generator of three major rivers the Kalu, Kelani, Walawe running down to the Western and Southern coast of Sri Lanka and many tributaries of river Mahaweli which make waterfalls inside the sanctuary.

Peak Wilderness is significant because of its formation of tropical lowland forest, sub montane, montane rain forest and natural grassland. Peak Wilderness Sanctuary is home to a host of flora and fauna, including 29 endemic species of birds and other threatened animals like Sri Lankan Leopard, Elephants (last remaining elephant population in the wet zone), and amphibians, reptiles and fish species. It is expected that 12-15 elephants of Mahaweli Subspecies are freely roaming in the sanctuary.

Experience Overview

Our guide will pick you up from your hotel at around early morning 2 am and you will take an hour and a half’s drive away from hotel towards the Nallathanniya or if you are lucky we may find a hotel near Nallathanniya. You will be accompanied on your trek by a guide (naturalist), village guide who knows the area intimately and park trekker (Adam’s Peak) and medical officer . Guests have the option of

Climbing via Hatton-Nallathanniya trail and climbing down via Moray estate trail or vice- versa. (10 K’M is the total length of the trek – Difficulty level is medium to high)

Climbing via Hatton-Nallathanniya trail and climbing down via Kuruwita-Erathna trail or vice- versa. (20 K’M is the total length of the trek – Difficulty level is high)

so speak to your guide beforehand and let him know which trek you’d prefer. Whilst your local guide has a vast knowledge of the The Peak Wilderness area.So.Dont forget to ask lot of question from him .

Access Trails

The Nallathanni and the Palabaddala trails are most favored by those (Devotee’s and tourists) undertaking the climb. Apart from the two traditional trails rest of the trails are hardly used because those trails go right across the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary.

We offer some unique experience for our guests who want to do this once in a lifetime hike.

Climbing via Hatton-Nallathanniya trail and climbing down via Moray estate trail or vice-versa. (10 K’M is the total length of the trek – Difficulty level is medium to high)

Climbing via Hatton-Nallathanniya trail and climbing down via Kuruwita-Erathna trail or vice-versa. (20 K’M is the total length of the trek – Difficulty level is high)

Includes: naturalists, village guide , park trekker (Adam’s Peak)Water, leech socks ,Up to date first aid, qualified medical officer, adequate refreshments(energy drink,

Chocolate slab, Apple or Orange, Dates), pack breakfast, , back up vehicle for emergency transport,

 

Excludes: tips

Duration:    Approx. 4-7 hours but it depends on the group and the speed. But Climbing via Hatton-Nallathanniya trail and climbing down via Kuruwita- Erathna trail may take 12 hours.

Difficulty: medium to high.

Suitable for children: The trek is suitable for intrepid children who enjoy being outdoors.

Times:Early morning at 2 am is the best time to start.

What to wear or bring along: Light, comfortable clothing, a good pair of trainers or hiking boots, a raincoat as it often rains, swimwear if you want to take a dip in the waterfall.

December and ends from the full moon Poya day of May.June to November is the off season.

Key Facts Most of the climbers take this hike during the night due to steep climb. Since we offer jungle trails you can select the available options.

Viewing the sunrise will be one key factor during the season due to the dry weather prevails from December to May. During the off season do not take the hike in the month of June due to heavy rain. From July on wards there will be partial showers but

possible to do the hike. Most of the time viewing the sunrise is not possible due to clouding.

  • Most of the climbers take this hike during the night due to steep climb. Since we offer jungle trails you can select the available
  • Viewing the sunrise will be one key factor during the season due to the dry weather prevails from December to
  • Up to date first aid, qualified medical officer, adequate refreshments, pack lunch, back up vehicle for emergency transport, tour guide and helper will be provided for the