Horton Plains National Park & World’s End

Introducing Horton Plains National Park & World’s End

The Horton Plains is a beautiful, silent, strange world with some excellent hikes in the shadows of Sri Lanka’s second- and third-highest mountains – Kirigalpotta (2395m) and Totapola (2359m), rearing up from the edges of the plateau. The ‘plains’ themselves form an undulating plateau over 2000m high, covered by wild grasslands and interspersed with patches of thick forest, rocky outcrops, filigree waterfalls and misty lakes.

The plateau comes to a sudden end at World’s End, a stunning escarpment that drops almost straight down for 880m. Unfortunately the view from World’s End is often obscured by mist, particularly during the rainy season from April to September. The early morning (between 6am and 10am) is the best time to visit, before the clouds roll in. In the evening and early morning you’ll need long trousers and a sweater, but the plains quickly warm up, so take a hat as well. January to March are usually the clearest months, weatherwise.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009