The weather in Horton Plains in Nuwara Eliya can be quite fickle with chilly winds giving way to sudden bursts of warm sunshine only to change back again to the cold and unforgiving atmosphere not dissimilar to the moors mentioned in Wuthering Heights. The area is covered in seas of wild grasslands, rocky terrains, closely grown forests, fog laden lakes and refreshing yet cold waterways.
This mysterious and silent piece of landscape provides a myriad of chances to explore the beautiful and raw wildness of nature, with hikes to conquer the country’s second and third highest mountains, namely ‘Kirigalpotta’ and ‘Totapola’ and a trek towards the ‘World’s End’ which is a drop of 880m. There are numerous comfortable and luxurious hotels and resorts in Nuwara Eliya. Accommodation is no hassle with the sheer number of options like Heritance Tea Factory from where one can plan a trip to such natural wonders.
A trek across Horton Plains is a journey scattered with many unexpected sights, sounds and experiences. As you trudge along the winding path, you may hear the faint sound of an elusive leopard or a majestic sambar deer strolling slowly or spy a mischievous purple faced langur. The merry trickle of the chimney pool along the way can beckon you to dip your feet in its cool and clear waters and the sight of the powerful and cascading beauty of Baker’s Fall is a sight not to be missed. If you avoid the rainy season and take an early trek, the end of your meanderings can result in a breathtaking and panoramic sight of the green valley below, where the tea plantation villagers carry on their work in spite of life’s many challenges.
If you’re lucky, you may even get to witness the ‘broken spectre’, an optical illusion which allows a person’s shadow to be framed by a halo in the hues of a rainbow.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+