“The climb is tough, but the view from the top is worth it”
Visit Pidurutalagala Mountain and this is what will come to your mind. At an impressive 8,281 feet, Pidurutalagala is the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka. It stands tall and proud amidst the evergreen highlands of the island, beckon travellers to come and experience the view from the top that is truly amazing…
If you’re interested in visiting the mountain there are a few important details you need to know. First off is its exact location. Piduratalagala is located in the central province very close to the city of Nuwaraeliya. Accommodation can be found here with many luxury hotels the likes of the Heritance Tea Factory, being situated within an hour away.
Next thing you need to know is that to visit the mountain range you will need a permit and this is because the peak is designated as an “Ultra-high security zone”. It is currently used as a large military base by the Sri Lankan Government and the Armed Forces. So once you’ve got the paperwork ready, next thing is to hire a vehicle and get to the peak, as trekking is strictly prohibited due to the above-mentioned reasons.
Pidurutalagala (පිදුරුතලාගල) literally translates into Straw Plateau Rock. Since the time of the colonial days, it also gained the name ‘Mount Pedro’ because saying Pidurutalagala was a bit of a tongue-twister for the British.
The drive to the peak provides picturesque sights of trees and plants with blooming flowers, adding all sorts of colour to the scenery. The forest surrounding the peak has many rare trees out of which some are unique to Sri Lanka. Out of all the attractions that Pidurutalagala has to offer, the highlight is undoubtedly the view. Standing on the peak and looking out over the sprawling valleys below gives you the sense of being on the top of the world! This is the ultimate spot to take panorama pictures and selfies to show to your peeps at home. However, do be careful when doing so, as recently a tourist almost met his death while trying to take a daring photo on the edge of one of the peaks of Sri Lanka.
Damon Starky is a creative nomadic travel writer, who is well informed and experienced on a wide range of interests that would connect to the needs of any type of traveler. Google+
