How to Explore Nuwara Eliya's Hiking Trails - A Beginner's Guide

The hill countryside of Sri Lanka has many trails to hike across. Nuwara Eliya has become one of the most famous places in Sri Lanka for travellers from all over to test their hiking prowess with the trails around Nuwara Eliya. Here are some of the best hikes around Nuwara Eliya and how you can traverse them.

How to prepare for your hikes

A few things to keep in mind before embarking on any hikes. There are many places to see in Nuwara Eliya so make sure to plan ahead and map out your trail if you are not using the services of a guide. Wear strong, comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunglasses. Bring sunscreen, food and water. Most guest houses or hotels such Araliya Green City, will be happy to arrange a packed breakfast and lunch that you can take to enjoy as you rest along the way. For safety reasons always stay on the paths that have been marked out as there can be dangerous wildlife such as snakes or troublesome areas to walk along that can be slippery or tough to traverse.

Hiking to Adam’s Peak

Adam’s Peak is a pilgrimage site that rises over 2000m from its base. Buddhists believe that the footprint at its summit belongs to the Buddha, while Hindus believe it belongs to Lord Shiva and Muslims and Christians believe it is Adam’s first step after Eden. The hike takes about 2 to 5 hours time based on the fitness of the individuals. There are 6 routes to visit Adam’s Peak with the most famous one being the Hatton Nalathanniya route. The other routes are the Rajamawatha, Kuruwita, Sandalagathenna, Uda Maliboda and Mukkuwatte. Most people start the hike in the early morning to catch the sunrise or the late afternoon or early evening to catch the sunset.

Leopard Rock

This peak is situated in the Pidurutalagala mountain region which makes up the highest mountain in Sri Lanka. Leopard Rock can be reached with an hour's hike from Nuwara Eliya city. The hike will take you through the mountain forest area. During your hike, you may come across Samba deer, wild boar, monkeys and many different species of birds. If you are lucky, you may even see some leopards. Once you reach the summit of Leopard Rock you will have a beautiful view of the Nuwara Eliya City below.

Nanu Oya Waterfall

Nanuoya Waterfall | Image via Wikimedia Commons

The Nanu Oya Waterfall is situated about 6km away from Nuwara Eliya town. The waterfall has a drop of about 60 meters and flows down about 25 steps. The falls go on to join the Kotmale and Mahaweli rivers to create a very scenic view of the landscape. You can get to the waterfall from the close by railway station. Take the road by the railway station and hike about 1.5km on this road to reach the Nanu Oya Waterfall.

The World’s End

This particular vista is where the Horton Plains plateau comes to a sudden end and plunges down over 800m. The hike here is about 4km, but the trail does loop back to Baker’s Falls which is a waterfall close by that you can visit on the hike back to the entrance. It is a 9.5km round trip that will leisurely take about three to four hours. It is advisable to reach The World’s End early as the view gets obscured by the mist, especially during the rainy season from April to September. After 9 am all you will see is a white wall of mist, so the early morning between 6 am and 9 am is the best time to visit.