The Natural wonder of Horton plains national park

Sri Lanka’s natural wonder is a destination that us both fascinating and fascinating. The wonders of Horton Mountain meadows and cloud forest are never to be forgotten. Horton plains is a charming environment in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. It is located more than 2000 meters above sea level.it lies around 8Km from Ohiya. Its rich biodiversity, rich in endemic species, future enhances the value of this scenic environment. It is a popular tourist destination in this magnificent island. You can reach Horton plains through Bandarawela or Nuwaraeliya which is about 1 ½ hour drive.

Horton plains national park

Best time to visit Horton plains National park

Particularly from January to march, is the best time to visit Horton plains. Most days of the year, the Horton plains stays shrouded with clouds and mist

History of Horton plains

In the past, this Horton plains national park destination was known as ‘’Maha Eliya thana’’. Later it was named ‘’Horton plains’’ in honor of Sir Robert Horton, governor of sri lanka 1831-n1837. Also, Horton plains was designated as a nature reserve in 1969 and a national park on march 16, 1988. Horton plains can also be considered an archeological site.

Vegetation

Horton plains national park has abundant biodiversity and is popular for its native greenery. 5% of those species have been found to be endemic to Sri Lanka. Dense mountainous could forest areas are common there.

Fauna

The vertebrate fauna of this area includes 24 species of mammals, 87 species of birds, nine species of reptiles and 8 species of amphibians. At present, the largest and commonly seen mammals is the sambar, Deer.

Mammals’ species

Sri Lankan leopards
Wild boars
Indian muntjacs
Fishing cats
Toque macaques

Common bird species

Sri lanka white -eye zosterops ceulonensis
Dim obscure flycatcher eumyias sordisa
Sri lanka wood pigeon columba torringtonii
Sri lanka blue jaybird cissa resplendent

Amphibian’s species

Microhyla zeylanica
Uperodon palmatus
Zakerana greebii
Taruga eques etc

Best places to visit around Horton plains

National park

Bambarakanda falls

Bambarakanda fall is just an hour away from the Horton plains park. This fall drops from a height of 263 meters. This situated in Kalupahana in the Badulla district, this waterfall in 5Km away from the A4 highway. The highest waterfall in Sri Lanka is one of the most well-known tourist attractions and is surrounded by an extensive pine forest. Due to the mud, Bambarakanda Falls is even more challenging to reach and looks most spectacular after rain. It is 22 kilometers from the Balangoda and is situated in a forest glade just four miles from the Colombo-Bandarawela route.

Bakers falls

This fall 20 meters height mistly waterfalls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Sri Lanka. BelihulOya supports the Bakers Falls waterway, which travels from the Horton Plains toward the end of the world. It is surrounded by rare black monkeys and rhododendrons that are in blossom, which creates a lovely misty atmosphere. One of Sri Lanka’s largest cascades is Baker’s Falls.

Ravana falls

Ravana Falls, regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s widest waterfalls, is a wonderful tourist location in the Ella town for visiting and enjoying the beauty of nature. The waterfall falls from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop that is 25 meters tall and spans a wide area. If you’re an adventurer, you’ll adore this location where you may swim in gorgeous bodies of water while taking in the amazing vistas of the rocks and vegetation.

The name of the fall comes from the Ramayana because of the significance of the nearby caves and the falls in the Rama and Ravana epic. about 6 kilometers from Ella’s railroad station. Only a 10-minutes’ drive or a short journey on the local bus would take you.