Horton Plains National Park is in stark contrast to Sri Lanka’s other conservation areas because it is situated at an altitude of 2,100 metres. As a result, the plains have a strange atmosphere and scenic beauty that cannot be found elsewhere. They contain the habitats of much of the endemic fauna and flora of the country’s wet and montane zones. Incidentally, this is the only national park in Sri Lanka where visitors can walk on their own on designated tracks.

Undoubtedly the most famous feature of this hill country wonderland is the theatrically named World’s End.  A sheer escarpment that drops a mind bending 884m, it provides a dramatic vista over the southern plains – when not shrouded in mist.The chances of a clear view are at their highest from December to February during the early morning as thin, misty wisps tend to transform into billowing sheets that obscure everything by noon.  
 

In the lush, richly textured forest the elevation-induced combination of cold nights, strong winds, mist and frost forces even emergent trees to bend and huddle, resulting in dwarf woodland characterized by twisted limbs protruding from gnarled trunks.  Even the leaves take on an unusual character, growing small and fleshy in order to reduce heat loss and thereby counteract the unforgiving elements.  Early in the morning the booming calls of purple-faced langurs (Trachypithecus vetulus monticola) echo across the stillness, announcing the beginning of another day’s foraging.  The sub-species particular to these rarified heights is known locally as the bear monkey because of its unusually dense coat, evolved in order to ward of the persistent night chill.  Jet black giant squirrels (Ratufa macroura) also inhabit this realm, as do barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), fishing cats (Felis viverrinus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa).The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) also calls this park home.
 
Most frequently approached from Nuwara Eliya via the sprawling pasturelands of Ambewela and rail stop at Pattipola, Horton Plains can also be accessed by road from Haputale via Ohiya to the east and, with a four-wheel drive, from Agrapatana via Diyagama to the west.Unlike anywhere else in the country, Horton Plains is of tremendous significance for its extraordinary natural splendour, its ecological importance and its aura of otherworldliness that makes it, once visited, much more than just another quaint name on a crowded map.
 
(Content Source : Travel Sri Lanka Magazine)
(Image source   : sarisara.com)