HORTON PLAINS NATIONAL PARK
BEST FOR: Birdwatching and spectacular views around the astounding 880m drop-off of World’s End.
DRIVE TIME FROM COLOMBO: 6-7 hours.
WHAT’S NEARBY? The colonial hill station of Nuwara Eliya.
Towering up in the central highlands, Horton Plains is the highest plateau on the island. The cloud forests here are rich in endemic plants and animals that have adapted to the cooler climes (nighttime temperatures can fall below zero).
Birds such as the Sri Lanka whistling thrush and Sri Lanka bush warbler are best seen here. The dwarf lizard, found only in the montane zone, has evolved the ability to give birth to live young in order to avoid the problems of laying in such egg-chilling temperatures.
