Horton Plains National Park is Sri Lanka’s only national park where hiking and trekking is available. Sitting above 2,300 metres from sea level, this park has magnificent views of ever-changing landscapes, endemic flora and fauna that are rare for every nature enthusiast.
Therefore camping in Horton Plains makes for a unique experience especially on such a higher level. Since there are extreme weather conditions, it is not possible to set up high or spacious tents or with fly sheets either. However there are mobile tented camps set up for you to camp in style in the midst of nature. These are provided by Mahoora tented safari camps, Eco Team High Altitude Tented camps and by the Wildlife Department.
From the entrance of Horton Plains National Park, you will have to walk because you are unable to drive to the campsite. It is advisable to pack light since you will have to carry your gear whilst walking to the campsites. There are 3 campsites located along the trail within Horton Plains.
Campsite 1 is the closest to the Wildlife Conservation office and it is a very private area since it is completely secluded from the public. It has access to water with a flowing stream which would make camping more convenient and easy. This site is situated on a small islet surrounded by water on three sides.
Campsite 2 sits along the trek route to World’s End, therefore there will always be people walking along the path giving lack of privacy. It is close to Chimney pool which is an ideal spot to have a wash or bathe.
Campsite 3 is located between campsites 1 and 2. There is ample space to walk about but a walk of approximately 100 metres is needed to get to a convenient spot along the stream for a wash or bath. This area is not covered by mountains unlike campsite 1 so there are beautiful views of the surrounding nature especially at night and in the morning.
You can trek to World’s End which is a 6km nature trek, starting off with Baker’s Falls, then to World’s End (both big and small) where the big World’s End has a sheer drop of 3700 feet. It’s shrouded in both clouds and mist – where you should take plenty of pictures to remind you of this unforgettable experience.
EPIC Sri Lanka Holidays can make arrangements for a complete camping experience for you.
