At 2,100 metres, Horton Plains is the highest and flattest landscape in Sri Lanka. The 9-kilometre circular trail passes through montane cloud forest to World’s End, a sheer escarpment where the plateau simply stops and the plains 900 metres below open out on a clear morning. Baker’s Falls on the return route. The dawn departure is non-negotiable.
Knuckles Mountain Range
UNESCO biosphere reserve - Sri Lanka’s most underrated highland landscape
The Knuckles are a separate highland ecosystem east of Kandy - cloud forest above 1,500 metres, endemic wildlife, river crossings and trails that range from gentle village paths to full-day ridge routes. Almost none of Sri Lanka’s standard itineraries include it, which is one of the best things about it. For travellers who want wilderness rather than organised beauty, it is worth two days.
