Detailed Itinerary
Day 01 to Day 03
Day 01 - Arrival at Hatton and trek to Castlereagh with a vehicle transfer to Dalhousie.
On the first day, you will arrive at Hatton and meet the representatives of Eco Team where you will be given an introductory briefing of the program. Afterwards you will begin your downward trek from Hatton to Castlereagh and pass through many panoramic views of the endless green tea plantations and local tea communities which will be highlights of your trek. Once you reach Castlereagh, you will be transferred by vehicle to Dalhousie also known as Nallathanniya, which is at the foothills of Adam’s Peak on the eastern side of the mountain. You will be staying at a guest house in a village that gets very busy during the Adam’s Peak pilgrimage season which lasts from December to May as thousands of foreigners and locals alike visit.
Day 02 - Trek from Dalhousie to Bogowantalawa and overnight camping.
After breakfast at the guest house, you will begin your trek from Dalhousie to Bogowantalawa, a small town located in the hill country which is also a very famous area for its tea plantations and even offers a brand of tea under the same name. The Bogowantalawa plantation owns almost all of the tea estates in the area and is the largest Sri Lankan iced tea supplier to the United States of America. You will finish your day’s trek at our community camp followed by dinner and an overnight stay at the camp.
Day 03 - Trek from Bogowantalawa to Ihalagalagama with overnight camping.
You will begin your 3rd day of trekking from Bogowantalawa to Ihalagalagama after breakfast at the campsite. This is an incredibly diverse trek which will take you through forests, tea plantations and grasslands with ascents, descents, flat terrains, desolate and inhabited areas changing by types of vegetation all while taking you through spectacular views nonetheless. You will be able to witness this beauty beginning from the Bogowantalawa plantation’s rapid ascent through a jungle terrain.
Once you come out of the jungle, you will trek through open grasslands similar to the ones at the famous Horton Plains. Down this trek, you will surely see the footprints of leopards and sambhur deer who roam in the area – and even spot the animals themselves if you’re lucky! Along the way you will follow a river where you will notice a couple of man-made holes which is a result of gem mining in this area.
Next you will be trekking through a shrubland area where the next part of the trail will take you down a footpath towards Nonpareil Estate, where on the way you will cross the Belihuloya River which is an ideal place for you to make a quick stop for a lunch with a view.
Once you come out of the jungle tunnel, you will be able to see for miles beyond including the Samanalawewa reservoir and dam. You will then pass the tea plucker’s homes, vegetable plots and nursery school before reaching the Nonpareil Estate.
Heading downwards the plantation, you will get to a sparse and rocky area where you will continue trekking through it forest patches and see bear monkeys and a variety of birds. This is the steepest descent, yet holds the most panoramic views! The final part of the trail will lead you down through a dense pine tree plantation and you will reach our day’s retreat and overnight stay campsite at Ihalagalagama village.
Ihalagalagama is a small village in Belihuloya in the Sabagamuwa province bordering the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary. The day’s trail will lead you through the sanctuary and the western hills of Horton Plains National Park before bringing you to our campsite in Ihalagalagama located in the banks of the infamous Belihuloya.
Day 04 to Day 06
Day 04 - Trek from Ihala Galagama to Kumbalgama with overnight camping.
After finishing breakfast at the campsite, you will begin your trek to Kumbalgama through Belihuloya and Kinchigune. The Ihalagalagama – Kumbalgama trail will begin with a trek through Belihuloya, a famous hill country destination and a village in Kinchigune. Passing an Eco Lodge in Kinchigune, we will venture through paddy fields and vegetable plots before reaching a small gravel road. Shortly, we will pass a small village school down this gravel rod which only has two teachers and sixteen pupils! In the school garden, one can find scattered particles of pig iron, which is ample evidence of the early period of steel industry. Further up, you will reach a small ‘kammala’ in other words a blacksmith’s workshop owned by Piyasena, who runs this business to support his family, who he like many others have been displaced by the reservoir.
It is by this Kumbalgama village where we will end our fourth day’s hike and stop for lunch (if we already haven’t eaten by now that is!) and also set up camp for the night. We will work together to light up a campfire and cook food as a community and share it amongst us.
Day 05 - Trek from Kumbalgama to Kaltota via Ahaspokuna and vehicle transfer to Udawalawe for overnight camping.
Post breakfast at our campsite, we will begin out trek from Kumblgama to Kaltota. This trail will initially take you through a gravel road which then leads to a tarred road from Kumbalgala to the Samanawewa Dam. We will proceed along this road for about 2 kilometers and pass typical signs of vegetation belonging to the intermediate climatic zone which mainly consists of shrubs called ‘Maliththa’ also known as Woodfordia fruticose which is a rare medicinal plant. We will then arrive at a Buddhist temple which has a shrine room built inside another shrine room that is about 8 feet in length and breadth built on a wooden frame with a wooden door that is nearly 350 years old. We will stop to rest at the temple, and explore the temple and converse with the monks with our staff acting as translators.
Once we commence the trek, we will proceed through another small village into a completely uninhabited area characterized by irregular patches of forests and savanna, eventually leading you into the Walawe River which will make the 8 kilometer point of our trail. In order to continue, we must cross it at Mulgammankada and hike through the riverine forest running alongside and down the river. During this part of the trek, you will not come across any other human inhabitation apart from the handful of gem miners who camp out here to mine gems. Upon reaching Kaltota, you will be picked up by a jeep which will transfer you to the Udawalawe Big Game Campsite to end your day’s trek.
Day 06 - Departure to your next destination.
Your final day of the trek, will be spent going on a jeep safari at the Udawalawe National Park, which is located in the boundary of Sri Lanka’s wet and dry zones. With approximately 400 elephants residing within an area of 31,000 hectares, the park is one of the best places in the world to see wild elephants and it is not unusual to see large herds gathering to feed and bath by waterholes.
In addition to its main attraction of elephants, the Udawalawe National Park is also home to many buffaloes, water monitor lizards, sambar deer and monkeys. Bird enthusiasts will also have the opportunity to experience a winged paradise with not only the variety but also the quantity of birds at the park.
Udawalawe with its fascinating wildlife, history and culture provides an array of historical sites that are also natural wonders which is guaranteed to satisfy even the most seasoned traveler.
Important notes
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Exclusive & unexposed camping locations will be provided in remote villages & jungles.
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Accommodation in guest houses/campsites will be on double/twin sharing basis.
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Double manned tents will be provided for accommodation for single occupancy.
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No vehicle transport is involved from day 2 till day 5.
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You will have portable toilets in the campsite on day 4.
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The Accommodation on day 5 will be a participatory camping where the guests will have to put up their own tents and prepare their own meals. The support staff will provide a ration pack for each guest and assist them to find firewood etc. to get things started.
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The breakfast on day 6 will be served as a packed breakfast to be enjoyed on your way to the national park.
