Knuckles Mountain Range
The Knuckles Mountain Range is one of Sri Lanka’s most ecologically important wilderness areas. This UNESCO World Heritage biosphere reserve harbours cloud forests, hidden villages and endemic wildlife. From gentle half-day walks to challenging multi-day trails, the Knuckles is outstanding for trekkers, birdwatchers and eco-travellers.
Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya, known as Little England, is a colonial hill town where British architecture and manicured gardens sit amid lush tea country. Estate tours reveal the story of world-famous Ceylon tea, while Gregory Lake and Hakgala Botanical Garden offer highland strolls. Delightfully incongruous as English as a cup of tea, yet unmistakably Sri Lankan.
Horton Plains
Horton Plains is a vast, windswept plateau at 2,100 metres blanketed by cloud forest and montane grasslands. Its defining feature is World’s End, a sheer 900-metre escarpment with views reaching the southern coast on clear mornings. Baker’s Falls and the plateau’s solitude create an otherworldly hiking experience while protecting rare endemic species.
Haputale
Haputale is a ridge-top town at the edge of Sri Lanka’s highlands, with vertiginous drops and some dramatic viewpoints. Less visited than Ella, it rewards those seeking a quieter, more authentic hill country experience among tea plantations and colonial bungalows. Lipton’s Seat viewpoint, surveyed by the famous tea magnate, is unmissable.
Ella
Ella is a small highland village that has become one of Sri Lanka’s most beloved destinations with mist-draped tea hills, cool air and breathtaking views from every terrace. The Nine Arch Bridge is one of the country’s most photographed images, while Little Adam’s Peak offers a gentle hike with sweeping panoramas.