The island's economy was based primarily on pearl fishing before tea was brought there. The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet, which had its premiere in Paris in 1863, takes place in Ceylon. Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, was well-known for its pearls in 1863. Tea followed. The British tried coffee before tea. In 1863, the businessman James Taylor brought the first tea plants from Cathay.
The first Paris performance of Georges Bizet's opera "The Pearl Fishers," which is set in Sri Lanka, took place in 1863. In the British colony's hill area, an "opera seria" was in progress.
To make way for tea plantations, the central highlands were then removed. Despite the greedy expansion of colonial commercial exploitation, Sri Lanka's montane rain forests, which are still in their largest and least damaged sections, are a veritable treasure trove of natural beauty. It is rated as a global conservation hotspot.
The paved roads that wound their way up to Nuwaraeliya, the convenient base for your exploration of the hill area, were created to accommodate the carpets of dense emerald green tea bushes that blanket the mountain slopes. Samuel Baker, a Nile explorer who traveled through these pristine forests before there were paved roads, wrote: "One fact I wish to impress upon all—that the coloring of every description is diminished and not exaggerated, the real scene being in all cases a picture, of which the narration is but a feeble copy."
The British were drawn inexorably by the stunning perfection of nature, which merged lofty peaks reaching the heavens with verdant mountain slopes, gushing waterfalls, and dazzling streams.
Nuwaraeliya
Nuwaraeliya was initially built as a hill type because of the abundance of forests and
meadows there as well as the favorable environment, and it eventually turned into a
charming replica English village. A dreamlike Surrey village with numerous well-known
sights and hidden gems off the usual tourist path was created by the red-roofed Post Office,
the granite Hill Club, the lovely lake, and the racetrack.
The tallest mountains on the island provide shade for Nuwaraeliya, which conveniently has
access to all the island's visual splendor, outdoor activities, and intriguing natural mysteries.
Trekking and hiking are not possibilities. These are opportunities that should not be passed
up. The ideal starting point for exploring Sri Lanka's central hills' strange natural puzzles is
Nuwaraeliya. Its intermontane basins, valleys, plateaus, and ridges are arranged unusually.
The four mountain ranges in the area are Pidurutalagala2, 524 meters (8,281 feet);
Krigalpoththa, 2,388 meters (7,835 feet); Thotupola Kanda, 2357 meters (7,737 feet); Adams
Peak, 2,243 meters (7,359 feet); Namunukula, 2016, meters (6617 feet); the Haputale ridge;
and Horton plains.
Horton plains
Horton Plains is a plateau 2,150 meters above sea level with a unique and vulnerable
ecosystem. These serene grassy woodlands, which are perpetually whipped by harsh, biting
winds, are home to Sambhar deer, leopards, and rare highland birds. Horton Plains spans
3,160 hectares (12.2 sq mi) of land. The largest portion of Sri Lanka's cloud forest is present
there. The Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe rivers all originate in this watershed, which is
regarded as the most valuable in the nation.
The plateau abruptly descends by 1650 meters at "World's End," the only plausible term that
describes the terrifying chasm below, which is frequently shrouded in a magical mist. On
clear days, it gives a stunning view that stretches to the far Indian Ocean.
Ella
Ella is a small, stationary town. Nuwaraeliya is 50 kilometers away. If not for its captivating
setting, it would be more than a village and less than a town with its one-street market. Its
most well-known feature is the Ella gap. Sir James Emerson Tennant, Colonial Secretary,
1845-1850 "Perhaps there is no scene in the world that combines sublimity and beauty in a
more extraordinary degree than that which is presented at the Pass of Ella, where the road
descends swiftly to the lowlands, over which it is carried for upwards of seventy miles to the
south coast of the island, through an opening in the chain of mountains."
You will never tire of the spectacular vista of the landscape he portrays from the Ella Gap.
Looking down, you will see a wide amphitheater that opens to the coastal plains in the south
and ridge after ridge and peak after peak in the north. Some of Sri Lanka's most breathtaking
views may be found at Ella. The Ella Gap, Ravana Ella Falls, Little Adam's Peak, and
Bambaragala Peak are among the sights you may visit in Ella.
It provides excellent opportunities for hiking, trekking, and cycling. You stay active and alert
thanks to the crisp, chilly, and dry winds. A sudden fog that descends on you may pleasantly
surprise you. You'll be left with lingering impressions from Ella Gap's perspective. You will be
able to see what's below similar to the eyes of a mighty eagle.
Haputale
Haputale is located 44 kilometers from Nuwaraeliya. The tiny settlement is tucked away in
the southernmost part of the Central Highlands, sitting delicately on a mountain crest at a
height of 1579 meters. It has a well-deserved reputation for having an environment that is
both energizing and soothing. The plains that extend to the coastal plains to the south and
east as well as the mountains to the north are both well visible from this location, which is
one of its main attractions. The mountains of the Horton Plains, Hakgala, and Namunukula,
among other summits, surround it.
When you turn around again, the foothills that descend into the sea in the island's
southernmost regions are seen in another beautiful panorama. You can enjoy the view of the
ocean's pale blue edge under the cloudless, sunny sky of a brilliant day. The topography in
Haputale tempts you to go walking, hiking, and trekking in the nearby hills.
Liptons seat.
Lipton’s Seat, with its beautiful view that was previously Sir Thomas Lipton's delight, is the
highlight of your wanderings. The great tea grower of Ceylon, Sir Thomas Lipton, loved to
appreciate and enjoy the expansive view from the fiefdom he built for himself at Haputale,
which is the highest point in the mountain range. Do not linger excessively. If the mist settles
in, you'll miss your tea and tiffin. You absolutely must see the charming little town of Elle.
Adam’s Peak
The foot of this iconic triangular-shaped mountain is a leisurely one-and-a-half-hour journey
from Nuwaraeliya. The winding path to Adams Peak, which is revered by Buddhists, Hindus,
Muslims, and Christians, leads through the 98- and 80-meter-high Devon and St. Clair Falls
as well as some of the best tea estates. Buddhists think that the Buddha himself left his big
footprint in the temple on Adams Peak.
It is revered by Hindus as the object of Lord Shiva. It is regarded by Muslims as Adam's.
Christians believe St. Thomas the Apostle, who prayed on top of this hill, left his footprint
there. It is advisable to go during the pilgrim season, which runs from December to May if
you are physically fit. To reach the summit before sunrise, the ascent is best started at 2 a.m.
Once your weary feet reach the top of the 7260 steps, they come to an end.
You observe the muted beauty of the Peak's enormous triangular shadow descending on the
drab, dense woods of peaks, valleys, and plains as it reaches the island's coastlines in
melancholy quiet.
The rapture's abrupt rush will be subtly replaced by a breathtaking understanding of nature's
incredible mysteries, which try to simulate heavenly eclipses on Earth. As the rising sun
enters the mountain's bosom, the mountain's shadow will gradually disappear. While you
were connecting with the heavens, the mountain bell would ring, signaling the start of a new
day.
You have the finest access to the Sri Lankan Cloud Forests' nature trails from Nuwara Eliya.
Pidurutalagala
The shortest route to Pidurutalagala, Sri Lanka's highest peak (2524 m), is a footpath that
departs from Nuwaraeliya.
Since the 19th century, people have been using the trail. The peak was first ascended by
Ernest Haeckel on February 16, 1882, and was again scaled on September 19, 1986, by
Andreas Franz Wilhelm Schimper. The forest reserve that is still present on the slopes of
Pidurutalagala up to the Le Vallon tea estate in Galaha is all that is left of the mountain
range, which extends northwest to Kandy.
The Victoria Reservoir, Kandy, and the Knuckles range can all be seen from the top of the
Dotelagala rock, and closer to you is the Loolecondera plantation, where James Taylor
originally grew tea in 1863.
Namunukula
With an elevation of 2036 meters, Namunukula is an isolated peak in the eastern Uva basin
that you can see in the earlier eagle's eye view from atop Lipton's Seat at Haputale. It
usually hides in the clouds.
It is advised to travel through the Spring Valley tea estate to reach this obdurate and evasive
mountain environment. The Elle Gap, 19 kilometers away, has already provided you with a
view of the Namunukula mountain range. Before arriving at the foothills of the mountain
range, which as its name suggests has nine peaks, you must make a pleasant 6-kilometer
hike through a forest of rhododendrons and enormous trees.
This range still has some incredibly good remnants of ancient forest cover. The enormous
trees become stunted at approximately 3-5 meters, providing a dense canopy as you rise.
The mountain itself is covered with shrub forest, providing a sweeping view of the island's
eastern and southern beaches.
From Horton Plains, the other two paths lead to the second and third-highest peaks,
Kirigalpoththa and Thotupola Kanda, respectively.
Kirigalpoththa
The hike to Kirigalpoththa Peak, 2388 meters above sea level, is unquestionably the most
alluring nature walk for both the intrepid amateur and the professional naturalist. It is not
simple and takes around 4 hours, but it is doable. At its crest, the trail goes through a wet
grassland, a cloud forest, and a shrub jungle. For this tryst with authentic tropical nature,
which seeps out of natural springs of water that are the source of the Belihuloya and the
Walawe Rivers, the optimum months are from February to April. A dazzling assortment of
wildflowers will thrill you during these months.
Thotupola Kande
The Thotupola Kande, at 2.357 meters, is the third-highest mountain in Sri Lanka and
conveniently accessible on foot from Horton Plains between February and April and July and
September. With the least amount of friction, this trail makes it possible to access the
deepest corners of a cloud forest. Although it is the third-highest peak, the elevation gain is
so gradual that you only notice the height you reach when the bite of the winds that buffet
you becomes sharper and more progressive. By many accounts, the breathtaking vista of
the nearby savannas and clumps of deep woodland is an ecstatic encounter with Mother
Earth. There was a valid reason why prehistoric men worshiped mountain summits
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