The famous scenic hike from Kalupahana to Ohiya was one I wanted to do for a while and as usual this was decided within few hours. On the previous day we hiked Gommolliya and were spending the night at Bambarakanda rest relaxing and watching the football world cup. Since our Sunday plan was to return back to our homes we decided to alter it and do this hike. Bambarakanda rest which is managed by Mrs. Mayakaduwa is located 4km’s from Kalupahana so we had 20 more Km’s to get to Ohiya.

So thanks to them all, the fee was paid and the wheelchair was ready to be taken but how we were to take it from Colombo all the way to Kohonawala was the million dollar question. As it was custom built so that it could handle the rugged and uneven terrain of Kohonawala, the wheelchair was, compared to an ordinary one, larger and heavier making it impossible to transport by bus. We didn’t wanna send it by train either in case it got damaged in the process as there were many cables and handles that might not survive a train journey amid many other goods to Badulla. Dismantling it was out of the question as we had no technical knowledge about many screws and bolts attached to it so had to take the full packaged assembled as it was.

Again it was Ana who came to our rescue offering his SUV to take the wheelchair to Kohonawala. So we set the dates for 22-23 Aug but due to the busy schedule NG was unable to join us but Athula and I joined Ana for the Journey. Ana had gone and picked up the wheelchair from the manufacturer at Borella in advance which took the whole back space of the vehicle and we left around 3.00am on 22 August while the rains were hitting us from all around.

I was shocked to see the present situation of Nature Resort and adjoining nature park. It is truly an Abandoned Paradise. Nature Resort which is managed by Poonagala Estate needs a concentrated face lift to make it presentable to an average eco traveler. Adjoining nature part (A reserve) is overgrown with high grass and foot paths are difficult to follow. This means only one thing. People are not frequenting the Paradise. This is as bad as overcrowding a place of beauty.

Hanthana is one of the well-known hiking destinations in Sri Lanka especially among university students. There are two points named Hanthana 1 & 2. Altogether there are about seven peaks, Hanthana 2 comprise of first and second peaks with towers which we had to skip due to permission issues. Rest of the range belongs to Hanthana 1 where the highest peak of Katusu kanda (Ura kanda) is located. This mountain range located in Central Sri Lanka lies right in the center of the central hills and been isolated by all other prominent peaks make it one of the best view points of central highlands.

Morning side is situated in east corner of Sinharaja rain forest. As it is always covered with mist it is called Morning side since colonial age. Mist and drizzling is part and parcel of morning side weather. Though it is similar to Hortain plains weather, temperature is not that much low.

Gal Koth Kanda got my attention in my Erawulagala climbing. (Refer report on) There was a triangular shape mountain next to Erawulagala and it was a separate mountain from Erawulagala range. I got to know it as Iththakanda but that name was wrong. Then people at Erawula inappropriately name it also as Erawulagala.

As Knuckles is a well known mountain range in Sri Lanka we felt guilty for not going hiking in this range. So after a few cancellation we decided to do this hike however. We got into a Colombo – Kandy bus from Mawanella around 06.45 am. We reached Kandy railway station around 7.20 am and wait for Matale train.

We conquered the mountains, this time we thought of a different ENV, the beach !! Here we came across the world’s most beautiful camp site!! A double water front camp site on white sand among Mangroves !!!

It was an exciting and fresh morning. After a good night sleep followed by the heartwarming hospitality by the villagers and some hours of listening to interesting folklores, we were ready for our main mission of the visit. By 6.30 am Ashan joined with Theshantha who took the night bus from Colombo to Athimale were at the doorstep.

This is part of my dream trip and part of Harinda’s dream. On my way to Kehelpothdoruwegala climbing I heard about a foot pathway from Kalugala to Meemure. Harinda has noted a foot pathway from Alugal Lena to Meemure in his Alugal Lena trip. We wanted to combine these two trails and do it in two days with camping at Alugal Lena.

Year and Month August, 2014 Number of Days 1st day of a 2 days visit Crew  4 (Me, NG, Yohan and Priyanjan) Accommodation NA Transport Private vehicle Activities Archaeology, Sightseeing, Photography Weather Excellent. Clear and Sunny Route Thalawathugoda -> Kottawa -> Bandarawela -> Wellawaya -> Monaragala -> Kodayana Junction -> Kotiyagala Tips, Notes and Special […]

The surrounding countryside looked parched and many Mana patches had been torched by people for some reason beyond me. So it was a mixture of dark green patches of trees scattered across the sun bleached yellowish hills. The ravines below showed signs of life with houses and plots of paddy fields. The charred areas where Mana was burnt added to the already vivid painting. In no time we reached the “Padi Seeya” (100 steps) where there is a steep downhill path through the tea bushes. Already there was a person coming up and a lady holding a baby girl closely behind him tackling the steep ascent. I spoke to him and he was very cheerful and even bothered to show me a worship place of the estate workers high up on top of a rock. The child, even though being carried by the lady right through, looked exhausted as a result of the heat and the continuous swaying. I managed to take a pic of her (one of the few must-have requirements for me during a journey) and we carried on.