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Trip Reports Archive » By Year » 2011 » The Motorcycle Diaries…

The Motorcycle Diaries…

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Tags & Author Archive

Ambewela, Devon falls, Gregory's Lake, Horton Plains, kande Ela, Kitulgala, Koththellena, Norton Bridge, Nuwara Eliya, Pattipola, Seven Virgins, St. Clair's Falls, Thalawakele, Welimada, 2011, Dry Zone, Longer than 3, Mountains, National Park, Road Trip, Scenic Drive, September, Waterfalls, Wet Zone

Author: dilshan (6 Trips)

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Year and Month September, 2011
Number of Days 4 days
Crew Me and My wife (both 26yrs)
Accommodation
  • 1st night- Kaduwela (relation’s place)
  • 2nd and 3rd nights – Government Holiday Bungalow – Nuwara Eliya
Transport Motor bike (Bajaj platina)
Activities Photography, Riding, Relaxing, Waterfall hunting
Weather Sunny and dry
Route
  • 1st day: Hikkaduwa -> Kalutara -> Bandaragama -> Kesbewa -> Kottawa -> Athurugiriya -> Kaduwela
  • 2nd day: Kaduwela -> Hanwella -> Avissawella -> Kithulgala -> Laxapana -> Kottellena -> Norton Bridge -> Hatton -> Thalawakele -> Nuwara Eliya
  • 3rd Day: Nuwara Eliya -> Ambewela -> Pattipola -> Horton Plains
  • Return: Nuwara Eliya -> Keppetipola -> Boralanda -> Haputhale -> Beragala -> Balangoda -> Delgashandiya -> Kahawatte -> Madampe -> Rakwana -> Deniyaya -> Akuressa -> Yakkalamulla -> Wanduramba -> Sandarawala -> Dodangoda -> Gonapinuwala -> Hikkaduwa
  • Total distance of the journey : 673.5Km
Tips, Notes and Special remark
  • Photos: Nilushika Ranasinghe (My wife)
Author dilshan
Comments Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread

  • The Motorcycle Diaries…

Day 1
We started our journey from Hikkaduwa at about 4.30pm and reached to Kaduwela at about 7.30. We spent the night at our relation’s place.

Day 2
We left Kaduwela at 4.00am and headed along the low level road reached to Avissawella about 5.00. We could see the first rays of the day at Kithulgala.

We stopped at a small restaurant near by the river and had hoppers as our breakfast.

Dawn at Kithulgala

Dawn at Kithulgala

Breakfast at Kithulgala

Breakfast at Kithulgala

Early Morning at Kelani ganga

Early Morning at Kelani ganga

We noticed a giant moth near Kelani ganga which was attacked by a predator

We noticed a giant moth near Kelani ganga which was attacked by a predator

We turned to B189 road from A7 at somewhere between Ginigathhena and Kithulgala. (I don’t know the exact name of the junction. A villager said that it is ‘Pitawala’. There is a police barrier here.)

Turning point

Turning point

The road from here to Norton Bridge shapes very bad. But it spreads through very beautiful area. (Near Seven Virgins hills)

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At the seven virgins hills near by ‘Koththellena’

At the seven virgins hills near by ‘Koththellena’

Breathtaking scenery from the top of kottellena

Breathtaking scenery from the top of kottellena

Then we reached to the city of Norton Bridge and had a cup of tea from a small restaurant and headed towards Hatton.

In memory of Martin Air DC 8 crash

In memory of Martin Air DC 8 crash

The road from Hatton to NuwaraEliya shapes very bad. (Specially the part from Kotagala to Thalawakele.) The situation became worst because of the construction of Ihala Kothmale hydro power house. The whole area was covered with the dust. We stopped few minutes at the beautiful and very famous waterfall.

Then it was the time to stop at another marvel of the nature, the St. Clair’s falls. But it looks little dirty because of the constructions of the power house.

Devon the veil of bride nature…

Devon the veil of bride nature…

We tried in our best to avoid the wires but failed….

We tried in our best to avoid the wires but failed….

Then we headed to Nuwara Eliya and reached there about 1.30pm. We had the lunch at Sri Ambal’s vegetarian café. Then we went to the government holiday bungalow and the caretaker Thissa welcome us warmly. We went to the Gregory lake in the evening and enjoyed the activities like riding bicycles, walking etc.

Gregory lake in the evening

Gregory lake in the evening

Gregory lake in the evening

Gregory lake in the evening

Day 3

It was a bright morning. No rain or mist at all. We decided to leave as early in the morning to visit Horton Plains. We rode quickly to the same vegetarian café and had a heavy breakfast consisting of Thosai, Wadei, etc. Then we headed to Horton Plains via Pattipola.

Road towards Horton plains

Road towards Horton plains

Kande Ela reservoir

Kande Ela reservoir

Heaven on earth at Ambewela

Heaven on earth at Ambewela

We stopped for a few minutes at Ambewela farm and tasted fresh yoghurt and proceed

Pattipola Railway Station

Pattipola Railway Station

Horton Plains Location Map

Horton Plains Location Map (Click Image to Enlarge)

Sri Padaya from Horton Plains

Sri Padaya from Horton Plains

Breathtaking view of the plain

Breathtaking view of the plain

The plain was quite dry as there was no rain for a long time. The dust was there instead of mist.

.

A fresh water crab caught at the red bridge

A fresh water crab caught at the red bridge

.

Mini World’s End

Mini World’s End

.

.

Dwarf Bamboo bushes

Dwarf Bamboo bushes

Beautiful tiny flower

Beautiful tiny flower

We roamed all over the plains leisurely. We came across an endemic lizard coming out from a bush

Endemic lizard

Endemic lizard

We were quite sorry to see that many invasive species were spread all over the plains. Gorse (Ulex europeous) shows a noteworthy growth there. We noticed that some trails were totally covered with this plant making tunnels

Ulex tunnel

Ulex tunnel

Ulex europeus

Ulex europeus

We were lucky enough to see some Maha Rathmal flowers blooming around chimney pool and my wife’s vigilant eyes found a Binara flower too.

Rhodrodendron (Maha Rathmala)

Rhodrodendron (Maha Rathmala)

Binara

Binara

We reached to the ticketing office back at about 4.30pm. We collected our helmets there. We were quite tired at the moment as we had only biscuits and tea for our lunch. So we rode directly to NuwaraEliya and had a vegetarian diet at Ambaals.

Day 4

That was the final day of our journey. We woke up early in the morning and left NuwaraEliya about 6.00am. It was extremely cold and mist in the morning. We rode along Welimada road (was under construction those days) and turn to Bogahakumbura road from Keppetipola.

Road from NuwaraEliya to Welimada

Road from NuwaraEliya to Welimada

From Boralanda we headed to Haputale. It was about 7.30am when we reached to Haputale. Then we stopped at Haldummulla to by some Aligeta Pera (Avacado).

We had our breakfast at a small restaurant near by the main road.

From Balangoda we turn to Kahawatta and reached to Madampe. The road shaped little bad from Madampe to Rakwana but we were able to manage.

.

A tea break at Beragala

A tea break at Beragala

Road go through the heaven after Rakwana. We met hairpin bends. We stopped our bike near Rakwana Bridge and walk along the river until we met a nice place to have a bath. We met other two guys who are also traveling by a motorcycle. They have come all the way from Kelaniya. That was the 3rd day of their trip. They wished to pay a visit to Morning side. They were exploring a hermitage inside the jungle near by Rakwana in the morning. We wish them a safe journey and they wished the goodwill of us too.

Dipping in the icy cold water

Dipping in the icy cold water

It was about 12.30pm when we left Rakwana. We reached to Deniyaya about 2.00pm and had out lunch there. Then we headed to Akuressa, Yakkalamulla and Hikkaduwa. It was about 6.00pm when we come back home.

Road from Rakwana to Deniyaya

Road from Rakwana to Deniyaya

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