A 300-Kilometer Trail through Hill Country
Long-distance hiking trail in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka
- Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
- From Easy to Difficult Walk
The Pekoe Trail, a segment of the Serendipity Trails Collection, spans 300 kilometers and comprises 22 stages, making it a long-distance hiking trail in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. This trail winds through the extensive network of tea trails that define the Sri Lankan tea country, capturing the essence of the island’s diversity. It seamlessly presents a distinctive Sri Lankan experience that connects nature, its people, culture, and heritage.
Please note that not all stages have been marked or signposted at this time. The Pekoe Trail is currently in the development phase, and some stages are expected to be accessible to travelers in late 2023, while others will be ready in 2024.
Stage 01 - Hantana To Galaha
- Distance 7.96 mi
- Technical difficulty - Easy
You will stroll over the rocky ridge known as “Katusu Konda,” which translates to “lizard’s back” in Sinhala. You might even be able to see some of the Victoria Reservoir on a clear day. At some of the higher elevation locations, keep an eye out for a variety of species that you may spot on this stage, including black eagles that glide across the steep hills.
Additionally, you’ll travel by a striking mountain facade that was part of the film “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Award-winning director Steven Spielberg shot parts of his film in Kandy and the Hanthana environs in 1983.
Along this stage, you will come across minor settlements strewn all over the trail. At the end of Stage 1, you will come to the community of Kithulmulla (be sure to stop by and ask to try some avocados, they have some of the best!).
Stage 02 - Galaha To Loolkandura
- Distance 9.13 mi
- Technical difficulty - Difficult
You will stroll beneath the massive pine trees that shade Deltota, but be cautiousтАФespecially in the wet seasonтАФas there are leeches about.
The first tea plantation in Sri Lanka, Loolkandura Estate, was founded in 1867 by James Taylor, a Scot who is known as the “father of Ceylon tea.” The route passes by this estate. Proceed down the tea trails, offering breathtaking views of exotic rainforests and a gigantic rock formation as you stroll among some of the most picturesque tea bushes. It concludes in Loolkandura.
Stage 03 - Loolkandura To Tawalantenne
- Distance 11.25 mi
- Technical difficulty - Difficult
The second section of the walk crosses a pass and heads into the lowlands beyond, with views of Stellenberg Estate to the south, across Kotmale, and the distant Rilagala mountain range. On a clear day, Adam’s Peak, the sacred peak, ought to be visible in the distance.
The track keeps going through green tea bushes while estate roads meander between tea farms and forests. The Kotmale Reservoir is just in front of the route, and the vistas that unfold before you are simply breathtaking.
Upon starting your descent towards Tawalantenne, the famous Ramboda pass and waterfall will come into view. Tawalanetenne, a bustling town, is where the stage ends.
Stage 04 - Tawalantenne To Pundaluoya
- Distance 8.73 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
Stroll along a former British-designed road that was intended for small cars and bullock carts. It turns into a neatly paved path that leads to the remnants of a closed tea mill. This location offers some of the nicest views in all of Sri Lanka’s tea country.
It’s interesting that this new path is mysterious in and of itself. Not a single car will be operating on it. Constructed for a massive underground power station less than a km distant, the seemingly endless road to nowhere has been idle since its construction. Pundaluoya is a little town where the path finishes.
Stage 05 - Pundaloya To Watagoda
- Distance 8.75 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
You will pass through the historically significant tea-growing regions of Dimbula, one of the first districts to be cultivated with tea, as you enter the real heart of tea country.
There are also amazing views of an almost impassable “great wall” that resembles something from Game of Thrones from this location. The Pundaluoya Valley lies beyond “the wall,” and it’s one of the most picturesque areas of tea country because of the tea estate that sits atop the wall. At Watagoda train station, the stage comes to a conclusion.
Stage 06 - Watagoda To Kotagala
- Distance 9.52 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
After leaving Talawakelle, you’ll wind between tiny hamlets by zigzagging up, down, and across small valleys. This section has the sense of a fairy tale, similar to “The Shire” in The Lord of the Rings. Climb further into the hills for additional breathtaking vistas of the beautiful tea area. The Nanu Oya river, which you just crossed at Talawakelle, may be seen in the surrounding mountains’ shape if you look closely. Kotagala is where the trek finishes.
Stage 07 - Kotagala To Norwood
- Distance 10.12 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
Get ready for a journey along a network of paths that wind through undulating green tea hills and offer views of the Emerald Castlereigh Reservoir located in the Bogawantalawa Valley. The Darawella Club, one of the oldest planters’ clubs in Sri Lanka, is another landmark that the trail passes by and is definitely worth a quick diversion.
Strolling along the ridgelines or valley floors, you’ll come across a plethora of vividly coloured ‘line rooms’, which are the terraced homes of tea workers, complete with Christian and Hindu churches.
You start to descend later on the track as you meander through the trails of tea estates, arriving at the stage’s end in the town of Norwood.
Stage 08 - Norwood to Bogawantalawa
- Distance 9.82 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
You will follow little trails that lead to the Kew Estate on the second portion of the journey as you drop into the Bogawantalawa Valley. Watch careful for this tea factory from the colonial era. Aside from lush tea fields and rural roads, you may anticipate views of the gorgeous countryside that lead to Bogawantalawa town. There will also be a very stunning church, hindu kovils, and a quaint cottage.
The stage comes to a conclusion in Bogawantalawa, the town that lends the valley its name. Surrounded by mist-covered mountains and emerald scenery, the town is surrounded by mountains.
Stage 09 - Bogawantalawa To Dayagama
- Distance 10.26 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
Additionally, the route passes via Manik Palama and the Bopaththalawa Farm, the two dairy farms in the valley. A pleasant trek through tall eucalyptus trees will lead you to the stage’s end at Dayagama, a small village in the Agarapatana Valley, one of the most inaccessible and secluded valleys in the tea area. Get ready for this gratifying experience.
Stage 10 - Dayagama To Horton Plains
- Distance 9.25 mi
- Technical difficulty - Difficult
The trail climbs the valley through a thick layer of rainforest as it enters the cloud forest. Pause while you’re strolling and listen to the sounds of the forest. The screams of sambur, monkeys, deer, highland birds, and, if you’re lucky, perhaps even a leopard, will be audible to you.
The walk ends at the former Farr Inn, which is now the Horton Plains National Park visitor centre. The Farr Inn was formerly the hunting lodge for senior British colonial officers.
Stage 11 - Horton Plains to Udaweriya
- Distance 8.15 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
You will encounter a “hidden valley,” so called because it is south-facing and located on the extreme border of tea country. There aren’t many valleys in this area that face south and are used to grow tea because of the severe topography.
The walk ends at the abandoned Udaweriya Tea Factory, which is now mainly just a skeleton of steel beams. You will also travel by small local homes and tidy terraces of vegetable fields. At the shuttered Ohiya Tea Factory, the stage comes to an end.
Stage 12 - Udaweriya To Haputale
- Distance 10.62 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
The trail’s highlights include passing through pine and tropical woods and arriving at the Idalgashinna train station, one of the most attractive in Sri Lanka’s central highlands. The station from the colonial era is also the one with the most tunnels connecting two railway stations.
Stroll by the train tracks beyond the Thangamale Sanctuary, also called the Thangamale bird sanctuary, a lesser-known woodland where you might see some rare highland indigenous species. Additionally, the famed Adisham BungalowтАФnow a Franciscan monasteryтАФis meandered by on this route. At the Haputale rail station, your walk comes to an end.
Stage 13 - Haputale To St. Catherine
- Distance 8.38 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
Proceed up steep slopes to the top of a mountain, which is a sort of plateau with several tiny settlements and a large number of green tea fields. The stage comes to an end at 1,875 metres at St. Catherine, the first charming settlement of tea plantation workers on the upper divisions of the Nayabedda Tea Estate, where Sir Thomas Lipton enjoyed looking over his tea empire.
Stage 14 - St. Catherine (Lipton Seat) To Makulella
- Distance 5.82 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
This stage descends via estate roads designed by former British planters. You pass by the historic Balagala Tea Planters Bungalow and proceed into the settlement of Balagala, which is home to a massive Hindu Kovil. This section features beautiful wooded areas that ultimately lead to Makulella’s Buddhist Temple, which signifies the end of the stage.
Stage 15 - Makulela to Ella
- Distance 5.92 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
Proceed through additional eucalyptus forests, passing by a few neighbourhood houses with well-kept gardens, until you reach Kithal Ella Station. It’s a fantastic idea to make a pit break if you need refreshments while you stroll along the railway track, where you may encounter sellers ready to sell you snacks and fresh fruit.
The stage ends at the Ella Train Station in the well-known hill country town of Ella, where visitors enjoy leisurely strolls amid tea plantations and other natural areas.
Stage 16 - Ella to Demodera
- Distance 5.43 mi
- Technical difficulty - Easy
Continue up additional village roads in the direction of the Newburgh Tea Factory, then take a zigzag route past tea estates, chena farms, railway tracks and a tiny lake. The tea trails that round the Demodara Tea Estate are among the stage’s features.
The trip ends at the Demodara train station, one of the hill country’s most picturesque train stations. The “Demodara Loop,” a spiral rail line that goes under the station, round the loop, and emerges from a tunnel right beneath it, is what makes it most famous.
Stage 17 - Demodera to Hali-Ela
- Distance 8.07 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
Since Hali Ela is not frequently visited, the views towards this portion of the tea country are lovely. Look for a massive purple Bougainvillaea, along a verdant trail that offers plenty of refreshing shade, and a forested area scattered with towering trees.
At the Rosette Estate, you will find the Uva Planters’ Club, a historic monument in the Uva district, along with a sizable tea-weighing station. The stage ends at the Hali Ela Train station.
Stage 18 - Hali-Ela To Ettampitiya
- Distance 8.49 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
The famous Dickwella Tea Factory, which offers unobstructed views of the valley and rolling hills below, is one of the trail’s highlights. The town of Ettampitiya is where the stage concludes.
Stage 19 - Ettampitiya To Lunuwatte
- Distance 11.73 mi
- Technical difficulty - Difficult
You will eventually reach an old suspension bridge where you may see locals using the river to wash their clothes or children playing in the water. If you need a little break, here is a nice place to cool off or take a refreshing plunge.
Some of the trail’s highlights are the breathtaking vistas of the Uma Oya valley as you continue to stroll along charming tea pathways and scenic paddy fields towards Lunuwatte, where the stage ends.
Stage 20 - Lunuwatte To Uda Pussellawa
- Distance 7.82 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
The second section of the stage takes you through more eucalyptus trees, a tangle of tea pathways, and a trek along a pine forest mountain ridge with breathtaking vistas. Uda Pussellawa, a little yet bustling town in Sri Lanka’s central highlands, is where the stage ends.
Stage 21 - Uda Pussellawa to Kandapola
- Distance 10.38 mi
- Technical difficulty - Difficult
You pass through an area of cold, high-elevation rainforest rich with animals, including birds, monkeys, and leopards, as soon as you leave the vibrant vegetable patches behind. The famous Heritance Tea Factory Hotel and the Hethersett Estate fields are the highest point of today’s walk, and they serve as an excellent illustration of how tourism can support the preservation of cultural heritage.
This former tea mill was renovated into a hotel, and the Sunday Times UK named it one of the “100 Best Places to Stay in the World.” The settlement of Kandapola is where the trek terminates.
Stage 22 - Kandapola To Pedro Estate
- Distance 6.71 mi
- Technical difficulty - Moderate
Just off the main trail, keep an eye out for the trail that leads to the Lover’s Leap waterfall. Legend has it that Lovers Leap Waterfall got its name from the sad story of a prince who got lost in the bush while hunting. He was saved from the nearby village by a stunning damsel, and the two became devoted lovers. The Eliya King and Queen, however, did not think well of the coupling, and in order to be together forever, they made the decision to jump to their deaths.
The Pekoe Trail begins or ends at the famous Pedro Tea Estate facility.
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