Horton Plains National Park

Horton Plains stands apart as Sri Lanka's highest plateau, where cloud forests and rolling grasslands create a unique ecosystem for rare highland wildlife. This UNESCO World Heritage site, perched at 2,100 meters, offers Sri Lanka's best opportunities to spot the elusive purple-faced langur and the endangered highland bear monkey in their natural habitat.

Known anciently as Maha Eliya (Great Plains) and to early British settlers as 'Hunter's Lodge', these plains hold stone tools dating back 30,000 years. Local folklore speaks of this plateau as 'Chimney Plains', where indigenous Veddha hunters would signal each other with smoke across the vast grasslands. Archaeological evidence suggests these highlands were a prehistoric human habitat, with tools and burial sites scattered throughout the plains.

The plains harbor Sri Lanka's densest leopard population per square kilometer, while early morning safaris combine wildlife viewing with spectacular scenery at World's End precipice. British colonial influence is evident in the park's name, honoring Sir Robert Horton, a former British governor, though ancient Sri Lankan texts reference these plains in chronicles dating back to the 12th century. The park's unique positioning makes it one of the few places where visitors can combine high-altitude wildlife watching with both prehistoric archaeology and colonial history.