Winding Path to the Misty, Cloudy & Mountainous Land

Year and Month	21-23 Feb, 2015
Number of Days	3
Crew	Ana, Atha, Prasa, Hasitha & me
Accommodation	Nagrak Bungalow
Transport	By SUV and on foot
Activities	Hiking, Photography, Relaxation, etc…
Weather	Sunny, Misty, Gloomy, Cloudy, Drizzly, Rainy and much more.
Route	To:Koswatte->Kaduwela->Avissawella->Belihul Oya->Non Pareil Estate->Nagrak BungalowReturn: Nagrak->Pambahinna->Kalthota->Hambegamuwa->Kuda Oya->Thanamalwila->Udawalawa->Pelmadulla->Ratnapura->Kaduwela->Koswatte.
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Refer to the Nagrak Update here. From Feb to April is the ideal time to visit. Try and avoid the rainy season. The road up to the Bungalow, especially from Non Pareil Tea Factory is in terrible condition despite a few concrete patches. A high clearance vehicle, ideally a 4WD is recommended. There are 35 Bends that you have to tackle to get to the bungalow. Non Pareil Trail to the World’s End begins behind the bungalow but there’s a signage saying the entrance without a permit is prohibited. Mobile reception is not so great but the bungalow has an antennae which works when the generator operates (From 6pm to 12 midnight). Check the Video Documentary of Nagarak here. Protect the Nature and don’t litter.
Author	Sri Abeywickrema
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Winding Path to the Misty, Cloudy & Mountainous Land – Nagrak…

What would you give to spend a couple of days in a comfy bungalow more than 7000ft above the sea level which is bordered by a cloud forest? Well I would go to greater lengths to make it a reality. I’m sure you would too. Tell me you wouldn’t give a toss and you would win the first prize for the biggest lie. I’ve been lucky to have visited some wonderful places where you could get completely isolated and feel heavenly. Ginihiriya Bungalow at Horton Plains, Fishing Hut, Morning Side are some of them. This is when we came across Nagrak Bungalow, a place highly rated for its location, comfort accommodation and most of all the awe-inspiring views it offered.

There have been a few online posts about it and we decided to give it a go as well. The highly controversial but very tempting Non Pareil Trail to the Horton Plains begins near the bungalow and it added flavor to our intentions. Ana as usual led the planning and all we had to do was tag along. The charges for one day is Rs. 15,000/-. I know the moment I heard it, I felt the same way how you just felt hearing that. “They must be joking”, I thought out loud. It was however true and we had to haggle over whether to go for it or not. Finally having weighed pros and cons, we decided that there was not much choice but to give it a go. “But for how many days?”. We asked each other many times that question. Even though the experience is wonderful, if it’s not affordable and beyond our reach we wouldn’t be able to go for it. If we try to do everything wonderful, it’d soon leave us beggars.

We passed the idea this way, that way and the other way and still got nowhere. After what felt like an eternity, we came to the conclusion that we need minimum two nights. We couldn’t anyway afford more therefore settled at two. Having arranged everything we set off on the dawn of Saturday, 21 February. Just a word on the way we were given the instructions by the Nagrak Management. They gave us the account details promptly to deposit money and other than mentioning about the electricity which is available from 6pm to 12 midnight, there was no other information given. It’s a major lapse from their end because the way Fishing Hut Management (click on the link to check the info sent by them) sent out the information was simply brilliant. They had gone to great trouble to put everything in writing so that there was no misunderstanding. We knew exactly what was they were giving and what we had to take. Further, what we could do and shouldn’t do. It was just great and I feel Nagrak Management failed to meet those standards. They have some catching up to do and do it fast coz that small lapse could lead to very unpleasant things and disappointments.

Day 01

Driving up to the Bungalow

We made good ground and arrived at the Non Pareil road passing Belihul Oya as the sun was beginning to appear. According to the estate sign board, it is 21km to Nagrak but the provincial council notice, World’s End is 32km away. Well it’s a bit confusing as the Non Pareil trail to the world’s end is about 4km. Well, it’s the way and let’s not waste too much breath over it. One thing I can tell you is that the elevation gain from A4 to the bungalow is well over 5000ft. We drove on passing a couple of hotels and then a couple of abandoned big houses. The road was tarred and in fairly good condition.

After a few kms we came across the CTB bus coming from the Non Pareil estate. The road is very narrow and very few places where two vehicles pass each other. We saw a couple of cascades falling but didn’t stop for a picture. Then we arrived at Hirikatu Oya Educational Center. It’s about 6km from the A4. Passing it and feeling ravenous we stopped for our breakfast of sandwiches while the mountains were showing their shades of green. Many of the Mana-covered Mountains looked like a light green velvet has been draped over them. The morning wind made us shiver and we badly wanted a scalding cup of strong coffee but it was just wishful thinking.

Hirikatu Oya Ella

We came to a school then and taking the next turn we came face to face with a beautiful waterfall. We couldn’t ignore her and stopped for a photo shoot. Despite the lack of rains, she still had a fair amount of water flowing from the Horton Plains. She must be something close to 100ft and above her loomed the Non Pareil Tea Factory. Later on, we realized this as the Hirikatu Oya Ella. Looking around we saw many cascades, of course with very little water, falling from great heights. So a journey during the rainy season is in order and I saved all the locations in my already packed brain for future use. There are 35 hairpin bends before we reach the bungalow along the snaking uphill estate road. Going up maneuvering around made me think of 18-bends below Udadaumbara. It was nothing compared to this even when it was in bad shape. Ana’s expertise in driving took us safely up and it must have been a nightmare without power steering and auto gear.

We reached the factory and the road from there is closed. However our permit took care of it and we were onto the most strenuous part of the road. Thanking our stars for not having to climb up walking, we drove on tackling one bend after the other. The sun was shining down fiercely but the cool breeze coming from Horton Plains kept them at bay. The road has been repaired in places with stretches of concrete paved patches making it relatively easier compared to what it was. The season for Nagrak starts from late February till late April so that must be the sudden urge to make this road better. Even the road closer to the bungalow was being repaired using earth.

We then came to another milestone, the Baker’s Bend which is almost like a horse shoe. It’s located 5000ft above sea level and is the 23rd bend. We got some beautiful and panoramic views from here but the sun made it tough for our cameras that were not so sophisticated. The surrounding mountains stretched miles and the Samanalawewa Reservoir was visible clearly. There was a group going uphill when we reached the Baker’s Bend. After the usual picture taking, we got going and reached another milestone, the 33rd bend with a signage saying it was 1km to the bungalow, 4km to World’s End and 5km to Belihul Oya. This is 6990ft above sea level which meant we had climbed over 5000ft within 20 or so kms. You can imagine the climb, can’t you?

Finally we got to the bungalow passing a few people who were repairing the road. The gardener was there to open the gate and then we drove in to find one of the best places to spend a holiday.

Here we are

Wonder if this is true if it’s only 21km to Nagrak

Isolated road being illuminated by the morning rays

Surrounding mountains

Having breakfast with serious faces

Hiya!

Just passing the school

Warm welcome

There she is

Closer

Portrait

Lower part with the base pool

The road ahead

Leafless

Sun is fully up and running

I simply love the shades of blue here

The factory

Could’ve gone in but others decided against it

Velvet Mountains with Royal Blue

Climbing

Landmark

What do you say to this?

Gon Molliya Range and Balathuduwa

Samanalawewa Reservoir zoomed in

The happy wanderers

Another hairpin bend

Another landmark, see the notice, especially the elevation

Endless views

Border of HP

Sun shining through the leaves. Ana was quick to spot this

Terrible road condition

Our bungalow is at the corner, if you look harder, can see the summer hut at the edge

Road under repairs and maneuvering was hard

Where’s everyone

BBQ hut

Front

“Anybody home?”

Nagrak Bungalow

To say that we were impressed is an understatement. The single story typical colonial-era type bungalow painted a dull green or similar to deep grey with a matching greenish tin roof looked majestic in the middle of a huge garden full of perfectly trimmed plants, well-cut grass and vividly-colored flowers. There were many large windows allowing the natural light in. At the edge of the garden is the sloping tea patch. Further away velvet green mountains looked grand. Beyond them we could see the Pambahinna Town, Samanalawewa Reservoir, Walawe Basin and further away faintly visible through the haziness of the glowing sun was Udawalawa Reservoir. There was a nicely built summer hut at the edge of the garden allowing visitors to enjoy the view shielding from the sun and rains. To our left was a long mountain range. From Wangedigala via Balathuduwa towards the Gon Molliya (double humped peaks) Range, it looked menacing. Bambarakanda, Lanka Ella and the Kalupahana-Ohiya Road that goes through the Udaweriya Estate were behind them. Further towards the end we could see the edge of the Horton Plains where millions of people visit every year. The famous World’s End was a bit away hiding from us. Non Pareil Trail to the World’s End runs behind the bungalow through the Horton Plains. The back garden borders the Horton Plains Reserve with millions of trees and many shades of green. It was a sight worth seeing over and over again.

We ran around like a bunch of kids taking in the scenery and breathing the mountain air filling our parched lungs. The grass was like a carpet especially laid for us. Not even bothering to unload, we kept shooting this way, that way and the other way. Ana taking pity on us carried on unloading allowing us to be play around. After a heavy shooting we decided to go see the interior as well.

Ready to unload

Just look at this, especially the royal blue background

Closer

Entrance

The garden and the summer hut at the edge

View

Towards the side

Gardener doing a good job

Some more art work

Border of the garden

Wow…	Gon Molliya through the trees

Out in the open

Me, hiding inside the giant bush

Towards Samanalawewa

Flowers

Lady Bird

Flowers

More Flowers

Flowers

Going in we were greeted by a huge fireplace and a large set of comfortable settee set kept in a big sitting area. Either side was two rooms and the passage through the sitting area, led to a room to the right and the dining room to the left. Further along there were two other rooms either side before the passage led to the kitchen. In the back passing the kitchen were servant quarters, storage and the boiler room where they have a typical firewood-powered old boiler to provide hot water. Now they have a solar-powered hot water system as well but not so effective compared to the old one. The ceiling is wood paneled along with the floor helping to keep the cold out. The rooms are so spacious, bigger than any I’ve seen in a place like this with two beds each. There are four fully equipped washrooms which are clean and well maintained. Thick, long and matching curtains are hung along the windows. Even the rooms had their own fireplaces. Well, now you know what this place is like, don’t you?

Interior as soon as we entered

Dining room

The refrigerator powered by gas and can also be used with electricity. If anyone knows where to get one of these, let me know

One of the bedrooms, note the wooden ceiling

Another

Can you see the fireplaces and different color combinations used?

Inside one of the bathrooms

The boiler area

Working better than solar

Ready for a nap

We settled in our rooms while the workers got busy. There are three workers in the bungalow, a cook, gardener and an assistant who served meals. Unfortunately the cook didn’t turn up on time delaying our lunch. Fortunately we had some pre-cooked curries with us. We got very little information about the number of people in the bungalow and we had to take meals for them as well. Nevertheless we managed to weather the storm and make do with the resources we had. Finally we sat down for lunch with Rice, Polos, Chicken, Gotukola Sambol, Papadam and followed by Cashew Nut Chocolate. After a bellyful lunch, we took to our comfy beds for a nap wrapped in clean and warm blankets.

Our delicious lunch

Just a word on the workers in the bungalow.

Gardener – Does a superb job of keeping the garden and stay away from the visitors keeping to himself.

Assistant, Kumar – Very polite and attentive. Always ready to help you.

Cook – Can cook really well. But can be a nuisance too coz he kinda expects us to offer some liquor. We were asked by other workers not to offer alcohol to him as it can be troublesome.

Amid all this, we heard a roar of a huge engine, very much similar to that of German M6 engine and we were wondering if the railway line was closer. Out of nowhere appeared a SLAF Bell 206 Jet Ranger circling the World’s End. At the time we could no longer make anything out but later on came to know that it was looking for a fallen Dutch tourist. Initially it was communicated that was a Chinese national who had fallen but in fact it was a Dutch. We were only a few kms away from the World’s End.

Here’s the Jet Ranger looking for the Dutch who’d fallen. He was miraculously stuck among a few branches and later rescued by the Sinha Regiment Soldiers

There are remains of another bungalow type structure behind the current one and we found out one of the superintendents had illegally cleared the reserve building a house of his own hoping to stay there forever. Well looking at how serene and tranquil the surroundings, I’m not surprised he went to that length. Now it’s in ruins as the officials had finally claimed their territory but the area still hasn’t got any typical Horton Plains plants. Instead it’s just grass that covers the entire area. Apparently that fella had planted vegetables as well such as potatoes, carrots and some others.

From the car park

Well, don’t know the name

Like dhal or even green gram

Crooked

Maha Bovitiya

Buds	Gigantic mushroom

Water stream coming from HP

We followed it up a bit

Ruins of illegal construction

Afternoon Stroll in the Drizzle covered with Mist

After a nap, we had a nice cuppa tea and decided to go for a stroll downhill just to unwind ourselves. The sun was on his way down but there was plenty of light. We walked down the road where we came from hoping to experience the atmosphere around 7000ft up. Kumar offered to accompany us but we declined as we didn’t plan to get lost. Now that the sun was behind us we could see the Gon Molliya range very clearly and a mist was heading our way. We reached the 33rd bend to find the weather had changed completely. Rain clouds loomed threateningly and we had to cut short our walk and head back. The rain caught us before long but thankfully there was a medical center where we sheltered for a while. It kept drizzling and we decided to walk in it. The mist covered the entire area within seconds making it hard to see anywhere.

Walking tucked my sweater under the arm, feeling the tiny drops of water pricking the exposed skin sending a chill right throughout was a new kinda experience. The evening wore off amid chit chat. The bulbs flickered into life when the generator was turned on at 6pm. With it came the mobile reception. Anyway we wouldn’t have minded the poor reception coz it adds to the calmness. Later on after a hot shower we sat down for an early dinner which was sumptuous. The solar panel is not maintained properly, especially it needs washing to clear of the moss and oiliness of the rain water. Unfortunately the workers at the bungalow were not aware of this when Ana explained what needs to be done to improve the efficiency. Thankfully the good old firewood-driven boiler was our savior.

We then got into our beds which were nice and warm. The temperature dipped below 14 degrees and the winds picked up howling around the bungalow but it in some strange way it felt great. The drizzle kept on but it hitting the tin roof was muffled thanks to the wooden ceiling. Having wrapped the thick woolen blankets around us just like mummies we settled down for the night. The sleep slowly crept up on us dragging us slowly into a dreamland. Well before I become dead to the world, lemme wish you good night.

Out they come

The line houses below our bungalow

Our summer hut zoomed from the road

Road repairing underway

Through lush greenery

Here comes the mist

Fading signs

Cotton wool like flowers

Compost pit

Black clouds appearing

Lorenzo De Almeida pose

Isolated road and the rain is imminent

Oh my goats!

Goat just ran away

Found a short cut

Towards Samanalawewa, everything is blocked by the mist that could be hacked with a chain saw

Our garden slowly being invaded

Let’s call it a day

Day 02

Sunrise over the Mountains

The shuffling noise brought me back to earth and getting up I saw Ana as usual making coffee. The cold was back now I’m out of the protecting layer of the blanket. Strong and sweet coffee tickled down the throat warming the interior. The time was closer to 5am and our noise brought the rest of the household into life except Hasi who was still snoring like hibernating grizzly bear. Throughout the night it was a snoring contest between three rooms. Ana backed Atha was the first to take part closely followed by the selfie king, Hasi but they were no match for Prasa who kept up snoring throughout the night moving between various rhythms. Ana was the first to notice the faint glow in the sky and we ran out not caring a toss about the cold. The thermometer read as 10.6 Celsius but our focus was far away.

The whole mountain range comprised of Gon Molliya, Balathuduwa and Wangedigala were silhouetted against the glowing sky. The Walawe Basin was faintly visible through the thick fog that hung above it. Red, orange and yellow strip of light kept expanding up the sky while sun was doing his morning rituals before turning up for work. Towards the world’s end, the sky looked like a milky sea full of thick clouds cluttered together. We were all pointing our cameras firing them off occasionally disturbing the stillness of the environment. The garden was still largely in darkness but we kept moving about looking for that perfect angle.

I just simply don’t have the capability to express the events unfolded within the next hour or so. But lemme try all the same. The first rays of the morning captured the subtle hues of the valley below. Twin humped Gon Molliya was the most prominent among the mountain tips but sharp point of Balathuduwa was looking grand too. We just tried to picture the tallest girl in the country waking up for the day and being bathed in the golden sun rays. There were a couple of clouds hanging just above the tips of the mountains. The golden rays colored them in vivid pink, purple and magenta. After what felt like a millennium, the sun peeped above the mountains and then came slowly up until he was fully out and shining down on us.

The fragrance of the flowers and the trees was so great and we were shivering in the morning breeze. The bungalow looked stunning standing in the middle of all this. We spent a long time being washed by the morning rays before going in for yet another splendid meal.

Just appearing and the temperature was around 11 degrees

The flash lighting the flowers foreground

Sunrise on the way

Mountain silhouettes

Closer

Gigantic fern tree

Can you see the milky sea to the left? That’s the area behind Gon Molliya

Colorful

The time is close now

Any time

Hhmmm?

I’m getting frozen

Almost

Grrrr

Finally, can you see the outline of the cloud?

There

Good morning lazy man

Come on up, don’t be shy

Hurting my eyes

The milky sea still there

Up in the sky

Good morning old lady!

Hike through the Cloud Forest

After a grand breakfast, we decided to do a bit of exploring. We took a short walk through what we usually refer as the cloud forest. The thick foliage kept us shielded from the sun and the chirping birds sang along with us. The dew had gathered on the leaves, flower buds and petals looking very kissable. We walked in single file very much like a six-man reconnaissance team not making a noise. It felt like a crime to disturb the tranquility inside the forest.

After a steady hike we came to a place very much similar to the popular World’s End. Below us were the Non Pareil Estate, its factory and line houses of the workers. Further in the distance were the Walawe Valley, Samanalawewa Reservoir and Velvet Green Mountains. Horton Plains stretched out to miles with her unique beauty. We saw the snaking road we took along the estate to reach the bungalow.

Out of nowhere reminding us the uncertainty of the weather, a great cloud of mist appeared as if to signal the end of the show. We all had taken a whale lot of pictures already so there were no qualms about having to leave. We got back around late morning to find the bungalow along with the garden plunged into a thick layer of mist.

“There’s a Giraffe”

Clear surroundings

Ana ready to rock n roll

Dew covered grass

On our way

Hanging beards

Vivid colors

Giant ferns towering above us

Tiny pathway

Samanalawewa in the distance

X-rayed

Dead tree arts

Like blood veins

Nelu

Prasa looking proud while Ana humble

Thick forest

One of my favorites

Another

The path was slippery

Beard tree

Here the team

Life

Barriers

Non Pareil being unveiled slowly

First of Maha Ratmal flowers

Closer

The line houses below and the snaking road

Mountains beyond World’s End

Sitha Pera

Fern buds

Egg yolk like

Clear view that runs for miles

Below

Zig-zagging path

Non Pareil Tea Factory zoomed in

Clearing in the forest, to the right is World’s End

Towards HP

Towards KGP if I’m not mistaken

Clear views

Not a lotus

The end of the show, here comes the mist

Amazingly beautiful but very narrow

The sad story of the day, invading Eulex found among the trees. Wish we could uproot and destroy it but didn’t wanna ask for trouble

Heading back

Home sweet home

Misty Afternoon

The mist had invaded our bungalow in large numbers just like King Dutugemunu’s army surrounded the Vijithapura castle. We were hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. It was like floating in the sky. The rain arrived early confining us inside but we didn’t mind that. The lunch was delicious and we had a hearty meal before tucking up for another short sleeping run.

Comes the mist

Being enveloped

Looks as if in the sky

Bright girls

“Where’s this lunch?”

Well here it is

Sumptuous is not the word

The evening turned out to be a mixed bag. At times the sun managed to penetrate the thick fog just a wee bit but most of the time we were shrouded in the grey white mist. Gon Molliya range was completely covered and if we didn’t know they were there, it looked as if there was only the sky. The evening wore off ever so slowly paving the way for tea and then the temperature touched the 9 degrees forcing us to turn in early but not before another wonderful meal.

This was a great relaxing journey. We were pampered with stunning views, mouth-watering food, walk-in-the-park strolls and warm beds. What more can someone expect? We were fully content and happy. With these feelings we settled in for our second and final night in this heavenly place. Tomorrow it’s gonna be a long run back home.

Car park

All around is draped with this grey-white curtain

A view worth seeing again and again

The mist lifted giving the view back

Sensual blue

Ready for dinner

Delicious

Journey to Kuda Oya

We slept soundly till the morning and Ana brought us to the earth once again with the noise of clicking china. The morning coffee was gulped down eagerly by everyone. After washing and packing, we sat down for the breakfast at 5.30am. You must be flabbergasted but we had yet another remarkable meal that early while the sun was still struggling to wake up.

By, 5.50am, we were ready to go. We were the first to have left that early. The workers were astonished at the fact that we were cutting short our stay coz the check-out time is 10am. Having thanked them all, we got in the vehicle and were glad for the warmth it offered.

The sun was really struggling to come up. We were very lucky the previous morning to have witnessed such an extraordinary sunrise but today, it was completely different. There were way too many clouds not giving any mercy to the sun and the sunrise was far from eye-catching. When reaching Baker’s Bend, we came to a sudden halt as the lorry which had been carrying stones to repair the road had left its load on the middle of the road very carelessly blocking our way. However, the heavy brigade of Hasi, Atha and Prasa ran towards it throwing the load to the side within seconds. They were lightning fast I barely managed to take a picture. Hoping there would be no more obstacles, we carried on the downhill path taking those hairpin bends once again before reaching Pambahinna.

How about some breakfast at 5am?

If it’s anything as good as this, don’t mind the time

Velvet mountains in the morning

Back at Baker’s Bend

Prasa running to give a hand

It was only a few seconds work for them

Au revoir

Sun was really struggling

Towards World’s End

The winding road

Finally sun managed to come up

Gotta come once again, to come search for Galagama Falls

We took the Kalthota Road, where I’ve had some great memories, and carried on towards Hambegamuwa then to Kuda Oya where Ana had some personal business to attend to. While they went on with that, I used the time picturing the surrounding areas. The nearly ready paddy fields were in many shades between yellow and green. Bunches of rice were nearly ready to be harvested, they were falling towards the earth due the weight of the seeds while the yellow and green blades of grass were rising to the sky. There must have been hundreds of acres of rice waiting to go and feed the hungry mouths. Hopefully these farmers will get their word work’s worth.

In addition to them, there were tiny papaw trees yet with plenty of fruits in various stages of ripening. The soil is very fruitful and ready to give back a healthy harvest. Kuda Oya flows right next to the bungalow where we went but she’s being abused brutally by the sand miners. So venturing into the water is very dangerous due to deep pits.

We then took leave and headed towards Colombo via Udawalawa. The reservoir looking beautiful as ever and we saw the pipeline that takes water to the Samanalawewa Power Plant. Further to the right was Diyawini Ella but very little water. Even the Udawalawa itself has a small hydro power plant that generates electricity. The swimming beggar was there. If you wonder if it was Michael Phelps, you’re sadly mistaken. It was that elephant who dares the water and swims across to come beg for some delicacies from the passing travelers. There were people against numerous warnings trying to give him something. Simply absurd and they never learn a lesson.