Spend the night at Hortain Plains / හොර්ටන් තැන්නේ රැයක්

Year and Month	First attempt-18^th July 2019 Successful camping-2020 March 02^nd and 3^rd
Number of Days	Two days
Crew	05-Kasun Shanaka, Kasun Lakmal, Vinoda, Shashi and Myself
Accommodation	Camping at Hortain plains camp site-1
Transport	By train, Van and walking
Activities	Trekking, Camping and Photography
Weather	Misty and cold
Route	Colombo->Haputale-> Ohiya->Hortain Plains->Camp site-1->Circular trail of HP-> Back to Ohiya road->Devil stair case->Bambarakanda->Kalupahana->Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Be alert on weather, especially rain. Better cancel the camping in heavy rain New departure time for Colombo-Badulla night mail is 8.30 pm. Now there are different options at Ohiya to fulfill your meals. Patiya’s shop (පැටියාගේ කඩේ) is one of that. This place can be recommended. The cafeteria at HP runs by villagers of Ohiya. Prices and quality of food are satisfactory. Camp site of HP to be booked in advanced. Booking is done at Wild life department at Battaramulla. T.P. 0112888585. Better call them and ask about availability of dates you expect. Booking charges for one campsite is about Rs 2400. Camp sites can’t be booked via online. Camp site-1 is the best out of three as it is situated far of the foot path. Total number of people can stay at camp site is 9 with two children. No fire (punishable offence) at Hortain plains camp sites. You can use a gas burner for cooking. No liquor and cigarettes. Sometimes a wild life officer might visit the place at night. You are advised to not to walk out of camp site after 6 pm. Minimize use of polythene and plastics you carry. They will check the bags at the entrance. Some of the polythene they might remove. But wild life officers are more flexible on campers than day time visitors. Please bring back everything you carry including Garbage. We have seen last group has dumped cooked food at camp site. Camp sites are opened from 1 pm to 10 am. (This is flexible). It is a chilling cold at night. Best times to visit HP camping sites are December to May months as less chance of rain. December, January and February are coldest nights. Be prepare with jackets and other measures for the cold at night as you can’t make fire. No issue with water and toilet facilities. All camp sites are equipped with Toilets. Please be kind enough to clean the toilet before you leave the place. You don’t need to buy tickets to enter HP national park if camp sites are booked.
Related Resources	Lakdasun guide on Hortain Plains Lakdasun reports on A quick guide to Hortain plains Campsites
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Spend the night at Hortain Plains / හොර්ටන් තැන්නේ රැයක්

Hortain plains is one of my favorite travel destinations and I have been there number of times through different routes. Camping at Hortain Plains is a different experience than a day time visit of the place. I was waiting to get that experience but first attempt was unsuccessful in July 2019 due to torrential rain we faced. We had to return to HP office from camp site in late evening as there was no difference inside the tent and outside due to rain. Luckily we found a three wheeler to reach Ohiya by 9 pm and spent the night at Ohiya instead of camping.

So I was cautious in planning my second camping attempt due to past memories. Different set of friends joined for camping this time. Updates of weather from Ohiya tell continuous drought over the area during last few months. It was a great relief for us. Two Kasuns, Vinoda and Myself started the journey by Colombo-Badulla night mail from Pettah and reached Haputale by 5.30 am. Our first task of the day was to visit Prabawa Day Mountain view point at Haputale after early morning breakfast. We were successful in this plan and returned to Haputhale by 9.30 am. After buying some necessary things for camping from Haputhale, we got the train to Ohiya.

Luckily weather was excellent and we hired a van as the number of the team was five.

Real journey started from Ohiya. Click credit goes to Vinoda Ranakisha.

MCG 925 reached Ohiya. Click credit goes to Vinoda Ranakisha.

Loitering at Ohiya-Patiya’s shop. Click credit goes to Vinoda Ranakisha.

At Patiya’s shop Ohiya

On our way to Hortain Plains

After finishing necessary documentation at HP wild life office we started to walk to camp site-1.

Towards Camp site-1

Towards camp site-1

Reaching camp site-1

Camp sites of Hortain Plains

There are three camp sites at Hortain plains. Camp site 1, 2 and 3.

Camp sites of Hortain Plains.

Camp site 1 (6.797386, 80.802947)
This is the closest camp site to Hortain plains wild life office. After the red bridge there is a foot path in right hand side to the camp site-1 (6.797633.80, 80.805382). This site is some kind of an isolated place and margined by the stream in three sides. That is the reason to mention it as the best camp site. Real disadvantage of this place is it is getting sun rays in morning quite later.

Camp site 2 and 3
Camp site 2 and 3 are situated next to famous Chimney pool. Therefore it gets attraction of people who walk along the common path. Here camp site 2 is more closer to Chimney pool and 3 is next to camp site 2. There is a foot path between camp site 2& 3 with 1.

Spend the night at Hortain Plains Camp site-1

It was around 2 pm when we reached the camp site-1. This place is like a basin surrounded by hills. A tributary of Belihul Oya runs closer to the camp site. We have pitched our tent and unloaded the stuff we carried. As there nothing much to see we decided to follow the circular trail to Baker’s falls and Great World’s end.

Camp site-1 is like a basin.

Tributary of Belihul Oya makes a small pool at camp site-1.

Tributary of Belihul Oya passing the camp site-1.

Evening visit to circular trail of Hortain plains

We followed the same foot path from camp site-1 and got back to main track. It was around 4 pm and most of visitors were leaving Hortain Plains. Therefore we were the only group at Hortain plains at that time. (Nobody was there at other camp sites). Chimney Pool, Camp site-2, Leg of Mutton Pool, Baker’s Falls, Great World’s end and Mini World’s end were main attractions of the circular trail. Here we spent much time at Baker’s Falls as it was awesome to be there at evening. As we expected Great World’s end was completely covered with mist when we reached there. It was quite late arrival to camp site with assistance of head torches.

Back to main foot path. Surrounding was misty.

Common finding at HP. But this is a statue.

Follow the circular trail of HP. Click credit goes to Vinoda Ranashika.

Chimney Pool of HP.

At Chimney Pool.

Chimney Pool of HP. This was built by Sir Samuel Baker in view of cultivation of HP.

The team

Aquatic

Small waterfall made at Chimney Pool

At periphery of Chimney Pool. Clicked by Kasun Shanaka.

Back to main path

Camp site-2 situated above Chimney Pool.

A long bridge….

Lonely tree

Gravel road at circular trail

Leg of Mutton Pool

.	Belihul Oya continues it’s journey to form Galagama Falls.

Forest patch

Smiley….

Heading to Baker’s Falls

Baker’s Falls

The author at Baker’s Falls

At Baker’s Falls

Team at Baker’s Falls

Complete picture….

Baker’s Falls

Baker’s Falls…..Clicked by Kasun Shanaka

At middle of Baker’s falls…… Clicked by Kasun Shanaka

Sun set behind Baker’s Falls- Clicked by Kasun Shanaka

Middle of Baker’s Falls- Clicked by Kasun Shanaka

At Baker’s Falls….Clicked by Kasun Shanaka

Hortain plains is full of uncommon tiny flowers and plants. Look around if you are interest. Can get loads of photos.

Back to trail…..

Different levels….

At Great World’s end….

This was a new arrival to Hortain plains. It was set above Great World’s end at Nagrak pathway.

Rest of the Circular trek

They are ending another day…..

Chilling night is the unique feature of Hortain Plains camping. As we are not allowed to set camp fire, we had to tolerate it by warm of gas burner and thermal clothes. It is better to get into your thermal clothes before you feel the cold. After preparing dinner we gathered at camp site and had a chat. It was a clear night with almost full moon. Later cold was intolerable to send us back to the tent. The dew was significant at night to make my tent drenched. Nobody was interested in shooting milky way at night as getting up was really hard.

Day 02

It was really hard to get out from the tent even at 6.30 am. As camp site 01 is situated at a basin morning was quite late to the place. I was interested in capturing some scenery with mist and dew. Later sky was brightened and camp site one got enough sun rise to expel the cold.

Quite late sun rise

Dew…..

Mist coming up…..

Quite late arrival of morning…..

Morning tea….

Dew….

Frost on leaves…

Frost on flowers

After a chilling night

We didn’t have exact plan on that day after finishing camping. Leisurely we packed our stuff following breakfast. It was the blue sky when we were back to nearby hill. Kirigalpoththa and Agra Bopath mountains were clearly seen behind the plain. It was the end of another memorable camping night.

Camp site-1 early morning. This is the toilet and garbage bin.

Camp site-1 at morning.

Camp site-1 at morning

Preparing the breakfast

Successfully prepared easy rice for the breakfast

Breakfast time….

Searching for sun rays…..

Ready to go back

Good bye camp site 01

Brightened sky…..

This is the hill situated on the other side of the stream just behind the campsite

.	Campers…..

Agra Bopath and Kirigalpoththa

Second highest mountain of SL-Kirigalpoththa

Tributary of Belihul Oya

Agra Bopath

Wild life office at Hortain Plains. This was Farlin restaurant earlier.

Refreshing my memories on Devil Stair case.

After finishing Hortain Plains camping by one and half day, I was thinking how to spend rest of the day in effective manner. Two Kasun and Vinoda said good bye to us from Ohiya as they had to go home early. Here Shashi and Myself decided to go down along Devil’s stair case to refresh our memories. Both of us have been at Devil’s stair case earlier.

There are two ways to reach Devil’s stair case from Ohiya-HP road. A lot of people follow Ohiya-Kalupahana tarred road to reach Devil’s stair case. There is a short cut (6.805629, 80.842300) from Ohiya-Hortain plains road at 26^th km post to join with Devil’s stair case. Actually getting down along this short cut was like another Devil’s stair case. Though I have been at this short cut before, it was first time of Shashi. Once we reached Udaweriya line houses, we followed another short cut and get on to top of Bambarakanda Falls through the Pinus patch. Here police has advised by a notice to not to enter the area due to recent deaths due to fall. Later we reached the observation point of Bambarakanda Fall and ended day with a bath there.