Land Marks of Misty Nuwera Eliya Part-2

Year and Month	Piduruthalagala Summit- 2017 March 18th Single Tree Hill Climb- 2016 December Harasbedda MWE, Grand Hotel and Glen Falls- 2018 December
Number of Days	Different three days
Crew	Myself, Nuwan, Indeewara and his family, Danushka and his wife Single Tree Hill-Dimal, Kasun Shanaka and Myself
Accommodation	Circuit Bungalow belongs to Uniliver Company at Magasthota-Nuwaraeliya
Transport	By car and bus
Activities	Sightseeing, Archaeology, Photography and Just walking
Weather	Brilliant
Route	Colombo->Nuweraeliya
Tips, Notes and Special remark	1. Piduruthalagala Summit You need a vehicle to reach there as walking is not allowed. No need prior permission, only filling a form at the entrance gate. On top of Piduruthalagala, there is a plaque showing the highest point of SL. It needs prior permission to visit this plaque. Better have an army contact.2. Galwala Falls and Glen Falls Glen falls is a seasonal fall and better visit during rain. Get the road next to Araliya Green Hotel. The fall here I mentioned as Galwala Falls is the lower Galwala Falls. This also almost a seasonal fall. 3. Single Tree Hill It is just a 1 hour walk / hike from the main road to top of the mountain. No need permission. You can drive up to the temple. Road condition is not good after the temple. It is a scenic walk. Therefore better do it in early morning or evening. 4. Harasbedda Mini World’s End This Mini World’s end can be approached by a vehicle. Road condition is well up to the world’s end.
Related Resources	The book-“Nuwaraeliya Salakunu”-නුවරඑළියේ සලකුණු by Shelton Hettiarachchi Amazing Lanka Galwala Falls
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Land Marks of Misty Nuwera Eliya Part-2

Nuwara Eliya is one of the main tourist’s attractions of Sri Lanka among foreigners as well as locals. Though people visit at Nuwara Eliya, they know about few places there. This is my attempt to list most of the tourist’s attractions at Nuwara Eliya with a small description which would be help full for someone in future.
Rests of the places were mentioned in part-1.

1. Galwala Falls (6.978289, 80.780360)
This has become an almost seasonal fall situated in Lady McCollum road. It is visible to the main road and has 23 m height. The proper Galwala Falls (Galwala Upper Falls) is situated somewhere in upstream and it needs permission to visit there. One of the streams origins from Western slope of Piduruthalagala forms this falls. A tank has been built on top of the waterfall and water is diverted in the town below.

Galwala Lower Falls

Top of waterfall

Galwala Lower Falls

Surrounding view from Galwala Lower Falls

2. Piduruthalagala summit (7.000875, 80.773344) (2524 m)

It is the highest peak of Sri Lanka. Though it is the highest peak no need strenuous effort to climb there as no permission to walk over there. Top of Piduruthalagala is a high security zone where number of communication towers and radar towers situated. Therefore you have to drive up to the summit (No permission to get down from vehicle on your way up and enjoy the view). You don’t need prior permission to visit there. The highest point of SL is marked as a monument / plaque but it needs prior permission to visit there. Just verbal permission is enough.
I still can remember my first visit to Piduruthalagala summit in 2011 soon after finish the civil war. I had to do so many paper works to get permission from Ministry of Defense at that time. But I was lucky enough to visit at the highest point as I had some army contacts at that time.
My second visit happened in 2017 and we didn’t need prior permission.
Piduruthalagala summit provides nice view towards surroundings in a clear day. The distance from Nuwera Eliya to Piduruthalagala summit entrance is 2.2 km. Then it is a 5.5 km drive to the summit.

View of Piduruthalagala Towers from Nuwera Eliya Town. It is crowded with communication and radar towers.

It is placed at junction….

Through Piduruthalagala forest reserve.

Mountainous forest……

On our way up to Piduruthalagala…..

Unknown waterfall falling down from Piduruthalagala forest reserve

On top of Piduruthalagala mountain

Transmission towers on top of Piduruthalagala

The view from Piduruthalagala. Towards Nuwera Eliya town and Hakgala peak

Sandathenna Mini Worlds’ end, Nuweraeliya Town and Hakgala Mountain

Hakgala Mountain can be easily identified with it’s unique shape

Gregory Lake is seen

Sri Pada from Piduruthalagala

Our team on top of Piduruthalagala

3. Single Tree Hill Mountain (2105 m)
Single Tree Hill Mountain is the 10th highest peak of Sri Lanka with 2105 m height. It is situated at Nuwara Eliya town and the single tree hill road starts at Nuwara Eliya-Badulla road (6.961053, 80.767535). It is a gravel road through tea patches and passes Swarnagiri Maha Wiharaya and end up at summit. The summit is occupied by communication towers and tea patches. You can view Piduruthalagala Range, Hakgala, Gregory Lake, Sandathenna area, Namunukula etc. on your way to the peak Sri Pada with surrounding mountains, Uda Radella and Hatton side can be viewed from Single Tree hill, just before the summit. This road becomes a foot pathway and it continues till Shanthipura village at Kikiliyamana Mountain. It was just a walk from Nuwara Eliya town to top of Single Tree Hill Mountain. You can drive up to the temple and road condition is not good after the road.

Single Tree Hill Mountain with towers

Road to Single Tree Hill

Road is good up to the temple

Shrine came across on our way to top…

Hakgala Mountain and Towards Mipilimana. Conical Hills is seen at right corner of the picture.

Entering to Swarnagiri Temple

The temple

Stupa

Inside Swarnagiri Temple.

Sri Pada. Dell Mountain is in front of it.

We have passed Swaranagiri Temple and continued along the estate.

Hakgala

Closer view of Hakgala Mountain.

Towards Gregory Lake…. Sandathenna can be seen beyond Gregory Lake.

Gregory Lake, Sandathenna (right side) and Namunukula pop up.

Following gravel road to Summit

Uda Radella Mountain with towers

Towers on top of Single Tree Hill

View from top of the mountain

On top of Single Tree Hill

Mount Dell and Sri Pada Mountain

The shrine on top of the mountain

Partially built greenhouse…

4. Grand Hotel Nuwera Eliya
Grand Hotel in Nuwera Eliya is an icon of this misty town. This was the bungalow of Sir Edward Barnes who is the inventor of Nuwera Eliya town and governor of Sri Lanka (1824-1831). He has sold this bungalow to a private company in 1883 and Grand Hotel was built related to this Bungalow.
Grand Hotel is a four star hotel and the oldest hotel in Nuwera Eliya. Nuwera Eliya Grand hotel has 154 rooms with six super luxury rooms.

Nuwera Eliya Grand Hotel with garden.

Entrance of the hotel

Ancient paintings displayed at hotel

5. Glen Falls (6.965953, 80.760228) (10 m)
This 10 m tall waterfall originates from the northern side of Single Tree Hill Mountain. Due to excessive clearance at top of Single Tree Hill Mountain, it has become a seasonal waterfall only during and after rain. We drove along the road next to Araliya Green Hills at Nuwera Eliya and had a closer approach to Glen Falls. Better go in a rainy time to get the full picture of the fall.

Distance view of Glen Falls

Closer view of Glen Falls with low water level.

Glen Falls.

6. Harasbedda Mini world’s End (7.062686, 80.886330)
Nuwera Eliya is blessed with Great World’s End at Hortain Plains and Mini world’s End at Sandathenna. This is another world’s end situated closer to Nuwera Eliya, actually situated at Harasbedda.
Drive along Nuwera Eliya-Udupussallawa road and turned to right at the junction after Harasbedda junction. (This by road passes behind Youth crop building at Harasbedda) (7.056917, 80.879377. When you drive along this road, you will come across another by road to left side which ends at Mini World’s end. There is a safety railing around the World’s end.
In my first visit to this place it was covered by the mist. Second visit was clear and a villager helped us identifying surrounding structures. Unfortunately there is no sign board to direct the place.