Twenty miles south of Nuwara Elyia is the
Horton Plains National Park, which is most well-known for its amazing viewpoint
called World’s End. The relatively cool temperatures of the park, steady
precipitation, high altitude, and the convergence of three rivers create a rare
and fragile ecosystem in which a unique biosystem flourishes. Some of the birds
found in Horton Plains are only found here.
Clouds and haze are a constant presence at
Horton Plains, and the only window of opportunity for a clear view at World’s
End is in the early morning. So we climbed into a van leaving Nuwara Eliya at
5:30am. This was our first encounter with Sri Lanka’s national park system, and
we were shocked at the fees levied on foreign visitors. Between the transport,
the entrance, a “vehicle fee”, a ticket for our driver, taxes, and an undefined
“service charge”, our excursion cost around $50 apiece. Perhaps at a later
date, we’ll get into the shameless chicanery of Sri Lanka’s tourism efforts,
but for now suffice to say that we started our adventure at Horton Plains in
sour spirits.
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