Have you ever dreamed about climbing a mountain early in the morning and then being rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and fiery skies? Do you want to know how you can do this in Sri Lanka? Make your morning cup of coffee and just press “Read more” :)
Adam’s Peak also known as Sri Pada was one of my small challenges during my trip in Sri Lanka.
The amazing 2,243m mountain is a very important pilgrimage site and unlike my experience at Temple of the Tooth in Kandy I was able to feel the special atmosphere of this magical place while climbing thousands of stone steps to touch the sunrise.
If you decide to go for Adam’s Peak first challenge you are going to face is…
Getting there
My last article left us in Kandy so this is the place we will continue our journey.
The closest city to Adam’s Peak is called Dalhousie but to reach it, first you need to go to Hatton which is the closest train station.
Tip: don’t buy your ticket at the last moment. After we found a place to sleep in Kandy our first job was to go back to the train station, check the timetable for the trains and buy our tickets for the next day.
The train station in Kandy
There is a train from Kandy to Hatton at 08:45, 11:10 and according to the Sri Lanka Railways (btw very useful website) one at 17:00 which I didn’t see on the timetable at the train station in Kandy.
Even though we booked our tickets a day in advance the only one option was a 3rd class ticket. The distance from Kandy to Hatton is only around 60km so me and my Slovenian friends decided that it can’t be that bad.
We gave each other a huge smiles and bought 3 3rd class tickets, 400LKR each.
The next day when we arrived for our train at 11:10, the queue in front of the ticket office was quite big so we were happy we arranged that trip in advance.
I would like emphasize again at the fact that you should definitely try the trains in Sri Lanka. This is the slowest but absolutely stunning way to explore the beauty of that country.
Best way to travel across Sri Lanka: use trains!
Delays here are something so natural so people don’t even bother about it. Our train arrived at 11:50 (only with 40 min delay) which I consider is something normal.
Also as I said in my first article always double check which platform your train will leave as it often happens that platform will change. Usually before your train arrives everything is quite calm and peaceful but if you notice running people to the next platform be sure you are on the wrong one.
if you notice running people to the next platform
be sure you are on the wrong one:)
My journey from Colombo to Habarana was my first train experience but I took a 2nd class so my burning curiosity for our 3rd class adventure had been awakened.
Have to say that the train was absolutely ok. In fact, the only difference with 2nd class is that the seats are not separate and of course you have less space.
3rd class trains in Sri Lanka are absolutely f-i-n-e!
Still, when the train arrived at the platform I was surprised to see people rolling their suitcases and even a guy, carrying his surfboard on his shoulders!
The beginning of our trip to Adam’s Peak
I’ve always liked traveling solo but one of the best things about this way of travelling is that you can meet great people on the road so when it happens you can easily make friends.
That was the case with my Slovenian travel buddies. We had great fun that day, contemplating together the beautiful landscapes of green tea plantations and lush forests.
Teja and Rok reminded me of something that I haven’t done for ages. They have tradition to buy postcards (a lot of postcards!) and send them to their family and friends.
It’s a great and very simple way to show that you care about your friends and you think about your closest people even on the road. So I helped them with the postcard wishes and later I also sent a postcard to my mom from Nuwara Eliya.
The tradition of sending postcards came to life again!
Our train, passing across the Hill country, took us through lush green forests and hills, small villages, tea pluckers lost in an endless tea plantations.
I will remember that day as one of the most spectacular train journeys I’ve done in my life after the Toy train in Darjeeling, India.
I highly recommend you the train journey from Kandy to Hatton and you can even continue (as I did) all the way to Nuwara Eliya and Badulla.
If you wouldn’t enjoy your experience, you have the full right to leave a negative comment right now, under this article! But if you liked it, you can always write something nice about me here, right? (lol)
After 2 hours we reached Hatton.
Once when you get out at Hatton train station you will be offered a tuk-tuk to Dalhousie. But you can always take the bus to Dalhousie which will cost you only 70 LKR. The buses stop right next to the train station.
You will save money plus you can make sure that would be one of the craziest bus rides you’ve ever done. The bus we took was packed with tourists. Teja manage to find a seat but me and Rok was trying to keep our balance squeezed between other tourists and bags.
Meanwhile it started raining and that was the heaviest rain I’ve seen in Sri Lanka. Our approximately 2 hour ride offered us stunning views and exciting moments that will make your heart to skip a beat when you look down to the narrow road and you realize you could end up in the abyss on the next turn.
Sorry guys, I didn’t have any photos from our bus trip, because my hands were too busy to grab something which will protect me from rolling into the bus like a bag of potatoes :D
Fortunately on the way back to Hatton we took the same bus and I managed to get a seat. The view was stunning!
Finding a place to sleep
I admit I was a bit worried about finding accommodation in Dalhousie. It was raining like cats and dogs and the bus was full with tourist and probably not all of them had already booked a place to stay.
Once when we get off the bus all my fears vanished. It was full with locals waiting for the newly arrived tourists. So we found a room even before we managed to get wet.
Rok lead the negotiations and we bargained for 2500LKR (830LKR each).
We already had the experience from Kandy, so we knew that we can ask for the same price we had before.
The deal was good. The place we stayed is called Ayos Hill.
Our room was basic but clean and the price was including a transport to the entry point where the hiking of Adam’s Peak starts.
Our lovely room had a king size bed plus a small mattress :)
Free from any issues we had a short walk around the area where we stayed, called Maskeliya.
The green colors after the rain were more vivid than ever! Here in the uphill country the temperature has dramatically decreased but I can’t say that it was cold.
After sweating so much in the tropical climate of the plains that part of the journey going uphill was a big relief for us.
There was a beautiful lake nearby and the view was simply amazing!
We had a lovely lunch at the restaurant of Ayos Hill. Chicken deval and local beer.
The guy who offered us the cheap accommodation was smart enough to offer us beers too. A few lovely “Lion” cans were chilling in the fridge and waiting for us. Of course the beer was quite pricey, 500 LKR each. This is how it works in Sri Lanka.
We had a few hours of sleep before we started our adventure to Adam’s Peak.
So here are the things you should know before you start your trek to Adam’s Peak:
What to pack?
Take a small backpack and load a few bottles of water, snack and a jacket/sweater or hoodie. When you reach the top you will be sweating and up there it’s cold and windy.
On your way to the top you will see a lot of pilgrims who are climbing the stairs just barefoot. Honestly, I don’t know how they do that but to me a pair of comfortable shoes/trainers is a must.
How difficult would be?
I didn’t know what to expect but after our small adventure I can say Adam’s Peak is not for everyone. You should be physically fit and even though you think there’s only stairs to climb (so you don’t need any technical skills) that could be deceptive because the higher you get the steeper it is and 5200 stairs is definitely not an exercise for everyone.
On the way back you can expect that your knees will hurt a bit but everything depends on your motivation and desire to reach the top.
Тhe base of the climb
When to start?
Best time to start climbing is around 02:00am in the morning (no, that’s not a joke) so you can see the sunrise from the summit and avoid the heat.
That’s exactly what we did. After a few hours of sleep, we jumped into a small van with another 2 girls staying at Ayoss Hill. The driver dropped us at the beginning of the trek as we were promised.
It was still dark and we started making our way between the small shops in Dalhousie.
Not long after that we saw that the route has separated into two directions and a small boy showed us politely the way. Eventually this led us to another donation box. We had to leave some money because we couldn’t continue our way.
My tip for you is don’t listen to what they say and take the other way unless you want to start your day with a donation :)
We knew that it will take us around 3 hours to reach the top but it actually took us around 2:30h without many breaks and keeping a constant pace.
We reached the top around 04:30 am but we were not the only one. It was already full with pilgrims and tourists. All these people were waiting for the same thing: to see the magical sunrise.
I found out that for the local people Adam’s Peak is an important pilgrimage spot. The different religions have their own legends about the significance of the summit:
Buddhists believe that the footprint on the top of the summit belongs to Buddha. For Hindus the footprint belongs to Shiva. Muslims and Christians believe that when Adam was exiled from the Garden of Eden he left his footprint at the summit.
We don’t know if any of these legends is true but I can assure you waiting for the sun to show up there, surrounded by all these people has some magic. Step by step the dark sky is turning into a masterpiece of vivid colors and the excitement among the crowd is increasing.
Not long after that the sun, who looks so shy at the beginning, will spread the golden sunbeams over the huge chain of summits to show its full glory. That moment will last just a couple of minutes, a few magical minutes at the top of the world where the night and morning meet.
I’m a dreamcatcher so to me spending a sleepless night and climbing 5200 to see that landscape is totally worth it. What about you?
After that we literary run back down on the stairs to avoid the crowds of descending people and to hide from the heat. We managed to get down before 8 am and that was a great achievement.
It was only the beginning of the day but I felt tired already. Despite of that we didn’t give up on chasing our next aim:
Nuwara Eliya
Getting there
We called Ayoss Hill who sent us the same van to pick us back to the hotel. We grab our backpacks and we politely declined the offer from the hotel for a transportation to Hatton.
Instead of that, we took the bus to Hatton (there is a bus stop next to Ayoss Hill).
Only for 70LKR we reached Hatton train station.
Have in mind that in Maskeliya you will have to change the bus (you won’t be charged again for that).
At 11:10 am we jumped on the train from Hatton to Nanu Oya (the closest train station to Nuwara Eliya). The 3rd class ticket will cost you 90LKR. The view from the train is still mesmerizing: endless tea plantations and workers.
Once when we reached Nanu Oya we knew that there is a bus which goes to Nuwara Eliya. The creativity of the tuk-tuk drivers went really high. When we ask them where to find the bus they told us that there is a strike today and the buses are not running between Nanu Oya and Nuwara Eliya :D
Five minutes later we found the bus stand which is located just out of the train station (you have to go on the road above it). The bus ride from Nanu Oya to Nuwara Eliya will take around 30-40 min and ticket costs 22 LKR :)
Where to stay?
There’s one amazing place in Nuwara Eliya called King Fern Cottage. Even though it’s a bit expensive the hotel won our respect from the very beginning.
After some short hesitation and bargaining we rent the room for 4500 LKR (1500LKR each) and we enjoyed the nice atmosphere and excellent service of that place.
The owner definitely knows how to make a good business. We were welcomed with a hot tea. King Fern Cottage has a splendid garden and common area with small library. I loved the interior. For the cold evenings there’s a fire place inside and the candles create even better atmosphere. You will be provided with warm blankets.
Nuwara Eliya looks like a tidy city compared with the rest of the country. Actually it looks more like a little Edinburgh than a city in Sri Lanka. It’s all about tea here so you have the perfect chance to visit another tea factory. Since we had already done that in Kandy, we decided we can go for a little hike.
After Adam’s Peak that was really exhausting activity but I’m glad we did it. My Slovenian friend’s guidebook suggest us to see Lover’s Leap Falls. It’s a nice short hike to the waterfall with great views across the valley even though it’s a bit challenging to find the place.
After some bargaining we took a tuk-tuk for 350 LKR to Pedro Tea Estate. It was already afternoon so we didn’t have time to go all the way on foot.
Pedro Tea Estate is another tea factory and a popular spot for the tourists.
Once the tuk-tuk drive dropped us here, our presence didn’t stay unnoticed.
The information that Lonely Planet had for us wasn’t very clear so we couldn’t find the starting point of Lover’s Leap. It was only said that we have to pass through the manager’s bungalow be we didn’t have a clue where was it.
A guy who was working in the tea factory offered us help and we ended up at the adjacent tea plantation, among the tea pluckers.
I can’t even imagine how hard is the life of a tea plucker. These women’s life is full of work. The minimum tea leaves that they should collect for one day is 18kg and they will get less than 5$ for their work.
I understand that reality sometimes it tough but that’s not the reason to use stranded tourists like a donation box. The guy was encouraging us to take photos of the women.
Indeed, the scenery looked magnificent: tea workers in the lush green plantations, but we knew that the moment we do this, they will ask for money.
On top of that, you can capture many amazing sceneries while you’re passing through the tea plantations with a train.
Best time to start climbing is around 02:00am in the morning (no, that’s not a joke) so you can see the sunrise from the summit and avoid the heat.
That’s exactly what we did. After a few hours of sleep, we jumped into a small van with another 2 girls staying at Ayoss Hill. The driver dropped us at the beginning of the trek as we were promised.
It was still dark and we started making our way between the small shops in Dalhousie.
Not long after that we saw that the route has separated into two directions and a small boy showed us politely the way. Eventually this led us to another donation box. We had to leave some money because we couldn’t continue our way.
My tip for you is don’t listen to what they say and take the other way unless you want to start your day with a donation :)
We knew that it will take us around 3 hours to reach the top but it actually took us around 2:30h without many breaks and keeping a constant pace.
We reached the top around 04:30 am but we were not the only one. It was already full with pilgrims and tourists. All these people were waiting for the same thing: to see the magical sunrise.
I found out that for the local people Adam’s Peak is an important pilgrimage spot. The different religions have their own legends about the significance of the summit:
Buddhists believe that the footprint on the top of the summit belongs to Buddha. For Hindus the footprint belongs to Shiva. Muslims and Christians believe that when Adam was exiled from the Garden of Eden he left his footprint at the summit.
We don’t know if any of these legends is true but I can assure you waiting for the sun to show up there, surrounded by all these people has some magic. Step by step the dark sky is turning into a masterpiece of vivid colors and the excitement among the crowd is increasing.
Not long after that the sun, who looks so shy at the beginning, will spread the golden sunbeams over the huge chain of summits to show its full glory. That moment will last just a couple of minutes, a few magical minutes at the top of the world where the night and morning meet.
I’m a dreamcatcher so to me spending a sleepless night and climbing 5200 to see that landscape is totally worth it. What about you?
After that we literary run back down on the stairs to avoid the crowds of descending people and to hide from the heat. We managed to get down before 8 am and that was a great achievement.
It was only the beginning of the day but I felt tired already. Despite of that we didn’t give up on chasing our next aim:
Nuwara Eliya
Getting there
We called Ayoss Hill who sent us the same van to pick us back to the hotel. We grab our backpacks and we politely declined the offer from the hotel for a transportation to Hatton.
Instead of that, we took the bus to Hatton (there is a bus stop next to Ayoss Hill).
Only for 70LKR we reached Hatton train station.
Have in mind that in Maskeliya you will have to change the bus (you won’t be charged again for that).
At 11:10 am we jumped on the train from Hatton to Nanu Oya (the closest train station to Nuwara Eliya). The 3rd class ticket will cost you 90LKR. The view from the train is still mesmerizing: endless tea plantations and workers.
Once when we reached Nanu Oya we knew that there is a bus which goes to Nuwara Eliya. The creativity of the tuk-tuk drivers went really high. When we ask them where to find the bus they told us that there is a strike today and the buses are not running between Nanu Oya and Nuwara Eliya :D
Five minutes later we found the bus stand which is located just out of the train station (you have to go on the road above it). The bus ride from Nanu Oya to Nuwara Eliya will take around 30-40 min and ticket costs 22 LKR :)
Where to stay?
There’s one amazing place in Nuwara Eliya called King Fern Cottage. Even though it’s a bit expensive the hotel won our respect from the very beginning.
After some short hesitation and bargaining we rent the room for 4500 LKR (1500LKR each) and we enjoyed the nice atmosphere and excellent service of that place.
The owner definitely knows how to make a good business. We were welcomed with a hot tea. King Fern Cottage has a splendid garden and common area with small library. I loved the interior. For the cold evenings there’s a fire place inside and the candles create even better atmosphere. You will be provided with warm blankets.
Nuwara Eliya looks like a tidy city compared with the rest of the country. Actually it looks more like a little Edinburgh than a city in Sri Lanka. It’s all about tea here so you have the perfect chance to visit another tea factory. Since we had already done that in Kandy, we decided we can go for a little hike.
After Adam’s Peak that was really exhausting activity but I’m glad we did it. My Slovenian friend’s guidebook suggest us to see Lover’s Leap Falls. It’s a nice short hike to the waterfall with great views across the valley even though it’s a bit challenging to find the place.
After some bargaining we took a tuk-tuk for 350 LKR to Pedro Tea Estate. It was already afternoon so we didn’t have time to go all the way on foot.
Pedro Tea Estate is another tea factory and a popular spot for the tourists.
Once the tuk-tuk drive dropped us here, our presence didn’t stay unnoticed.
The information that Lonely Planet had for us wasn’t very clear so we couldn’t find the starting point of Lover’s Leap. It was only said that we have to pass through the manager’s bungalow be we didn’t have a clue where was it.
A guy who was working in the tea factory offered us help and we ended up at the adjacent tea plantation, among the tea pluckers.
I can’t even imagine how hard is the life of a tea plucker. These women’s life is full of work. The minimum tea leaves that they should collect for one day is 18kg and they will get less than 5$ for their work.
I understand that reality sometimes it tough but that’s not the reason to use stranded tourists like a donation box. The guy was encouraging us to take photos of the women.
Indeed, the scenery looked magnificent: tea workers in the lush green plantations, but we knew that the moment we do this, they will ask for money.
On top of that, you can capture many amazing sceneries while you’re passing through the tea plantations with a train.
Tea pluckers captured during one of my train journeys in Sri Lanka
The guy saw that we’re not interested to take photos so he directly told us that the woman in front of us is very poor and she has 4 kids. We understood that this guy won’t help us to find the hiking trail and we just left.
I felt bad that I didn’t give money to the woman but I knew that even if I do it, the men will take the money from her and split it between each other.
With a little help from my GPS navigation we found the narrow path that leads to the waterfall. When you go out of Pedro Tea Estate you will see a blue church opposite the road (I think its name is St. Paul The Hermit Church). Just a 100m after the church you will see the trail and not long after that you’ll see the sign for the manager’s bungalow.
The view from the hills was beautiful but unfortunately dark clouds started to fill the sky.
Despite of that we didn’t give up and maybe after 30min walking we finally reached the waterfall. I couldn’t believe that just in one day we conquered a summit and a waterfall in 2 different cities. My knees were in pain but it was a great adventure.
At the waterfall we met a guy who showed us a shortcut and we went back to the city really quickly.
We spent the evening drinking our favourite beer in the cozy King Fern Cottage. My friends Teja and Rok decided to join me for my last adventure – the next day I was going to the East coast, to the place that is considered to be one of the best spots for surfing in Sri Lanka - Arugam Bay.
The trip turned to be much longer that we expected but we had a lot of fun. If you want to learn how to go to the surfer’s paradise of Sri Lanka, the best place to stay there, what to eat and other interesting facts, have a look at my last article about my trip to Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile – Cheers from Nuwara Eliya! :)
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