Horton Plains National Park is not to be missed on any trip to Sri Lanka. It may not have herds of elephants roaming in its midst but this highly distinctive landscape to the south of the Hill Country is unlike anywhere else on the island. Despite only encompassing a comparatively small 3,160 ha, Horton Plains is of extreme conservational and biodiversal importance since it contains most of the habitats and endemic plants and animals representative of the island's wet and montane zones. Horton Plains is also immensely enjoyable to experience because you may go by foot on a circular route allowing you to really appreciate what it has to offer. You can spend as much time as you want observing birds, butterflies and endemic lizards or standing in the misty spray of Baker's Falls while the ultimate highlight, the journey to World's End, is a glimpse down a sheer cliff face of nearly one kilometre to the southern hill country below

The gently undulating 2,100m elevated plateau of Horton Plains is highly pleasant to walk on since the clear paths weave through wet grassland and patana contrasted by patches of dense montane cloud forest dominated by the endemic keena tree. As you weave between beautiful endemic rhododendron bushes, you'll notice the giant tree fern Gini Hota dominating forest openings and dwarf bamboo beside trickling streams and a myriad of pools. The salubrious climate is wet and cool with an average temperature of just 16 degrees Celsius, the perfect conditions to foster this distinctive range of flora and to allow you to enjoy it.

Few large mammals inhabit the plains, which is why you are able to amble through it, though herds of elk-like sambhur deer at dawn or dusk, slender loris, hares, the striped-necked mongoose and the long-tailed giant squirrel provide the most frequent sightings. The lighter skinned montane leopard, otter and rare bear monkeys will prove harder to find. You have much more of a chance of finding and observing many varieties of endemic lizards and frogs at really close range such as the horned lizard. You'll be surprised at how well your guide is able to aptly seek out and identify them.

Horton Plains is alive with birdsong. Residents include 12 species of endemic birds, as well as all six of the highland endemics such as the Sri Lanka blue magpie, the dusky blue flycatcher, the Sri Lanka white-eye, the Sri Lanka bush warbler, the Sri Lanka wood pigeon as well as the Sri Lanka spurfowl, the Sri Lanka junglefowl, yellow fronted barbet, rufous babbler and the Sri Lanka whistling thrush. Migrants such as the alpine swift and swiftlet as well as raptors, harriers and buzzards swooping silently in the sky above may also be observed on your harmonious walk around the park.