Sri Lanka Trekking Hiking at Kabaragala

Experience wonders at Scenic World, where you position yourself at a higher elevation than the clouds; take a bushwalk along the Kabaragala hiking trail to spectacular lookouts, and discover unique scenery on the horizon, The entire region is a natural wonderland with a large number of waterfalls cascading into valleys clad with rainforest, and breathtaking views stretch to the hazy blue horizon. Kabaragala Mountain lies in a region, which is surrounded by quaint and serene tea plantations.

Table of Contents

• Sri Lanka trekking hiking at Kabaragala
• Where is Kabaragala Mountain?
• The road to Kabaragala
• The hiking trail of Kabaragala mountain
• Weather conditions
• Nature of the mountain top
• When is the best time for Kabaragala Hike?

Sri Lanka trekking hiking at Kabaragala

The trekking tour to Kabaragala is one of its kind, because of the beauty that can be experienced at Kabaragala, which is unique in many ways compared to most trails in the region. Some hikers opine that the view from Kabaragala Mountain is the best in the region. The entire region is a natural wonderland with a large number of waterfalls cascading into valleys clad with rainforest, and breathtaking views stretch to the hazy blue horizon. Kabaragala Mountain lies in a region, which is surrounded by quaint and serene tea plantations.

Where is Kabaragala Mountain?

Kabaragala hiking trails are to be found in the central province and Kandy district of Sri Lanka. Kabaragala Mountain is the highest mountain in the “Dolobage mountain range”.

The road to Kabaragala

The road that leads to the Kabaragala hiking train is in very good shape and driving on this route is very comfortable. The road is a well-maintained motorable road; attention should be drawn to the sharp bends while travelling. The trip is very interesting on this travel route due to the beautiful scenery. Right from the beginning, the breathtaking scenery is endless on this route with a large number of mountain peaks, tea plantations, valleys, waterfalls, streams and patches of forests. The road is narrow compared to most main roads and therefore the drivers should be careful driving on this route while maintaining a moderate speed, especially on the hairpin bends.  

The hiking trail of Kabaragala mountain

The hike at Kabaragala is about 3 hours hike for experienced hikers and it would take a little bit longer for novices. The highest point of the hike is at around 1500 meters above sea level. The difficulty of the hike is moderate. It would take around 3 hours to reach the viewpoint (summit) of Kabaragala Mountain. At the end of the hike, you will be positioned yourself at a higher point than the clouds and you can witness snow-white clouds hovering below the peak in the nearby valleys.     

The trekking trail is quite easy at the beginning with a clear path which is paved with stones. A few hundred meters after the hike the trail gets narrower and it is not covered with stones like in the beginning. The train can be a bit slippery due to the water trickling down from the higher areas of the mountain. As you go higher and higher the trails get narrower and steeper.

Weather conditions

Usually, the temperature in Nawalapitiya is cool and humidity at a lower percentage compared to most places in Sri Lanka. The temperature drops as you go higher on the hiking trail. A rapid fluctuation of weather is on the card as you are higher on Kabaragala Mountain. As you position yourself at a higher elevation of clouds means that you are at an elevation, in which the moisture that rises from the lowland areas turns to water. So expect much cooler air at the highest area of the mountain. At a time the view from the mountain and be obstructed by the clouds. The constant wind on top of the mountain makes it a bit challenging and it is one of the main reasons for the temperature drop.

Nature of the mountain top

Mani important places such as Adams peak, “Ambuluwawa”, “Saptakana Mountains”, “Pidurutalagala mountain”, “Kotmale” and “Batalegala Mountain” and many other important landmarks can be clearly witnessed from Kabaragala. The trekking tour to Kabaragala is one of its kind because the beauty that can be experienced at Kabaragala is unique in many ways. Some hikers opine that the view from Kabaragala Mountain is the best in the region.

Kabaragala can be used as a camping site and there is a large flat area on the top of the mountain, where you can set up a tent. You can also collect woods without any difficulty for your campfire. There are pine trees as well as many other trees and plants in the immediate surroundings of the mountain.

The travellers should be very cautious as they reach the edge of the mountain, due to the slipperiness of the ground. Most part of the top of the mountain including the edges of the mountain top is covered with grass (the grass is one particular type with long blades) and due to the well-grown grass surface, one can easily overlook the edge of the ground.  

When is the best time for Kabaragala Hike?

Nawalapitiya, where the Kabaragala mountain is to be found is a hill country resort, where there is high rainfall. If you reach Kabaragala Mountain in the rain season you could find it difficult to climb the mountain as the trail get slippery. Some parts of the trail are covered with grass and they tend to be slippery with water. There won’t be a nice view to enjoy in the cloudy weather. There is a very good chance of finding leeches on this hike, especially if you come after the rainy days.