How to Enjoy the Pekoe Trail and Other Hiking Adventures in Sri Lanka – Explore the Island's Lush and Alluring Landscapes

The beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka may be counted among the world’s most engrossing holiday destinations. In this multi-faceted country, you could spend time at the beaches, view the stunning natural scenery and wildlife, admire the cultural and historical attractions and more. Another interesting experience in this nation is following the newly established Pekoe Trail, a captivating long-distance route for hiking; here's more on this attraction and other key places for outdoor adventures.

img via wikipedia commons

Understand the Pekoe Trail 

If you happen to be an enthusiast of the outdoors and enjoy hiking, you may take the opportunity to experience Sri Lanka’s newly created Pekoe Trail. This extensive route, the island's first long-distance hiking trail, stretches for a distance of around 185 miles, commencing in Kandy and extending to places like Ella, Hatton, Horton Plains and Nuwara Eliya. Interestingly, the name of this path draws inspiration from a variety of quality tea created with young leaves. You will find that the Pekoe Trail interlinks a collection of footpaths originally created in the colonial era. As you might expect if you have a penchant for hiking amidst alluring surroundings, following this path will be an absorbing experience.  

Visit the hill country 

The Pekoe Trail commences in the environs of the city of Kandy in the island’s central region. An accommodation choice to consider from which you could easily explore this city and go hiking along this trail is Theva Residency which may be regarded as one of the appealingly located hotels in Hanthana; the picturesque area of Hanthana also happens to be the place where stage one of the Pekoe Trail starts from.On your journey, you will have the chance to take in picturesque tea estates where you can observe how the expert workers pluck tea buds from the bushes. As you proceed, you will notice many arresting sights such as forested hills, interesting kinds of birds and places of worship where Sri Lankans of different faiths arrive for prayers. This trail will provide you with the opportunity to gain an authentic glimpse of the country and its people.

Plan your hike

Keep in mind that the Pekoe Trail has 22 stages covering a vast part of the hill country and Central Highlands. The great this is that you do not have to complete the trail in one stretch. Instead, you can look to complete shorter sections or stages close to where you are staying. Of course, hiking enthusiasts may also head off on a multi-day adventure traversing this extensive trail. Even if you can only do a few stages, you can always explore the other parts of the Pekoe Trail on a subsequent visit to the island. To make exploration easier, there is also a Pekoe Trail App (on Google Play Store and Apple App Store) which is well worth downloading before you embark on your escapades. Check out the Pekoe Trail website (https://www.thepekoetrailsrilanka.com/) for more useful information about the different stages and routes.

Explore the Knuckles Mountain Range

As you might expect there are also other absorbing hikes that you could undertake during your time in the country. In this regard, for those staying in the hill country, an engrossing experience is exploring the Knuckles Mountain Range which is located to Kandy’s northeast; it also happens to be part of the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hikers could travel around this pristine locality with the assistance of a guide and naturally, these forest-clad peaks will be a marvellous environment to explore presenting many interesting kinds of fauna and flora. You would have the opportunity to spot different varieties of birds here in addition to monkeys and other wildlife as well

Ascend Adam’s Peak

Apart from hiking the Pekoe Trail and Knuckles Mountain Range, another unique thing to do in Sri Lanka is ascending the famed Adam’s Peak. This mountain is considered sacred to people of different faiths who make the long hike to see the sacred footprint at the top. The majority of pilgrims embark on their ascent to the peak at night to be able to also experience the stunning views that could be enjoyed from the summit at the time of sunrise.