Horton Plains National Park, Central highlands, Sri Lanka

The importance of conservation of the park

Horton Plains National Park, a World Heritage Site perched on the southern edge of the Central highlands, midway between Nuwara Eliya & Haputale consists of montane forests, where the land rises to 2,500 meters above sea-level. Horton Plains is home to an extraordinary range of flora and fauna, including several endangered species such as the western-purple-faced langur, the Horton Plains slender loris and the Sri Lankan leopard. The region is considered a super biodiversity hotspot. The Park (10,000 ha), named after British governor Sir Robert Horton is a world apart from rest of the tropical island. This is the island's highest & most isolated plain, a result of millions of years of erosion. The importance of conservation of the park lies in, among others, in its role as the catchment area of the major rivers of the island.

Adam's Peak, the mountain of Sacred Footprint of Sri Lanka: The History

Season

It looms into view, looking for all the world like the Paramount Pictures logo. That is at the new town of Maskeliya, Sri Lanka (the old town was flooded to make way for the tank). A perfect shape of a pyramid, but then again without the hallow of the white stars of Paramount logo. But then, in the absence of stars, mountain does even better with one of a kind phenomenon. That is at the summit: a light & shadow play few moments following the crack of dawn during the period January to April when the incredible sunrise produces the famous spectacle known as the "Shadow of the Peak", which leaves all ventured on to the summit spellbound.

Lion King (Sinharaja) Tropical Rain Forest, Sri Lanka

To keep up with the Joneses.

This time around, it would be Indiana Jones with temperature at 20-34 degrees centigrade, humidity at about 87% & annual rainfall of 5000 mm in the 15 million year old Sinharaja Tropical Rain Forest also known as Lion King Tropical Rain Forest of Sri Lanka, a living world heritage site. Sinharaja meaning Lion king in Sinhala is believed to have been the last redoubt of the Sri Lanka's lion. Lion King Sinharaja Tropical Rain Forest has something for every one with diverse activities & interests: to the nature lover, to the photographer, to the artist, to the ecologist & to the scientist.

IUCN International Union for the Conservation of nature & Naural Resources- Technical evaluation of Sinharaja Reserve states that "Sinharaja is the last extensive primary lowland tropical rain forest in Sri Lanka. It holds a large number of endemic species of plants & animals, & a variety of plants of known benefit to man".