Finding Peace in Haputale, Sri Lanka
- thepresentexplorer
- Apr 7, 2020
- 4 min read
Haputale will forever have a huge place in my heart. This was by far my favorite place that I visited while traveling around Sri Lanka. At first, I only planned to spend two nights in this village and I stayed for over a week. It was an experience like no other.
Now if you are looking for a touristy city with a ton of things to do, this may not be for you. Haputale is a small village out in the mountains, away from the noise and the chaos of everyday life. It is a calm and peaceful place to get away and be surrounded by the most gorgeous sights you may see in your lifetime. I spent my days sipping tea and watching the sunrise, hiking through the mountains, helping the women in the tea fields harvest tea, listening to the birds sing, reading, and getting in touch with nature and myself and feeling grounded and at peace.
What to do in Haputale
Watch the sunrise and sunset
No matter where you are in Haputale, you have an excellent view. Wake up early to catch the sunrise and watch the world around you wake up and come alive. Then later on view the sun set behind the mountains to have a perfect ending to your day.
Visit the Monastery
Adisham Bunaglow is a beautiful monastery in the village that you can walk through. It offers a great overlook and has many beautiful flowers to view as well. I wore my favorite colorful shirt while I was surrounded by all the colorful flowers!
Walk Through a Bird Sanctuary
Thangamale is a bird sanctuary that you can walk through on your way towards the monastery. You can spot tons of plants, butterflies, and all kinds of birds on your walk!
Hike
If you choose to visit the monastery, right before the entrance is a trail to the left side. You can take that trail to hike up the mountain, be surrounded by incredibly tall trees, overlook the town and the mountains, listen to the birds, and just take in all the beauty mama earth has to offer. You can use the trail as an in and out trail or a loop and walk along the train tracks on your way back. This is about a 3 hour hike to fully complete and is along a cliff, so not suited for those with a fear of heights.
Explore
There are so many viewing points, mountains, tea fields, and so much beauty to be discovered by going outside and just exploring Haputale.
Go camping
I found Haputale to be one of the most gorgeous places to camp. I stayed near a cliff in the mountains so it was a great spot to wake up and have the most beautiful view.
Read, relax, meditate, become one with nature.
This village is the perfect place to disconnect from everyday life and find yourself within nature.
The absolute BEST places to stay in Haputale
Nilowin Holiday Resort
When I first arrived to Nilowin Holiday Resort it was pouring rain and my clothes were soaked with water. I was immediately greeted at my tuktuk with staff who came and took my luggage inside and brought me an umbrella. Then they took me to the lobby and made me tea to warm up as they welcomed me to their hotel. I was given a tour and learned that this was a family run hotel which made me love it even more. I ordered breakfast and dinner there daily as it was incredibly delicious and my favorite way to start and end each day. Breakfast came to RS 350 and I was able to eat on the rooftop and overlook the mountains and tea plantations. Dinner also came to RS 350 and was a large and tasty portion! This hotel offers gorgeous views, beautiful and comfortable rooms, and their hospitality was exceptional and I felt safe and happy to be staying there. I highly recommend this place to everyone!
White Monkeys Dias Rest
White Monkeys Dias Rest is an amazing home stay in Haputale. The family is so kind and your stay will be unique and unlike any other! To start, your room that you will stay in is in its own “house” that has two rooms; your bedroom and a bathroom. Each “house” is decorated differently with magical paintings along the outside. Across from your bed there is a window that spans the entire wall, so in the mornings you can open the blinds and have an incredible view of the mountains. If you are a morning person you can even sit outside of your room and watch the sunrise. It also offers a great view of the sunset and stargazing (There is no light pollution so the stars fill the sky)! I feel like my experience there was super special. I visited during a holiday which I was unaware of and the family included me in their holiday activities and made me feel like part of the family. I even had the privilege of attending a local wedding while staying there! If you enjoy cooking you can ask the mother if you can help make the meals, she will teach you! This a relaxing, welcoming, beautiful place to stay and I recommend this to all!
They also offer a campsite to stay in, that can be found here.
I cannot even begin to express how magical the village of Haputale is. If you travel to Sri Lanka I hope you have the opportunity to experience this village and all that it has to offer.
Are there any places you have traveled to that now have a huge place in your heart? I would love to know! Let me know in the comments?
For other itineraries around Sri Lanka look here:
I love the way the tea grows on the mountains! What is the exchange rate for RS to USD? Probably Tampere, Finland has the biggest place in my heart because I was there for 5 months. Felt like the closest thing to a second home. Especially down by lake Nasijarvi watching the sun set or having a late afternoon sauna. Prague also was one of my favorite destinations. I spent longer there than expected, but got to do some extra stuff in the surrounding countryside that made my time there feel super unique!