Peacock Hills is a nice place to go for a hike in central Sri Lanka. The mountain is situated in the Pussellawa area of the Nuwara Eliya District. It is a fantastic view point with a panoramic view. The height of the Peacock Hills is 1518m above sea level. Locals call this mountain “Monara Kanda”.
How to reach Peacock Hills
You first need to come to Pussellawa town to start the journey. The distance to Pussellawa from Kandy is 35km and from Nuwara Eliya it is about 45km. It is a town on the border of the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. After the pussellawa, you must travel another 5 kilometers to the starting point. The road is small with poor conditions. You will see many beautiful tea plantations along that route. It is not difficult to find the starting point of the trail.
This is not a hard hike and you can come to the top within 30 minutes. You will see communication towers along the road. But you don’t need to get permission to cross them. The narrow footpath through pine trees will generate a nice feeling for anyone.
What you can observe from the Monara Kanda
As we mentioned earlier, the view from the peacock hills is amazing. The panoramic view is superb for photographers. Just sit on the large rock there and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. You can see many cities, villages, and the nearest mountains from there.
Gampola Town, Nawalapitiya Town, Pussellawa Town, Nuwara Eliya Town, Ambuluwawa, Dolosbage Mountain Range, Piduruthalagala Range, Bible Rock, Ramboda Falls, Poona Ella, Kothmale Reservior, and Mahaweli River are some of the clearly visible things that you can observe.
More Facts About the Mountain
The mountain got its name because of its shape. From a distance, it looks like the front neck of a peacock. That caused them to adopt the name ‘Peacock Hill’.
Kothmale is the nearest village to the mountain. It is a historical village in Sri Lanka. The king, Dutugemunu, lived in this village in his youth. He was a heroic king in Sri Lankan history and ruled his kingdom with great prosperity.
Peacock Hill is a superb place for campers. You can camp on the top of the mountain. But you need to bring enough water. Early morning sunrise and evening sunset are the perfect times to take some amazing photographs. You are not allowed to take drone shots. The place is normally crowded during the holidays.
So, visit Peacock Hills if you are love hiking, trekking, camping and photography. It is a nice place to visit in both Kandy and Nuwara Eliya areas. But keep in mind to don’t destroy the place with rubbish.
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(Cover Image Credit: Dhani_sparkly from Instagram)
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