Moon Plains – aura of magical splendor in Central Highlands

By Arundathie Abeysinghe

Ms. Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated about nine kilometers from Nuwara Eliya town, Sandatenna (translated as Moon Plains) is an epitome of pristine beauty in the Central Highlands. Pidurutalagala, Horton Plains National Park and Hakgala Botanical Gardens are the most visited sites in Nuwara Eliya, whereas Moon Plains is a site rarely visited by the majority of tourists. Yet, it is an ideal site for those who like to admire spectacular vistas and capture the aura of magical splendor. This is an ideal place for nature enthusiasts as well as average tourists as the view from the summit of Moon Plains is similar to an epic scene, a place described in fairy tales. A magnificent platform has been constructed at the summit. Hence, visitors can see breathtaking vistas of the surroundings as well as the valley below. According to some foreign tourists, standing on the summit is similar to being on top of the world gazing at a magical scene of the fluctuating surface textures of the Earth enveloped in mist, a sight to behold.

Views of *Central and *Uva Provinces as well as the tallest mountains in Sri Lanka -Pidurutalagala, Namunukula, Hakgala, Great Western, Conical Hills, Totupolakanda and Single Tree Hill can be seen from the summit.

Moon Plains can be reached by traveling on *Badulla Road and turning left from the Magastota junction and reaching the Seethaeliya Government Seed Potato Farm. The entrance to Moon Plains is located at the Seed Potato Farm and from the entrance, it is better to travel in a four-wheel jeep (which can be arranged from the entrance after purchasing tickets at the ticket counter) as the journey to the summit is through a fairly rugged terrain.

From the entrance to the summit of Moon Plains, the journey is through vast expanses of potato farm bordered by the breathtaking and pristine *Kandapola – Seethaeliya Forest Reserve.

Views from the summit of Moon Plains are spectacular early morning or before sunset. Yet, this depends on the weather condition as the area is misty (misty condition of the area does not last long and fades away after a few minutes) and the views are not clear on some days.

From the summit of Moon Plains, Shanthipura also known as Mudunagama, the village situated at the highest elevation in Sri Lanka can also be seen.

As Moon Plains can be reached only through Seethaeliya Government Seed Potato Farm, travelers have to visit the site from 7.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. only.

Badulla – Situated in lower central hills, Badulla is the capital city of *Uva Province and Badulla District.
Central Province – The central mountainous terrain of Sri Lanka encompassing Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Matale Districts and one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka.
Kandapola – Seethaeliya Forest Reserve – Situated at an elevation of 1831 meters above sea level, this forest reserve is located in close proximity to Nuwara Eliya near the Nuwara Eliya – Badulla District boundary. Bomburu Ella (Ella meaning waterfall in Sinhala) also known as Perawella Ella, a spectacular and the widest waterfall in Sri Lanka is located in the Forest Reserve. Sri Lanka white-eye (Zosterops ceylonensis), a small passerine bird in the white-eye family and the Oriental white-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus) endemic birds in Central Highlands can be seen in the Forest Reserve.
Uva Province – This is the fourth largest province in Sri Lanka bordered by Central, Eastern and Southern provinces.