A night at Punagala/පූනාගල රැයක්

Year and Month	2016 May 30th and 31st
Number of Days	Two
Crew	4-Chathuranga, Pasan,Shanaka and Myself
Accommodation	Pilkington point-Punagala
Transport	4w vehicle
Activities	Hiking, Camping and Photography
Weather	Excellent and windy
Route	Colombo->Haputhale->Dambatenne Road (දඹතැන්න පාර)->Lipton Seat->St.Catherene seat->Nayabedda (නායබැද්ද) ->Punagala (පූනාගල) ->Pilkington Point-> Millennium Point->Punagala->Koslanda (කොස්ලන්ද)- >Beragala (බෙරගල) ->Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Road condition to Lipton seat from Haputhale is good and can enjoy the surrounding view well. There are name boards on your way to Lipton seat to be useful for travelers. Ticket would be issued for vehicle and travelers at the entrance of Lipton seat. Don’t feed Monkeys at Lipton seat. They are really troublesome. Road to Pilkington point from Punagala junction is not that much good. Ideally it is advised to get a ticket for the vehicle when you enter through the gate at estate. But we knew it only when we left the estate and nobody asked it. Just aware the estate people around that you are going to stay at Pilkington point overnight. Beware of wild elephants roaming around Pilkington point, Millennium point and Makaldeniya ridge. They are there only during season. Before leave clean the site extensively as they keep it in well manner. SPECIAL THANKS TO Dr. Nalinda, Dr.Harijan (MO-Punagala hospital) and Dr.Kamalawarna for providing information.
Related Resources	Trip reports on Punagala Discussion on Pilkington Point and Milennium Point-Fantastic Views
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread A night at Punagala/පූනාගල රැයක්

Objectives of this trip were to visit at famous view points of Haputhale and Koslanda and camping at Pilkington point of Punagala. I have been at Pilkington point and Millennium point 7 years ago but it was a gloomy day.

These viewpoints are: Lipton seat, St.Catherene seat, Pilkington point and Millennium Point

We started the journey from Haputhale town and drove along Dambatenne road to reach famous view point called Lipton seat. The drive from Haputhale via Dambatenne to Lipton seat was scenic.

Haputhale Town

Haputhale-Dambatenne Road

View on our way to Lipton seat

Reflection

Dambatenne Tea Factory

Blue+Green

Dambatenne Tea Estate

View on our way to Lipton seat

The road to Lipton seat

The view on our way to Lipton seat

Lipton seat (4695 ft)
Lipton seat is a view point of almost 3600 view, situated at the edge of Dambatenne Tea Estate. It was a famous view point for Sir Thomas Lipton who was the pioneer of branded Ceylon tea-Lipton Tea. From Lipton seat you can view Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Eastern and Southern provinces.

Lipton Seat

Sir Thomas Lipton at Lipton seat

History of Dambatenne Tea Estate

View of St.Catherene seat from Lipton seat

Zero view from Lipton seat

Lipton seat

Lipton seat and nearby boutique

At Lipton Seat

Dambathenna Tea Estate

After visiting Lipton seat we wanted to drive towards St.Catherene seat where few transmission towers are placed. We asked from villagers and drove according to direction boards. The road condition to St.Catherene seat after main road was terrible and only can be managed with a 4W vehicle. At the end we came to the place of ITN and Swarnawahinee towers are situated. Surrounding view was gloomy and we didn’t need to enter transmission towers premises though can be go through the gate.

St.Catherene seat

St.Catherene seat

Awaiting at St.Catherene seat

Isolated tower situated closer to St.Catherene Point

Following St.Catherene seat we were rushed to reach Pilkington point as it was late evening. We got directions from locals in few points and road condition was satisfactory up to Punagala junction.

Nayabedda tea factory. We had to pay to go through the gate of it.

Where Koslanda landslides happened

Surrounding view

Directions at Punagala-Koslanda road in between 9th and 10th kilometer post

Pilkington point (4600ft)
This view point was named by Late Sir George Pilkington in 1898. It provides about 2000 view. In a clear day you can see Wellawaya, Katharagama Kiri Wehera, Moneragala, Embilipitiya and Udawalawe etc.

We planned to camp there as I expected it a different experience. We followed the road from Nayabedda to Punagala and then towards Koslanda. There was a four way junction soon after Punagala ground and we selected the concrete road upwards to reach the Pilkington point. We stopped the vehicle at last line houses closer to Pilkington point where we noticed an elephant was roaming on top of the mountain. It was our first experience of Punagala elephants and just few meters before the view point we had a punch at tire. It made our arrival to Pilkington point around 6.30pm amid of dark.

Camping at Punagala
This was kind of a different experience of camping as camp site was accessible by vehicle easily. There is a summer hut but can’t be a good shelter in a rain. Next to the summer hut you can attach the tent and can make camp fire. We made the camp fire with the challenge of wind. It was dam difficult to do anything at Pilkington point due to wind. Elephants can roam around but we didn’t see them close by.

Pilkington Point-Details

Our tent at Pilkington point

Making camp fire at Pilkington point

At camp fire of Pilkington point

Cooking….

Camp fire

Illuminated nearby towns

Morning sun rise over Namunukula

Sun rise

Second summer hut somewhere down the first one

What a view!

Breathtaking view

Early morning view

Good for a profile picture

A rainbow over Punagala

What you can see over there at Pilkington Point

Towards Ella

Wadinahela (mountain situated at Wellawaya-Colombo road) and Handapanagala Lake

Land marks at Pilkington point

Elephants in Punagala/පූනාගල අලි
My first visit to Punagala was in 2010 and we have noticed elephant dung closer to Millennium point. It was my first experience of Elephants roaming on hills. But we didn’t encounter any of them at that time.
This time I was lucky and could see elephants thrice.

Elephants in Punagala-circled

Makaldeniya Ridge
This is something I heard from a friend which is situated closer to Pilkington Point. According to his description it is a flat mana filled area similar to Hortain plains. We have walked along the estate road for about 1 km and turned up at the edge of the rocky area. This foot pathway brought us to the top of tea estate where one elephant was roaming that day early morning next to this. Then there was a slope and we could see a fairly flat mana area somewhat far away probably what he mentioned as Makaldeniya Ridge.

Get the turn up to reach the top of tea estate

Foot pathway along the tea patch

At the top of tea estate

View of Millennium point

View towards Balathuduwa, Gommolliya and Wangedigalkanda

Elephant Dung

Supposed to be the Makaldeniya ridge

Along the tea estate

A source of wild fire

Pilkington point and second summer hut shown in arrow

Construction of Uma Oya project

Millennium point
Millennium point is situated about 2.5 km away from Pilkington point and direction is mentioned in front of Pilkington point. This distance is along the estate road is 2.5 Km and can be cut down in half if you follow along short cuts via tea bushes.
We encountered 2nd Jumbo at Punagala when we were going to Millennium point. He was about 200m away from us and gave an angry look towards us. With taking the risk we decided to go up to Millennium point.
Millennium point is higher than Pilkington point and provides 360 degree surrounding view towards Wellawaya, Haputhale, Ella etc.
I was lucky enough to have clear view which reminded my first visit to this place in a gloomy day 6-7 years ago. Summer hut has lost its sheets and remained part gave a different appearance. After finishing photo shoot we came back with afraid of the elephant. But he was still at the same place without moving towards foot pathway.