Teardrop Adventure Trails - Goatfell Long Tea And Village Loop 11.8 Km
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 7.34 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,624 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 1,624 ft
- Max elevation
- 6,762 ft
- TrailRank
- 37
- Min elevation
- 6,175 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 2 hours 21 minutes
- Coordinates
- 182
- Uploaded
- June 2, 2022
- Recorded
- June 2022
near Ekangapurawatta, Central (Sri Lanka)
Viewed 103 times, downloaded 4 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
PLEASE HIKE RESPONSIBLY
Learn as much as possible about Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tea Country – the different cultures and values. Learn some Tamil and Sinhala don’t be afraid to use them – a few words in the local language will make your interaction with the locals all the more enjoyable.
Learn what’s appropriate behavior and body language. If in doubt ask your guide or the hotel or accommodation staff. Dress respectfully with an awareness of local standards. Dont hike with your shirt off. Dress modestly at religious sites and check with us what swimwear is suitable for pools and rivers.
Always ask first before photographing or videoing people. Respect social distancing, especially in times like these. Avoid giving gifts or money to people you have just met. Never give money to children directly. Ask us if you would like to support a local initiative that helps children.
Supporting the community through a local school, clinic, or development project is more constructive. If you would like to donate to a local community project, we can help you channel the funds.
CLOTHING / WEATHER
Wear comfortable and light-weight clothes. The climate can change quickly so it is advisable to be prepared. Take an extra layer or a jumper as it can get quite chilly. The hotel can provide umbrellas if needed.
FOOTWEAR
The terrain can be unsteady sometimes, hence it is advisable to wear walking shoes if possible. The hotel can provide wellington boots and walking sticks.
CAMERA
The views are breathtaking, so it would be a good idea to take a camera to capture all the magnificent moments along the way.
FOOD / WATER
On longer walks, the hotel can provide refreshments if required. Kindly let us know in advance.
LEECHES
During or after rainy weather, you may encounter leeches, especially when walking ‘off road’. We have a few pairs of leech socks that you are welcome to borrow. If one attaches to you, try to resist the urge to pull it off; leech bites are not dangerous or painful, just annoying. If it hasn't attached to you yet, flick the leech away with your fingers.
Waypoints
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Small Village
You will see a small village as you walk up from the entrance drive. Today there are two groups of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The first are the Sri Lankan Tamils, who either descend from the Tamils of the old Jaffna kingdom or vannimai chieftaincies of the east. The second are the Indian Tamils or Hill Country Tamils, who are descendants of bonded labourers sent from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in the 19th century to work in tea plantations. Many came as laborers to work in the plantations, but few of them came as business people. Most are Hindus with a minority of Christians and Muslims amongst them. There are also a small minority followers of Buddhism among them.
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Tea Factory Hotel
The Heritance Tea Factory is a luxurious colonial hotel managed by Aitken Spence Hotels. As the name implies, Heritance Tea Factory was an operating tea factory in early Ceylon before it became a beautiful five-star hotel, and in many ways, this hotel is linked to Ceylon's British Colonial Period (19th Century). In early 18th century, tea from the Hethersett Tea Factory was the first to fetch the highest price in the world for silver tip tea from Ceylon, which stands as the hotel today.
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Local Cricket Ground
You will walk past the tea estates and up to a large flat playground. On a holiday, you will see children playing cricket and cows roaming. Check your GPS, cross playground and start climbing on a straight path for about 100 meters.
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Gum Trees
Eucalyptus is a fast-growing evergreen tree native to Australia, Tasmania, and nearby islands. In Australia the eucalypti are commonly known as gum trees or stringybark trees. Eucalyptus were introduced to Sri Lanka in the latter part of 18th century by planters who had links with Australia. Some of these introductions have been very successful as attested by many magnificent trees in and around tea estates and these are the most successful plantation species in the higher elevations of Sri Lanka.
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South-View Point
When you get at this viewpoint, you will be able to observe the Ella region. On a clear day, you might be able to see Ella Rock. Ella Rock, one of the world's best hikes, is a fantastic hiking venue in Ella with breathtaking views of magnificently vegetated hillsides. The trekking trial of Ella Rock is quite interesting with its challenging existence and unmatched scenery. You can experience this fantastic hike by booking a stay at our tea bungalow, Nine Skies in Ella.
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North View Point
At this point you can see Namunukula, literally "Nine Peaks" in Sinhala language, is the name of a mountain range in Sri Lanka's province of Uva. It is 2035 meters in height and recorded to be the 12th tallest mountain in Sri Lanka.
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Hindu Shrine
You will notice a trend of small Hindu shrines that are usually built by the waysides with a few worshippers at a time. By building these small shrines and worshipping in them, residents express their respect for God but more importantly they redefine traditional notions of sacred space.
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Tea Shed
You will see a few Tea collection sheds along the way. The green leaf is harvested on a regular basis at intervals ranging from 5 days to 8 days from each field by tea pluckers. These are collected in baskets called 'kitararu' and they're sent to collection stations in the fields - leaf is sent to the factories from the fields collection stations three to four times a day.
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Forest Road
You will notice that this area has a mix of small villages, tea estates, hills, and forests. This forest road will take you to another small village within the Concordia estate.
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Pekoe Trail
At tis point you will connect to the Sri Lanka’s first ever long-distance walking trail, the Pekoe Trail, which is a 300+ kilometer walking path traversing the hills of Sri Lanka.
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Perfume Weed
The leaves seems like a weed leaf, but it's a Mugwort leaf. The composition of mugwort essential oil can vary depending on the genus of plant selected, its habitat, as well as the part of the plant extracted and the season of its harvest. Mugwort is a common name for several species of aromatic flowering plants in the genus Artemisia. Mugwort is native to Europe and eastern Asia, where it has historically been used as a medicinal herb. In the European Middle Ages, mugwort was used as a magical protective herb. During the festival, leaves of the herb were hung above doors, kept as charms, worn as flower corollas - and steamed to repel insects. Chinese believed that the strong aroma of mugwort could ward off evil spirits and prevent plague. Mugwort is a common name for several species of aromatic flowering plants in the genus Artemisia. Mugwort is native to Europe and eastern Asia, where it has historically been used as a medicinal herb. In the European Middle Ages, mugwort was used as a magical protective herb. During the festival, leaves of the herb were hung above doors, kept as charms, worn as flower corollas - and steamed to repel insects. Chinese believed that the strong aroma of mugwort could ward off evil spirits and prevent plague. It is indeed a medicinal herb, still widely used today in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Aromatic and slightly bitter leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, as well as young spring shoots.
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