Haputale
A hill town at 1,431 metres on the ridge that marks the edge of the Uva basin, ringed by cloud forest and tea estates. Its altitude keeps it cooler than the land around it, and from the pass the view opens out across the southern plains of the island.
- Where
- Uva, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 6.7657, 80.9510
Get the Haputale stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Haputale. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Uva volume with your photos and a note.
Near Haputale
Diyaluma Falls 9.6 km
The second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka, falling 220 metres from a cliff near Koslanda on the Colombo to Badulla road. The water is the Punagala Oya, and above the main drop it runs through a chain of natural rock pools where people swim.
Bambarakanda Falls 13 km
The tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka, a 263 metre drop of the Kuda Oya, a tributary of the Walawe River. It falls through a forest of pine trees near Kalupahana, about 5 km off the A4 highway.
Ella Rock 15 km
A mountain above the hill village of Ella, reached by a walk that follows the railway line and climbs through tea and eucalyptus. From the top the view opens over the Ella Gap and the lowlands far to the south.
Buduruvagala 17 km
Seven figures carved in the 10th century into one rock face in the forest near Wellawaya. The giant standing Buddha still carries traces of its stucco robe and orange paint, and beside it stand Mahayana figures thought to be Avalokitesvara and his consort Tara.
Horton Plains National Park 17 km
A high plateau of grassland and cloud forest at 2,100 to 2,300 metres, made a national park in 1988 and rich in species found nowhere else. Walkers cross it to Baker's Falls and to World's End, where the plateau drops away in a sheer cliff.
Nine Arches Bridge 17 km
A railway viaduct of nine stone and brick arches spanning a jungle valley at Demodara, near Ella. Built in the colonial era and known as the Bridge in the Sky, it is busiest when the blue hill country trains cross between the tea slopes.
Ravana Falls 19 km
One of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka, tumbling down a rock face beside the road below Ella. It is named after Ravana, the king of the Ramayana, and local legend links the caves near it to the story of Sita.
Hakgala Botanical Garden 26 km
The second largest of Sri Lanka's five botanical gardens, laid out on the slopes below Hakgala rock outside Nuwara Eliya. Its cool terraces are planted with roses and temperate flowers, and its edge runs straight into the Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve.
More hidden gems in Uva
Questions
Where is Haputale?
Haputale is in Uva, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Diyaluma Falls (9.6 km), Bambarakanda Falls (13 km), Ella Rock (15 km).
How do I get the Haputale stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Haputale and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Uva volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Haputale before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Uva volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.