Loolkandura to Tawalantenne
18.11 km · Difficult · 6 hours · Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts
Stage 3 is the longest segment on the early trail - 18.11 km of historic estate paths that follow a 150-year-old bullock cart road through jungle, then descend on estate roads toward the Kotmale Reservoir. The trail authority rates it Difficult. Many walkers split it across two days when the option exists.
What you’ll walk through
The trail leaves Loolkandura Tea Estate on the original bullock cart road that hauled tea chests down to the coast in the 1870s. It climbs through Piduruthalagala Forest Reserve - the most remote forest on this section of the route - passing Ma Oya and the “Rook pools.” A long descent on Glenloch Tea Estate roads brings the trail through Stellenberg Pass and on toward the Kotmale Valley.
Landmarks on this stage
- Loolkandura Estate - The historic start point - leave early to make the day.
- Ma Oya - A clear-water tributary you cross twice.
- Rook pools - Natural rock pools used by tea workers for generations.
- Piduruthalagala Forest - Sri Lanka's highest mountain range; the trail skirts its northern flank.
- Helbodde Tea Factory - A mid-stage factory still in production.
- Glenloch Tea Estate - Working estate with a tasting room near the trail.
- Stellenberg Pass - High pass between two valleys.
- Kotmale Reservoir - The Mahaweli scheme reservoir, visible from the descent.
When to walk
Best in the Dry Season (January-March) - the long mileage and remote forest are unpleasant in monsoon. The forest section can be leechy May through November.
Walk it with Hike Lanka
You can pick this stage as a day hike, link it with the adjacent stages as a section trek of three to seven days, or walk the entire 22-stage end-to-end trek with our small-group fourteen-day guided expedition. We handle lodging, permits, transport, and the on-the-ground logistics; you walk.
Walk Stage 03 with us
Pick this stage as part of a custom section trek, or join the full end-to-end Pekoe Trek. A real guide responds to every enquiry.
Browse every Sri Lanka hiking tour we run, from Kandy day hikes and the Knuckles traverse to the full 22-stage Pekoe traverse.
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