Ettampitiya to Loonuwatte
21 km · Difficult · 6 hours · Badulla district
Stage 19 is the longest day on the Pekoe Trail - 21 km of tea fields, village homes, river crossings, and remote tea country with a gradual ascent toward Nuwara Eliya. Start at first light.
What you’ll walk through
Tea fields and village homes for the first two hours, then crossings of the Uma Oya river. The middle of the stage is the most remote section of the late trail - few villages, no facilities, just tea workers and the occasional school. The Kukulagala Viewpoint at roughly 14 km is the visual reward.
Landmarks on this stage
- Ettampitiya Estate Bungalow - Restored planter's bungalow at the trailhead.
- Pallawela Temple - Buddhist temple in the early section.
- Uma Oya - River crossing mid-stage.
- Downside Estate - Working tea estate.
- Ranaya Tea Factory - Factory at the mid-point.
- Kukulagala Viewpoint - The visual highlight - wide views into the central highlands.
- Wellawela School - Village school.
- Yahala Arawa School - Mid-stage village school.
- Hugoland Estate - Tea estate on the descent.
- Unapana School - Village school near the finish.
When to walk
Dry Season only - the long mileage in monsoon would be miserable, and the river crossings rise after rain.
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 19 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.
Book the Full Trek Plan a Custom Route