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Out-of-pilgrimage-season buses may drop
you off in Dalhousie’s main square, but
during the season buses stop wherever they
can find a space.
Most guesthouses are on your left as you
reach Dalhousie.
White House HUT $
(%077 791 2009; http://www.adamspeakaccommodation.
com; Dalhousie; r incl half-board Rs 3000-4500; W)
The White House has a pretty riverside lo-
cation next to a swimming hole (or rather a
paddling hole when the water level is low),
lots of hammocks and easy chairs, and ac-
commodation that ranges from basic to quite
smart. It can organise guided walks through
the tea estates.
Punsisi Rest HOTEl $
(%051-492 0313; [email protected]; Dal-
housie; r incl breakfast Rs 4000-4500; W) Ever
expanding and ever improving Punsisi Rest
mow automatically assigns foreigners to the
smart hilltop bungalows with hot showers
and wi-fi, but you do have to climb up about
a million steps to reach them and this action
might just reduce you to tears after climbing
Adam’s Peak! It offers free pick-up from Hat-
ton train station if you book ahead.
Green House HOmESTAY $
(%051-222 3956; Dalhousie; s Rs 800, d Rs 1000-
2500, q Rs 3000, all incl breakfast) Across the
bridge very close to the start of the walking
path, the Green House lives up to its name
with a pot-plant–filled garden and a breezy
gazebo restaurant. Some of the small rooms
share a bathroom and all are pretty basic.
oSlightly Chilled g UESTHOUSE $$
(%052-205 5502; http://www.slightlychilled.tv; Dalhou-
sie; r incl half-board US$60; iW) Dalhousie’s
best option is Slightly Chilled in name and
very chilled in nature. Spacious and colour-
ful rooms with polished wooden floors have
great views of Sri Pada, and there’s an airy
restaurant. Mountain bikes can be hired,
there’s lots of information on other trails in
the area and at night there are occasional big-
screen movies.
8 Information
There are no banking facilities in Dalhousie. The
nearest ATms are in Hatton.8 Getting There & Away
A taxi from Hatton to Dalhousie costs Rs 2500
and a three-wheeler Rs 2000. On busy pilgrimage
nights the roads to Dalhousie can get clogged
with traffic in the early evenings and it can take
hours to cover the final kilometres into town, so
try to set off for Dalhousie as early as you can in
the day.BUS
Buses run to Dalhousie from Kandy (from the
g oods Shed bus station), Nuwara Eliya and
Colombo in the pilgrimage season. Otherwise,
you need first to get to Hatton or to Maskeliya,
about 20km along the Hatton–Dalhousie road.
Throughout the year there are services to
Hatton from Colombo (Rs 246), Kandy (Rs 110)
or Nuwara Eliya (Rs 83). There are also some
direct buses from Nuwara Eliya and Colombo to
maskeliya.
There are buses from Hatton to Dalhousie via
maskeliya every 30 minutes in the pilgrimage
season (Rs 75, two hours). Otherwise, you have to
take a bus from Hatton to maskeliya (Rs 40, last
departure about 6pm) and then another to Dal-
housie (Rs 35, last departure about 7pm).TRAIN
All trains travelling from Kandy to Nanu Oya stop
in Hatton, the closest train station to Dalhousie.
From Kandy trains cost Rs 110/65 (2nd/3rd
class). From Nanu Oya it costs Rs 60/30
(2nd/3rd class). Advance reservations in either ofPILGRIMAGE ON A POYA DAY
Thinking of climbing Adam’s Peak on a poya day or weekend? Go for it! It’ll likely turn out
to be one of the most memorable things you do in Sri Lanka. But take note: the last time
we climbed the mountain on such a night we got within 800m of the summit and then
stood in a queue for nearly three hours. We only advanced forward by around a hundred
metres before giving up (as did most other tourists there who were not so spiritually
enlightened). We’ve heard of some travellers taking more than nine hours to reach the
summit on a poya day. This doesn’t mean you should avoid climbing on such days. In fact,
we actually prefer to go up at these times. There’s a real carnival-like atmosphere on the
mountain, the tea shops are packed, there’s plenty of colour and noise, and some Hindu
pilgrims even dress up as Shiva himself – but just don’t expect to have a silent moment of
reflection as the sun rises above the mountains!