Adam’s Peak
Lanka’s Holy Mountain
Adam’s Peak (also Adam’s Mount; Sinhalese Samanalakanda – iuk< lkao “butterfly mountain”, Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai, is a 2,243 meters (7,359 ft) tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well-known for the Sri Pada “sacred footprint”, a 1.8 m rock formation near the summit, in Buddhist tradition held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva, in Christian tradition that of St. Thomas, and in Muslim tradition that of Adam.
Sri Pada is revered as a holy site by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. It has specific qualities that cause it to stand out and be noticed; including its dominant and outstanding profile, and the boulder at the peak that contains an indentation resembling a footprint.
Sri Pada is an important pilgrimage site, especially for Hindus and Buddhists. Pilgrims walk up the mountain, following a variety of routes up thousands of steps. The journey takes several hours at least. The peak pilgrimage season is in April, and the goal is to be on top of the mountain at sunrise when the distinctive shape of the mountain casts a triangular shadow on the surrounding plain and can be seen to move quickly downward as the sun rises.
The mountain is most often scaled from December to May. During other months
it is hard to climb the mountain due to very heavy rain, extreme wind, and thick mist. Climbing at night can be a remarkable experience, with the lights of the path leading up and into the stars overhead. There are rest stops along the way. Access to the mountain is possible by six trails (Ratnapura-Palabaddala, Hatton-Nallathanni, Kuruwita-Erathna, Murraywatte, Mookuwatte & Malimboda). Out of these the Nallathanni and Palabaddala routes are the most popular. Kuruwita-Erathna road is somewhat popular as well. Most of the pilgrims use the Hatton route as the journey on foot can be reduced by more than five kilometers even though the slope of this route is much greater than other routes.
Summary of The Program
- Day 1: Arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport and transfer to Kingdom Ratnapura in Kiriella.
- Day 2: Transfer to Sinharaja and half-day trek in the rainforest, enjoy packed lunch/Village lunch and back to Resort.
- Day 3: Get to know the plantations within Resort with options of Ayurveda, Yoga, and meditation.
- Day 4: Transfer to Siripagama and approach Adam’Witness the sunrise from the summit and walk down to Siripagama Back to Resort.
- Day 5: Relaxation with Yoga and Ayurveda at the Resort
- Day 6: Track to Kiriella via the village of Handukande, back for a late Village lunch.
- Day 7: Visit Bopath Ella and Back at the Resort for the overnight stay.
- Day 8: Transfer to the Bandaranaike International Airport and Departure.
EXTENDED STAY
- Day 8: Experience the Art of Tea/Rubber/Cinnamon Plantation.
- Day 9: “Gems” live in style with the precious stones in the World – A visit to the traditional Gem pits. Options to buy Gemstones at the best possible prices directly from the miners.
- Day 10: Relax at the resort with a traditional Sri Lankan cuisine.
- Day 11: Transfer to the Bandaranaike.
Adam’s Peak location: N 06.80933 latitude; E 080.49933 longitude; elevation 2243 meters
