World’s End Lodge Ohiya  - where the mountains meet the sky 

 

Misty mountain caps, dreamy scenery, spicy food to offset the chilling cold and superb memories to last a lifetime – my trip to World’s End Lodge in Ohiya could be described simply in these few words.

 

View of the lodge from afar

 

Tranquilly isolated and tucked away from the everyday world, World’s End Lodge is just a mere four hour’s drive from Colombo – a journey we didn’t feel at all. After the turn-off at the 175th KM post, an uphill climb on a narrow winding road (which surprisingly even buses use!) led us to our destination. 

 

 

The air became noticeably thinner as we drove up to our destination and getting out of our vehicle, we were instantly greeted with the breathtaking view of the misty mountains sprawled below us, melding into the clouds above. It was instant relaxation just looking at this beautiful view which was to become our very best friend during the course of our stay there. 

 

 

 

We checked into our rooms, which were located on the newer wing titled Eagle’s Nest. The rooms are modestly furnished, although offering everything one would need for a comfortable stay. Whatever inadequacies we may have felt about the rooms, quickly evaporated when we stepped onto the balcony (only available with one room in the new wing, which we were lucky enough to get). Countless number of hours were spent in this very space during the next few days, where we engaged in card games, played some guitar, drank our morning coffees and afternoon teas or simply slept on drawn out mattresses gazing up at the spectacular night sky painted furiously with twinkling stars. 

 

Below are some pics of the view we were greeted to from the balcony.. 

 

 

 

 

 

Food at World’s End Lodge was nothing short of yummy. Bread and curries for breakfast, authentic Sri Lankan rice and curry for lunch, stringroppers, rotti and bread with dhal and curries for dinner aptly satiated our grumbling tummies, which seemed to be grumbling all the time in the cold climate! You have to, and I repeat HAVE to, try out their signature chilli sambol, which left our tongues burning and eyes tearing – something we may have never tried in warmer climates. 

 

The dynamite sambol! 

 

Service at World’s End Lodge is amicable and homely – while it may not have resembled all star perfection, it was the least of our concerns anyway. 

 

 

Hiking is a popular activity amongst guests at World’s End Lodge, and we weren’t about to miss out. With sticks and water bottles in hand, we trekked up the jagged terrain which begins near the Lodge’s restaurant and ended in a small clearing looking over more green capped mountains and mist – a sight no one was getting enough of. 

 

View from atop hiking trail

 

The true attraction at the Lodge though was the natural water pool located right between the old and the new wings, again, overlooking the mountains. Devoid of heating of any kind, we could only guess the temperatures within this icy cold yet inviting mass of water. And we soon found out! Brrr…. Something you can dare to do, if you’re the adventurous kind. 

 

The pool

 

 

Soon our dreamy vacation atop the hills came to an end and we boarded our vehicle with heavy hearts, took one last look at the striking scenery we were leaving behind and drove down the narrow road. 

 

Babarakanda falls

 

We stopped, on our way, to see the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka, the Babarakanda falls, and rolled down the roads towards the business that’s Colombo. 

 

 

Text by Jennifer Rodrigo

 

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