Sorry for the extremely late reply. As we remember it, there was one point in the trail, where there were 2 paths neither of the paths were signed and the tour guide thankfully showed us the way. There weren't other trekkers that we could have followed as there were none at the time. Waiting for other trekkers isn't always advisable or safe. So from our experience and for safety's sake we would say hire a guide.

I stayed in Ella. You must leave early to trek as there are a lot of people. I’m 64 and had no problem doing whole trek although you must be careful in places track is quiet rough and rocky and you need to be very careful of your footing. Just take your time and take plenty of water with you. Enjoy. There is a must go to restaurant in Ella. I’ll try and remember it and get back to you.enjoy...j

I would not take young kids on the hike unless you have taken them on something similar before. its long, the path is narrow and uneven. there are parts where adults needed to climb up/down rocky areas using hands and feet that would be difficult for young kids. The hike is not difficult in comparison to hiking in Nepal for example but it is also not an easy walk by any means.

We went there at 7am at end of January this year and it was very cold first thing - there was frost on the ground - however it warmed up during the morning.

Cafe at entry only. Toilets at entry and mid way in the park

Its a 10km circuitous route. The route covers all the above. Takes 3 to 4 hrs maybe a little more if you want to do it leisurely. Definitely carry lots of water. Not less than 2 lt each. Also some snack is worthwhile. To enjoy most start very early morning. Its chilly at 6am but quickly warms up. The views are similar year round

We are foreigners that visited in APR2018 and I've just looked at our entry ticket / receipt. For 1X local adult, 3X foreign adults & 1X foreign child we paid a total of 10,886LKR. Note the difference between a local adult 60LKR and a foreign adult 6754.50LKR then there were service fees, VAT etc.

Hi Amanda, I did this trip by myself. The hike can be done alone, no problem, it is a circular easy hike. Nevertheless, there are two important things you should know: 1. No public transportation available to Horton plains so you should consider take a driver to wait for you. (don't take the tuk tuk as they often got stuck on the hill) 2. Upon arrive, ticket purchase can take up to two hours waiting time, as only one person sell the tickets for the same day and the queue is quite lone. I waited for more than 1 hour just to pay the entrance fees. Have fun!!!