Loolcondera - A Walk- In –Montane Forest with Horn Lizard, Bear Monkey, Highland Endemics and Tea Plantation

Loolecondera is in Deltota, Hewaheta, bordering the district line of Kandy and Nuwaraeliya. It’s about 35 km from Peradeniya on the Galaha road. Loolecondera is well-known as the first ever tea estate established in Sri Lanka. In 1867 a Scottish cultivator, James Taylor, who is regarded as the founder of Sri Lankan Tea, was the first to plant tea in Loolecondera. Before that this area was used for coffee and cinchona plantations. There was a Museum build with the equipments and the remains from that era to commemorate the efforts of James Taylor to the Ceylon Tea. But now it’s no more there. The exhibits have been moved to the Tea Museum at Hanthana, Kandy. Still, you'll find several landmarks of James Taylorin the upper part of the tea estate. "Taylor seat" (a stone chair which he has used to admire the beauty of nature), "Log Cabin" (ruins of his bungalow), "Taylor's well" (well which he used to take water) are among them.

Planting tea has done a huge damage to the natural environment of the hill country in Sri Lanka. Comparatively the damage done to the forest is low here in Loolecondera where James Taylor designed The Tea estate in such a way that the effect on the environment was minimized. The virgin natural forest on top of the estate is evidence of his great work. 

 

The special feature of this forest is the forest type which it belongs to and its rich bio-diversity. It belongs to a unique forest type called “Mid –elevational- lower -montane forest”, which is one of the thirteen different forest types that can be found in Sri Lanka. Forests of this type are seen only in Knuckles and Rakwana, except Loolecondera, which represent the three major mountain ranges in Sri Lanka. Elevation of this forest type is 900 – 1400 meters from sea level and the temperature, rainfall and cloudiness of the forests vary with elevation. 

 

Access points:

1.      From Deltota town. Approximately 03 km from the town

2.      From Deltota town towards Hewaheta- Deltota road. Approximately 03 km to Deltota town. From there another 02 km.Total distance is about 05km

To go by a vehicle, Loolecondera main access point is situated 12 km from the land via Deltota town. If you go from the other road (Galaha – Deltota adjoining road) it will be only 06km. After accessing from the main accessing point you get a right turn towards the tea plantation. From there through the tea plantation it is about 4.5 km to the Taylor seat. 

 

 

The 4.5 km road is a gravel road. From a car you can come only up to the main access point, there on wards you have to walk 4.5 km, if not you have to have a four wheeled vehicle, cab or a van in good condition to go that 4.5 km. On the way you will get a chance to see one of the richest tea plantations of Sri Lanka. The Tea Pluckers, workers, their life style, houses of the workers can be observed. Further on the way you can see the beautiful view of the Piduruthalagala mountain range and the high level montane forest patches of Loolecondera. At the end of 4.5 km you find the “Taylor seat”(A stone chair which James Taylor had used to admire the beauty of nature)

 

When you go to the Taylor seat you can get a magnificent view of the area and the Mountain range. From that point straight through the tea plantation you can climb upwards. It is a 500 meter climb. There you can see the Taylor well and the remaining of his bungalow.

 

The forest next to “Tailor seat” and upper part of Loolecondera belongs to a unique forest type called “Mid -elevational–lower-montane forest”, with very rich highland bio diversity.

 

Trees of family Dipterocarpacea are dominant in some areas of the forest, specially the Doonaspecies. Occurrence of this type of trees in the hill country is considered as unusual. Rhododendron arboretum Subsp. Zeylanicuma member of Family Ericaceae, an endemic flowering tree, which is a common site in Horton Planes also, can be seen here. It is rare to see this tree in a relatively low altitude like in Loolecondara. 

 

Some of the floral species you can see here is Rhododendron zeylanicum, Gordonia zeylanica, Elacocarpus glandulifer, Cinnomomum litseafolium, Gaertnera walkeri, Psychotria zeylanica, Gordoniya ceylanica, 

In the ground layer of the forest you’ll be able to witness rare ground Orchid species, Anoectocchilus setaceus which is called in sinhala as “Wana raja” and Ipseaspeciosa(Naga-meru-ala).

 

Not only the floral diversity, but the faunal diversity in “Loolecondara” is also prominent. Out of the five lizard species recorded here, three are endemic to Sri Lanka.  You have a great chance of finding Rhino-horn Lizard (Ceratophora stoddartii)an endemic lizard  to highlands of Sri Lanka that has a high abundance in “Loolecondera” forest. Among other reptiles Taylorge bend gecko

(Cyrtodactyaus edwardtaylori) on of the rear gecko species only recorded in few forest patches in  mountain areas in Sri Lanka can be seen here.

 

Over 100 bird species have also been recorded in this forest including some rare highland endemic species such as Ceylon Dull Blue flycatcher, Yellow -eared- Bulbul, Ceylon White-eye, Ceylon Wood Pigeon. 

 

Generally when you go to high hills you don’t see much Butterflies, But Loolecondera has good butterfly diversity over 40 species recorded. It includes few rare endemics such as Ceylon Tree Brown, Ceylon Tiger, and some gorgeous colorful Butterflies like Indian Fritillay , Blue Admiral

 

“Loolecondera” is a heaven of amphibians and other small vertebrates. There are several amphibian species recorded including endemic amphibians species. Ramanella obscura, Fejervarya greeni, Fejervarya kirtisinghei,Lankanectes corrugatus,Rana temporalis and some Shrub Frogs(Philautu.ssp)

 

The largest predator in Sri Lankan forests, Sri Lankan leopard (Panthara pardus kotiya) is also found here. On the top of Loolecondera rock plains you can find leopard dung commonly which indicates that the area has a good diversity of leopards. Highland Bear Monkey is another rare Primate that you can see in Loolecondera.

 

After visiting the remaining of the Taylors’ bungalow, there is a steep incline 200meters upwards through the thicket which will lead to Loolecondera rocky plains. A breathtaking view of the mountain top called “Kondagala” 1514 meters.  In the other side you get the Levalan tea estate and from the rocky plains, the mountain range from Hanthana to Piduruthalagala can be seen very clearly. Sometimes that area is completely covered by the mist where the average temperature drops to 10° -20°.

 

Once you walk 500 meters on the rocky plains, you have to climb down a steep slope to come to the other side of the Loolecondera. There is a tea estate again and500meters from that again you will find a curved road. You will have to walk 04 km from the curved road with a panoramic view of the mountain range. At the end of the 04 km you will see a Pines Plantation. From there when you go down ½ km, the road leads to Deltota town.