The Fishing Huts is a set of cabins built during British days, but it is not a fishing location any more. It is located at the edge of Mooray Estate in Maskeliya which spans over 3000 acres of land. The cabins are built on the bank of Baththulu-Oya, which separates the tea estate from the Adam’s Peak Wilderness Sanctuary.
Journey
The road leading to The Fishing Huts is quite bad and cars are not allowed to enter this road. A van or any 4×4 vehicle would do fine, but never go in a big bus. If you go there in a car, you will have to leave it before you enter the estate. There is a bus that operates inside the estate for its workers, and the manager will send it to pick you up if you contact him. Though the ride is rough and 8km long, best part of the journey starts once you enter the estate. Waterfalls, Mausakelle Reservoir and Adam’s Peak make for stunning views. Some huts are built on the side of the road to take photos and phone calls. You don’t get any mobile signal once you enter Mooray estate, so the spots that get signals are marked.
Food
The Fishing Huts doesn’t provide food and there is no place to buy food, you must take all the material and the cook will cook whatever you want. If you forget to take anything, there is no place near to buy. Two people who work there are very friendly and help you with anything.
Bio Diversity
This area has some of the highest bio-diversity in Sri Lanka. Besides indigenous trees, butterflies and leopards, The Fishing Huts is quite popular for amphibians and birds. Most of the amphibians are rare endemic creatures, such as Polypedates Eques and Philautus Asankai, so the area is very popular among university students. Many people come here just to see and take photos of Sri Lanka Blue Magpie; another endemic bird.
Activities
- BBQ – They have a BBQ grill and a cooking area for it. There is also a cook that will help you.
- River Bath in Baththulu-Oya- This is the starting area of Baththulu-Oya. Water is crystal clear and there are clear deep areas for a swim.
- Climb Adams Peak- One of the entrances to Adams Peak is through Mooray Estate. If you get up early you can see how the sun rises over the mountain and maybe even climb it.
- Rafting- Rafting is definitely possible in Baththulu-Oya. They have a barrel raft, which is fun.
- Waterfalls- There are few waterfalls that you can see on the way to The Fishing Huts, like Aberdeen Falls and Mohini falls, but Most importantly, there are two waterfall that can only be accessed from The Fishing Huts. To reach them, you must walk upstream about 1.5Km. Don’t go alone or if you are drunk, you will die. This is not very suitable if you are not looking for an adventure. First waterfall is relatively accessible, but to see the second one you must swim across a very deep water pool.
Cabins And Booking
When you reach the cabins, all the stress from travelling for hours will soon go away; especially with the view from hut No 1. Currently, there are three cabins, Hut No 1 is suitable for 8 people and it costs Rs. 8,000. (1,000 per person). Although there are only 8 beds, more than 8 people can stay for an additional Rs.100 per person. Same rules apply for other huts as well. Hut number two and three can accommodate 6 people each, and cost Rs.7000 and Rs.5000 respectively. A New hut is under construction especially for couples, with rooms for two couples together. When you are booking try to book a few months before, because it is usually booked for 6-8 months ahead.
