Exclusive Knuckles Camping Tour From Kandy

My friend and I are from Hong Kong and we wanted to do a 3D2N trek prior to visiting Sigiriya and Colombo. I read numerous reviews and reached out to sooo many guides and ended up going with Nature Paradise Tours because Lakmal, our guide, was super responsive and easy to communicate with on Whatsapp, was reasonably priced, and super accommodating - customized our trek based on what I was looking for (forest, waterfalls, mountains, camping). We ended up doing the Knuckles Mountain trek where we got our fill of the cloud forest, passed through tea plantations, hung out at the Knuckles Base Camp (bathroom in your own room and running water, great food) one night and camped in a prehistoric cave the next. Lakmal and his assistant Mudavul (sorry, I don't know how to spell his name!) are incredible chefs and made the best dinner and breakfast for us over an open fire that they tended to all night long. I need to make a special mention that while we were struggling with our 7kg backpacks, they carried about 50kg worth of food & equipment up the mountain to make our stay in the cave the utmost comfortable, they are absolutely incredible! Lakmal also studied ayurvedic medicine so he's well versed with all the plants and vegetation in the forest. It was so insightful to learn about them and chomping on edible fruits as we trekked along really added to this whole experience. He also prepared leech socks for us and even though the leeches occasionally found their way on other parts of our bodies, Lakmal would immediately come to the rescue and get rid of them for us. I fell at one point of time and hurt my knee and while I was just carrying on, Lakmal was incredibly attentive and insisted massaging the ointment he carried with him to reduce the pain. This was truly one of the most unique and memorable trekking experiences in my life and was only made possible due to the tentativeness and guidance of Lakmal and Mudavul. They really went above and beyond. I highly recommend him to anyone and everyone who wants to an awesome experience in Sri Lanka. He doesn't only do treks, he also curates itineraries around the whole of Sri Lanka depending on what activities you'd like to do and see. Some of the key highlights of this trip: - Lakmal sharing with us the fruits and herbs that are edible as we trekked (and obviously us eating them) - Jumping into a huge waterfall + the hydromassage that comes with it - Seeing the beautiful cloud forest, the invigoration of nature at its finest - A free spa treatment for my feet (exfoliating from the fishies nibbling on my deadskin 10/10) - Amazing food every day, especially the feast Lakmal and Mudaval cooked for us over a campfire - Learning a local card game - Camping in a hidden, prehistoric cave and watching the stars above us at night - Hanging out and chatting with Lakmal - he's hilarious - The thoughtfulness of our guide - I mentioned that I love pineappes on the first day and Lakmal surprised us by actually carrying a whole pineapple with him whilst doing this challenging hike for us to eat!

I've done two days tour in knuckles mountains with Lakmal as guide. It was a really good experience, you can see a lot of different environments, from the cloud forest to the tea tree plantation. Also the guide is really good to explain everything about the vegetation and the animals of the knukles reserve. I reccomend! It is a authentic experience, not too much touristic.

Awesome experience with Wasantha guide, good food and intensive trekking. The first day was a bit cloudy but the next day was great

I was looking for a hike to do in Sri Lanka that was enough of a challenge that I felt like I was actually exercising and got to enjoy beautiful views and scenery and this was perfect! Lamal is a very knowledgeable guide with a very calming energy. I think he knows absolutely everything about the nature in knuckles mountain range. He made me feel very comfortable the entire time and was very patient when the hike was a bit more challenging. First day is more challenging than second but doable and very worth it. The itinerary takes you through many different landscapes which makes the whole two days feel very diverse in views. Only negative are the leeches but that is unavoidable and they provide you with leech socks which is very helpful! Cannot recommend Nature Paradise Tours enough!

Enjoyable hike, led by a friendly and informative guide, but this was not value for money. We booked the hike before starting our holiday; had we waited until we were in Sri Lanka we would have realised the cost was extremely excessive. The accommodation was rudimentary , and probably worth £10 per person per night. The food was delicious and plentiful, especially the final lunch, but again it would have been cheap by local standards. So in conclusion the company running this hike has made excessive profit. If you are visiting Sri Lanka looking to hike the KMR, we recommend waiting until you are on the ground before hiking , and cutting out the middle man

A really unique experience. The whole tour was very well organised, and Lakmal is an excellent guide. Be aware though, it can be a tough trek! Make sure you've got the appropriate clothing with you. The weather can also be really unpredictable, but the scenery is beautiful. And definitely the kind of thing you need an experienced guide for.

I highly recommend Lakmal as a guide. He is kind, considerate and very knowledgeable about the local plants. He would regularly jump into the bushes to pick something for us to taste, smell or just enjoy with our eyes. He also knows about the fauna and people of the area. He provided us with leech socks and a special repellent to cover them with so we wouldn’t get bit. Good times!

53 things we saw/did/ate during our 2-day hike led by the incredible Lakmal: 1. Knuckles 1&2 summits 2. Leeches 3. Leopard poo 4. Green, yellow, pink coconuts 5. Green Vanilla beans 6. Sweet Cinnamon tree 7. Itching mongoose 8. Flower exchange w local child 9. No electricity cabin 10. Cold water showers 11. Cardamom seeds 12. Tamarind 13. Jackfruit 14. Starfruit 15. Breadfruit 16. Rice seedlings 17. Irrigation canal 18. Coffee beans/cherries 19. Cacao beans 20. One of 25 banana varietals 21. Avocado tree 22. Guava 23. Kingfisher 24. Lemongrass 25. Peppercorn (green/red) 26. Tea villages, factories, fields 27. Bamboo (shoots and stalks) 28. Betel nut tree 29. Hibiscus flower 30. Wild raspberry 31. Pomegranate 32. Trumpet flower 33. Bird of paradise flower 34. Chameleon 35. Skin eating fish 36. Koi pond 37. Waterfalls 38. Sugarcane 39. Pineapple tree 40. Clove leaf 41. Doggos 42. Cassava 43. Mango 44. Red and orange papaya 45. Elephant 46. Water buffalo 47. Monkeys 48. Chickens 49. 2-story leaning house built on a truck 50. Village road being poured 51. Curry rice lunch box wrapped in plastic 52. Arrack coconut rum cocktails 53. Ginger biscuits

My partner and I did the one night camping, two day hike in the knuckles mountains with Lakmal from Nature Paradise tours, and it was fantastic! Lakmal is an excellent guide, he has great knowledge of the local animals, flowers, and vegetation, regularly pointing out and giving us fruits and spices to taste and smell! The hike was very rewarding, on the first day we hiked to the top of the knuckles, and the ascent and descent was quite challenging in places. We had great weather and had amazing views from the top. On the second day we hiked to waterfalls, had a lovely swim and then continued down to a village, which was amazing. The food on the hike was excellent, especially the lunch on the second day in the village! We were very lucky and got an upgrade on our accommodation to a posh tent / glamping (as all the standard tents were in use), but we would have been very happy with the standard tents. There are leeches on the trail but Lakmal has leech socks that help protect you. Overall, I highly recommend a trip with Lakmal, he is an amazing guide and the knuckles mountains are such a beautiful and slightly less touristy place to go!!!!

An absolutely amazing adventure. The first day of the hike (~20km) was tough but went deep into the park including the highest point of the Knuckles. Very few other operators actually go into the wilderness, which was a special treat. We also hiked through tea plantations, paddy, Tamil and Sinhalese villages, and swam in two amazing natural swimming holes. The campsite and meals were also great. 100% recommend without hesitation - worth every penny!

Amazing trip with friendly and knowledgeable guide We had an unforgettable experience on this beautiful trail full of nature We stayed in an ecolodge on top of the mountain Though amenities were basic, everything was taken care of exceptionally by our guide Lakmal with the assistance of the local caretakers of the lodge. They provided us with hot water for bath manually, cooked amazing meals full of variety and fresh ingredients , even gave us free bottle of local Arrack to enjoy! Lakmal is an exceptional hiker himself apart from being a great host. Highly recommend this hiking tour to anyone who wishes to explore the beautiful landscape of the Sri Lankan wild forests

Lakmal took me on an overnight trip through knuckles. He shared his knowledge and experience as he pointed out wildlife and all of the local vegetation and a waterfall of course! From pepper to cinnamon it was amazing how much they grow in this small area. Our trip was capped off by a great swim and lunch with a local family. If you like hiking this is a tour for you! Cant recommend enough. I also hiked in Horton Plains with Lakmal and recommend it as well.

We had a really good time! It was beautiful. The weather on the first day wasn’t so good, the clouds abstracted the veiw, and the rain made many leaches come out. But with good protection provided to us, we were fine. The guide was great, knew to tell us all about the plants and some animals along the trek. The campsite was really nice as well. And the food that we got was delicious.

Great experience! The views are amazing and the tour is well organized. Lakmal shares a lot of knowledge about the surroundings. I would recommend this tour if you would like to be in nature.

Amazing tour! 2 days surrounded by nature, jungle and beautiful landscapes, sleeping in a nice camp, delicious food and the best guide. Thanks Lakmal for everything! I enjoyed a lot :)

We were surprised and amazed by the diversity of vegetation on our way, from foggy forest, to dry steppe, mountain ranges, to tropical rainforest, to waterfalls. It felt like every hour or so we were in a different beautiful world! Lakmal showed and explained us so many things, I was personally most intrigued by the tasty spices, and fruits that he picked along the way and gave us to taste. We asked him a lot of questions about animals, village life, tea production and he knew so much about all of it. Another favourite was the water pressure massage in one of the waterfalls we passed : ) We stayed in a cute cabin over night, had delicious dinner and breakfast and it was just very magical to spend time in the middle of nature. We are very grateful for the two days, which were so rich and special. I would recommend it to anyone!!

A wonderful trek in the Knuckles passing through forest, Rocky Mountains, waterfalls, tea plantations, rice fields. We slept in a campsite next to a small village, it was a wonderful moment with the host who taught me how to cook some local recipes (including roti and sambol). Laïlla is a very nice guide who speaks a lot about the history and the culture of the country, I can only recommend to do a hike or trek with him.

We dicovered Leopard' poo, had dinner on Leopards rock, spotted a snake that just caught a "squirrel" and saw an amazingly colourful spider in its net from a save distance. The tent to sleep in was placed on a wooden platform with a wooden roof, so that it was protected from wind/rain and no "ground animal" could sneak around the tent during night - felt very save!

Two days and one night in the middle of nature. Running away from Kandy's stress. Superb experience and care of Lackmal. Experienced guide of the area. With knowledge of flora and fauna, it has been able to adapt to the rhythm and my tastes. I'd have enlarged one more day. Thanks!!!

We did the trek 2 days - 1 night with Lakmal, it is a unique experience. We came back delighted: walking, landscapes, explanations, swimming, everything is there. And the meals offered were very very good 😊

Superb two-day hike.We were able to admire breathtaking landscapes in the heart of nature.Beautiful views of mountains, forests, rice and tea plants throughout the hike. To cool us off during the ride superb falls were waiting for us! We were able to spend a night in a camp in the heart of nature.Warm Welcoming and good food. During the hike, our guide shared with us his many knowledge about the vegetation that borders the trails as well as the customs of this place. Without it the experience is not at all the same!A hike that will be remembered for a long time!