Discover the untouched beauty of Sri Lanka’s Knuckles Mountain Range with our “Hike to Heeloya” experience!
Recently we had a four-day long weekend in Sri Lanka and our team of travel addicts wanted to escape Colombo and head out on an adventure. This made the perfect excuse to try out the “Hike to Heeloya” experience in the foothills of the Knuckles Mountain Range.
Just when we reached the village of Heeloya, we were awestruck by the stunning setting. Imagine this; famers working on the lush paddy fields, villagers relaxing and having a casual chat in an Ambalama (traditional resting place for villagers) and the village temple in the distance, indeed it was a picture-perfect moment which we made the best use of to capture some selfies as well as group photos.
As we meandered through, with the Rice Terraces surrounding us, for a moment we were left wondering if this was Sri Lanka or Bali because in here in Sri Lanka it is common to have more flat rice fields than rice terraces. The main livelihood of the locals revolves around agriculture which includes paddy cultivation, livestock, home gardening and spices. So, we were lucky to also see a traditional “Gal Kamatha”, the threshing floor where harvested paddy is temporarily stored.
We continued passing several water streams which were tempting to have a dip but we had to politely decline the invitation in our minds as we were running short on time to get to our campsite. We enjoyed our packed lunch at the “Wariga Sabhawa”, a 700 years old location where the village headman used to hear the cases for disputes among villagers. While this is not practiced anymore, the location takes you back in time and we could picture in our minds a case being heard with the headman in the main seat while others sit around. Once again first things first, we decided on capturing some photos.
While if really needed, this experience could be done as a day excursion from Kandy as well, we preferred to do it the best way which is by spending the night around the Knuckles Mountain Range itself. Since our whole purpose was to make this a back-to-basics, rustic adventure experience, our preferred accommodation option was the good old Knuckles Basecamp, the first property in the region a couple of decades back. With a few new cabanas coming up, making way to the long-standing tents, we felt that it is now in a transition from a campsite to a lodge. Before having dinner and having a well-earned sleep, of course we sang some songs by the campfire. This was one of those rare moments where we enjoyed not having any mobile signals and wifi.
Where else to stay at?
For a more refined tented camping experience, Wild Glamping Knuckles provides the perfect abode. Nicely designed tents with all basic amenities, good food with stunning views provides a nice mid-range option for nature lovers. Yet again, no electricity and no wifi over here, just enjoy being one with nature!
For a more comfortable and slightly high-end experience, Ferndale Retreat is probably the best property in the area. The well-appointed private chalets/villas are the perfect blend of simplicity and comfort. Staying true to its policy of leaving a minimal ecological footprint, the hotel does not have a swimming pool and the rooms do not offer air conditioning since you anyway don’t really need it with the cooler climate. We highly recommend trying out their Sri Lankan and fusion dishes as most of the vegetables and herbs are sourced freshly from their organic plantation. In case one would want to ditch the drive along the winding roads, you could fly on a helicopter and land on their helipad.
Just to conclude, as some hill country areas like Ella are getting gradually overcrowded, we believe Knuckles Mountain Range is where you should be heading towards instead for a real one with nature experience!
For more information on how to incorporate this experience in our itineraries, please get in touch with us on sales.srilanka@khiri.com