Park or nature areaOutline guide

Knuckles Mountain Range

Mountain range located in Sri Lanka

Photo: DaemonX, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Knuckles Mountain Range is in Central Sri Lanka.

Getting there and around

Getting there

There are three ways to access Knuckles. In all cases, you will need to hire a tour guide or join a tour which will provide transport into the reserve. The most popular way is through Matale.

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Getting around

You will be reliant on your guide for transport around the park. Visitors must hire a guide to enter the park. Typically, your guide will pick you up from your hotel at around 06:00 and return you by 19:00.

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Airports and nearby hotels

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Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport

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Full travel guide

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UnderstandKnuckles mountain range and its forest trails offer excellent trekking in Sri Lanka. It has many nature trails cleared through the forest by the Forest Department with campsites.

Get inThere are three ways to access Knuckles. In all cases, you will need to hire a tour guide or join a tour which will provide transport into the reserve. The most popular way is through Matale.

Fees and permitsA full day hike will generally cost Rs. 5000-6000 per person, including park permits, guide fees, Jeep hire (and possibly food and water). It may be required to have a minimum of two people to hire a Jeep.

Get aroundYou will be reliant on your guide for transport around the park. Visitors must hire a guide to enter the park. Typically, your guide will pick you up from your hotel at around 06:00 and return you by 19:00.

DoHiking in Knuckles is fairly arduous, so a reasonable level of fitness is required, as well as hiking boots and sensible clothes. Some of the 34 hiking trails include:

BuySince the Knuckles Range is a protected area, there aren’t large markets or commercial shops inside the reserve.

EatYou or your guide will need to bring everything you'll be eating.

DrinkLikewise, you or your guide will need to bring all your drinks.

SleepThere is no lodging in the reserve but a great deal of accommodation in every direction surrounding it.

Stay safeThere is very little mobile reception in the Knuckles, make sure you give your hotel the details of the guide that is taking you and let them know that you expect to be back at the hotel by a particular time.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Knuckles Mountain Range" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Knuckles Mountain Range", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: DaemonX, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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