Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Going up you worry about overheating and going down it's all about the brakes. Many
vehicles didn't make it and now lie in the jungle beneath.
Drivers prefer the road along the southern shores of the Victoria and Randenigala Reser-
voirs, which is much faster and in better condition. To travel from Kandy to the hills of
Uva Province (including towns such as Ella and Haputale), it's quicker to take this road
and then the route south to Badulla than to go via Nuwara Eliya.
Knuckles Range
Elevation 1863m
So named because the range's peaks look like a closed fist, this massif is home to pockets
of rare montane forest. The area, which offers fabulous hiking and birdwatching possibilit-
ies, remains relatively unknown to foreign visitors and is one of the best areas in the Hill
Country to get off the beaten tourist path.
If you are coming here in order to hike then you'll need to be well prepared. A know-
ledgeable guide is virtually essential.
Hotels in the Knuckles Range can organise guided hiking trips. In Kandy, see Sumone
and Ravi at Sri Lanka Trekking . A guide for the high peaks is compulsory, and some seri-
ous wet-weather gear and some leech protection are essential. For anything more ambi-
tious than a couple of hours' stroll around the foothills, you will need to be totally self-suf-
ficient, with camping equipment and food.
The foothills of the Knuckles are covered in small villages and walking in this area is
open to anyone. The high massif, though, is a protected zone, and entry cost Rs 650. Tick-
ets cannot be purchased at the gate, but will normally be obtained by your guide from a
forestry department office.
Sleeping & Eating
Brookside Resort HOTEL
( 562 4933; www.brooksideresort.lk ;Dumbara Valley, Elkaduwa;d with air-con Rs 5250, without air-
con Rs 2000-3000; )
This place, with its partially obscured mountain views, is a fair choice. Communal areas
are chock-a-block full of wicker chairs and shelves of knick-knacks, and the rooms are
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search