Exclusive knuckles Camping Tour from kandy

10/10 Recommend - A unique experience you will only receive with a knowledgeable and seasoned guide

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!

via Tripadvisor

Knukles mountains experience with Lakmal

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.

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Fun

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

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Great tour and beautiful hike!

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!

via Tripadvisor

Good but too expensive - cut out the middleman!

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

Response from the operator: Dear Matthew, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the hike and the hospitality of our guide. We would like to clarify that this was a private tour, which included personalized transport, a dedicated guide, entrance tickets, all meals for two days, and accommodation in a rural base camp. As mentioned clearly in our itinerary, the accommodation is not luxury but a basic base camp experience, designed to immerse guests in nature. Our pricing reflects the full-service experience, including expert guidance, seamless logistics, and exclusive arrangements to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey. While costs may differ from booking locally, we strive to provide a hassle-free and high-quality experience for our guests. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to refine our offerings. We hope you had a memorable time exploring Sri Lanka!

via Tripadvisor