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!

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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

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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!

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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 😊

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