The Knuckles Mountain Range is in Central Sri Lanka.

Knuckles 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. Also there are interconnected footpaths of cardamom planters, toddy tappers, tea plantation workers, farmers and villages.

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. From Colombo or Kandy, take the number 08 bus. Otherwise, there is one train from Colombo Fort to Matale on weekdays only (departure 10:35, arrival 15:23). There are also 5 daily trains from Kandy to Matale (1.5 hours). There is no public transport into Knuckles from Matale.

The other entrance is in the south of the reserve, via the village of Hunnasgiriya. Many buses travel to Hunnasgiriya (for example, take buses 14 or 22 from Kandy) but once again there is no public transport between there and the reserve. Of course, if you are already in Kandy, you can just hire a guide or join a tour from there. The drive to Knuckles takes around 3 hours.

A 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. Joining a group tour may be cheaper. Extra fees may be charged if you wish to stay in the reserve overnight, for example during a two day trek.

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.

Hiking 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:

• Pitawala pathena trail
• Ash cave trail
• Knuckles summit trail – A difficult yet rewarding hike 15-20 km in length (depending on route) with elevations of up to 1800 m. 6-8 hours return.
• Dothalugala Nature Trail – A 5.8-km trek starting at the Knuckles Conservation Centre (basically just a ticket booth), offering breathtaking views from the south of the range.
• Nitro Caves Trail – An 11-km hike from Corbett’s Gap, leading to a massive cave inhabited by hundreds of bats. Panoramic views. 5 hours one way.
• Mini World’s End – A dramatic 1,192-m cliff with sweeping mountain views, especially on cloud-free days. 1.5 km from the convervation centre.Shorter walks include:
• Sri Wikrama Rajasinhe's (1798-1815) hide-out
• Rathna waterfall trek
• Sitakotuwa limestone cave and waterfall trek

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

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

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

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

Ask your guide about multiple-day hikes. This will necessitate staying a night in the reserve. There are plenty of designated campsites with varying facilities, such as Infinity Pool, Ash Cave, Base Camp, Sky Camp, and others.

There 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.

Remember to take lots of Dettol disinfectant or leech repellent in a spray bottle, especially in wet weather. You will get covered in leeches during a hike in Knuckles. Don't let this discourage you from attempting a hike as the Dettol will make them drop straight off.

• Kandy
• Matale
• Polonnaruwa