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Year and Month | May, 2014 (14th,15th,16th and 17th) |
Number of Days | Four Day Trip |
Crew | 03- Ashan, Wuminda and Myself. |
Accommodation |
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Transport | By bus, Walking and Three wheeler |
Activities | Photography, Waterfall seeing, Trekking |
Weather | Excellent |
Route |
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Tips, Notes and Special remark |
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Related Resources |
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Author | Niroshan |
Comments | Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread |
Day 01
Our starting point of this journey was Pallegama (පල්ලෙගම) town where we joined with Ashan who followed a different route to reach there. As this was Wesak Poya day we could get our breakfast from “Kadala Dansala”. Then we hired a three wheeler to Rambukoluwa (රඹුක්ඔලුව) village. On our way we have noted “Kalu Ganga” (කළු ගග) and Kalu Ganga forest dormitory. This is not the familiar Kalu Ganga for us.
Rambukoluwa is a traditional village at Knuckles forest reserve. This might be a vanishing village in near future as they have planned to build a reservoir by crossing Kalu Ganga. Though Rambukoluwa is not covered by this reservoir, villagers are asked to leave the village.
We started our walking from Rambukoluwa to Narangamuwa (නාරoගමුව). There is a foot pathway from Rambukoluwa to Imaduwa (ඉමාඩුව). From Imaduwa to Narangamuwa road is mortable. We joined with our guide at Narangamuwa and started our walking along the foot pathway to Meemure (මීමුරේ).
Foot pathway from Narangamuwa to Meemure is ascending to some extent and then it descends to Meemure. There are two foot pathways from Narangamuwa to Meemure. One goes along the base of Lakegala (ලකේගල) where you can visit at some other places including “Reassa” (රෑස්ස) and Kapuwatugala (කපුවැටූගල) caves. But we followed the other one as we wanted to reach Meemure before it gets dark.
Day 02
This day our main objective was to visit at Nitro cave. There is a clear road from KCC-Corbett’s gap to Nitro cave via Karambakatiya (කරඹකැටිය). (Refer Nitro Cave rail Guide)
The trail from Meemure joins with this trail at Na-Ela (නා ඇල) village. One junction of this trail is not clear and it may miss lead you. This journey was an expedition for us as even our guide hasn’t been there.
This is the place where potassium Nitrate (gun powder) was taken by Kandyan kingdom during the war against British. Nowadays this cave is occupied by bats.
Pathway from Meemure to Nitro-cave.
Meemure->Kaikawala (කයිකාවල) ->Get the left side road just before Kaikawala cemetery (This is called Atambagolla Road) -> Atambagolla village (ඇටඹගොල්ල)-> Hunukatadegalaha (හුණුකැටදිගලහ) village-> Na-Ela (Just before Na-Ela village you will meet four way junction where proper road from Karambakatiya comes and joins with this.)->cross Na-Ela->Nitro cave.
Day 03
Eli Hatha (ඇලි හත)-Seven waterfalls of Meemure
This bunch of cascades is situated in between Karambakatiya (කරඹකැටිය) and Pusse Ela (පුස්සේ ඇල). If you find the entry point to the water stream, it is easy to approach Eli Hatha. Although it is called Eli Hatha, only six waterfalls are there. Now this place is getting popular between tourists.
It is safer to have a bath here. We could observe some signs of camping here.
Nawarathna Ella/Diyakaralla Ella (නවරත්න ඇල්ල/දියකැරැල්ල ඇල්ල) and Dalugolla Ella (දලුගොල්ල ඇල්ල)
It is worth to visit at Nawarathna Ella if you visit at Meemure as it is about 50m height waterfall. On your way to Nawarathna Ella you can enjoy Dalugolla Ella which is about 5-10m tall beautiful waterfall.
The foot pathway to Nawarathna Ella goes parallel to Meemure Oya. This foot pathway starts on the side of Meemure Dewalaya (ම්මුරේ දේවාලය) and first it lies on the side of paddy field then in knuckles forest. You have to cross the Meemure oya at two places to reach Nawarathna Ella. Therefore better have a known person in this journey. It takes 1-1.5 hours to reach the water fall.
Nawarathna Mama has accompanied Mr. Somarathna Dissanayaka-Director of Sooriya Arana film to this waterfall. This waterfall didn’t have a name and after that it was named by his name.
Sooriya Arana Eli (සූරිය අරණ ඇලි)
A lot of people in Sri Lanka got to know about Meemure by this film. The waterfall is shown at film is later called Sooriya Arana Ella. It is about 2-3 tall waterfall. There are two another waterfalls just below Sooriya Arana waterfall.
Sooriya Arana Falls can be approached by a road and then a foot pathway from the Meemure village.
Bathing at first waterfall seems to be safe but other two not.
Reaching Dandenikumbura from Meemure
Third day evening we said good bye to Meemure and came to Dandenikumbura. There is a foot pathway from Meemure to Dandenikumbura and this starts close to Sooriya Arana falls-1. It takes about 1 ½ to 2 hours to reach Dandenikumbura. This foot pathway is fairly easy and goes along a flat section.
Dandenikumbura.
This abounded village is situated at the bank of “Heen Ganga”. The name Dandenikumbura came from Dan+dun (දන්දුන්) +Kumbura (කුඹුර) ->Dandenikumbura. People of this village have left the village gradually and at the moment only one house is available here belonging Nawarathna Mama’s step father. He also doesn’t stay there regularly. This house is used by people who travel to give alms for meditating sermon at Dandenikumbura from surrounding villages and hunters. We cleaned the house and made for our accommodation at 3rd day night. It has all necessary cooking equipments. Rawana dola starts from Lakegala flows close to this house and it joins with Heen Ganga.
Day 04
This day our plan was to reach Sulugune (හුලුගුනේ) via Galamuduna (ගලමුදුන) village. We crossed Heen Ganga and followed the foot pathway towards Galamuduna. After crossing Heen Ganga have to walk about 100m towards left hand side along the bank to find the foot pathway. There is a hut at the beginning of the foot pathway. This is used for giving alms to the priest by villagers from Meemure.
Most of the time it is a continuous ascend from Dandenikumbura to Galamuduna. It takes about 2hours to reach Galamuduna. On your way you can visit at Kahatagahawela Falls. But we have missed it.
Galamuduna
This is another traditional isolated village situated at Knuckles range. It is still only accessible by foot pathways from Sulugune (What we followed), Dandenikumbura (What we followed) and Uda Galdebokka (උඩගල්දෙබොක්ක). About 30families live here.
Pe Hami (පේ හාමි) is the oldest villager of this village and we met him. He is in his eighties now. Pe Hami mama is a good singer and he has lot of stories to tell.
After visiting there we left Galamuduna village and started to descend towards Sulugune.
Foot pathway from Galamuduna to Sulugune is a continuous descend. It is parallel with the water stream till you come across Heen Ganga again. Therefore this foot pathway is scenic and has number of small waterfalls. After meeting the last house at this foot pathway (This is the last house of Sulugune) we crossed Heen Ganga again to enter paddy fields of Sulugune.
After passing Sulugune we could enter a mortable road to reach “Gini Petti” bridge (ගිනිපෙට්ටි පාලම) at Uduwelwala.
“Gini Petti” bridge is a nice engineering work. We had a bath at Heen Ganga and got the bus towards Hasalaka (හසලක).

Summary of four days journey – Red star shows the beginning at Pallegama town. Our route is approximately shown by black arrows. Pink star shows the end. (Click Map to Enlarge)
Few words about Nawarathna Mama and his accommodation.
We were provided a guide from Narangamuwa till Sulugune by Nawarathna Mama, actually his brother-Kapila Banda. But he is clueless about most of the places and we had to guide him. According to Nawarathna Mama, guide charges are Rs 1000 per day.
His accommodation at home was satisfactory but food was not up to the level he charged from us.
What we felt, now Meemure is commercialized well following visiting of tourists. Therefore villagers like Nawarathna is more business minded. He is more concerning about large group of visitors coming to camping site for BBQ.
I think Galamuduna, Rambukoluwa and Udagaldebokka villages are still more traditional than Meemure.
Thanks for reading.