The Ultimate Guide to Duwili Ella: The Best Hike in the Knuckles Mountain Range

If you’re into hiking, adventure, and getting off the beaten track, there’s no better adventure activity in Sri Lanka than trekking in the Knuckles Mountain Range. The Knuckles Mountain Range is an incredible place to explore, with an abundance of wildlife and unlimited opportunities for real adventure.

And of all the Knuckles Mountain Range hiking on offer, there’s one that beats them all: Duwili Ella waterfall. It is, hands down, the best hike in Sri Lanka. Think raw, wild jungle and a series of 3 epic waterfalls. One of which, is a natural infinity pool and another, you camp behind.

Sound amazing? It is! Read on for our comprehensive guide to Duwili Ella and trekking in the Knuckles Mountain Range. 

Knuckles Mountain Range: Overview

Named after its resemblance to human knuckles, the Knuckles Mountain Range is a sheer giant when it comes to biodiversity. It contains 34 mountains ranging from 900 to 2,000 metres in elevation, vegetation that changes from grasslands to tropical montane evergreen forests to cloud forests and an astonishing array of animals: more than 128 species of birds, 20 species of amphibians, 53 reptile species and 31 mammal species. Yep, there’s a lot in there. 

For these reasons, the Knuckles Mountain Range is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trekking in the Knuckles is the best way to experience the wild and raw nature of Sri Lanka’s interior and it makes for the best hike in Sri Lanka.

As you would expect with such a massive and diverse wilderness area, the trekking opportunities are unlimited. There are around 34 different hiking trails throughout the Knuckles Mountain Range, many of which are considered to be some of the toughest in the country. 

Known as the ‘last frontier’ of Sri Lanka, many of these Knuckles Mountain Range hiking trails are completely unmarked and go deep within the jungle. 

In sum, the Knuckles is a wild place. 

Read The Essential Sri Lanka Travel Guide (2024) for all the travel information you’ll need

Knuckles Mountain Range: Location

The Knuckles Mountain Range lies in central Sri Lanka, located between Kandy and Matale. There are various ways to access the Knuckles, but by far the most convenient way is to come from Kandy. 

The hike to Duwili Ella waterfall starts from the small and extremely beautiful village of Pitawala in the Riverston Region, which is 57 km north of Kandy. 

Best Time to Go Trekking in the Knuckles Range

The best time to go trekking in the Knuckles Mountain Range is during the dry season, from December to February. You can hike outside of this timeframe, but you may encounter some rain and the leeches will be even more aggressive than normal. The silver lining is that the waterfalls will be very full and majestic.

We hiked to Duwili Ella in late March and we were fine. We encountered a bit of rain on our second day, but it was not debilitating. The jungle cover is pretty thick, and the humidity is 100%, so you’ll be wet with sweat anyway. (Seriously). 

Important: the weather is notoriously unpredictable in the Knuckles, so always be prepared for rain, even if hiking in the dry season. 

Duwili Ella: Trail Overview

Considered the crown jewel of all the Knuckles Mountain Range hiking trails, Duwili Ella is a 40-metre waterfall hidden deep within the jungle. What makes Duwili Ella so special is the cave behind the waterfall, which allows hikers to camp behind the waterfall.

If that wasn’t enough, the waterfall sits a few hundred metres above the jungle canopy, allowing you the most magnificent view out over the Knuckles Range. 

Oh yeah, and there are also 3 other incredible waterfalls on the way to Duwili Ella, including a natural infinity pool overlooking the jungle (the infamous Knuckles infinity pool). It’s pretty epic and the best hike in Sri Lanka for a reason.

Want more Sri Lanka travel tips? Read our 47 Essential Sri Lanka Travel Tips

How Hard Is the Hike to Duwili Ella?

The hike to Duwili Ella is an out-and-back trail of approximately 16 km each way. 

The trail itself is challenging. The terrain is undulating at the best of times and for many stretches, very steep. The ground is incredibly slippery and you must constantly pay attention to keep your footing.

And if that all wasn’t enough, the humidity is around 100% and the leeches are nothing short of horrific. We’re talking dozens crawling over your feet at any given time. Overall, it is a difficult and exhausting trail. 

But the good news? It’s also awesome and so worth all the effort. 

Read next: 10 Reasons You Shouldn’t Skip North Sri Lanka

Do You Need A Guide For Trekking in the Knuckles?

Officially, trekking in the Knuckles Mountain Range requires a guide and hikers are only allowed to enter the reserve with a qualified guide. 

That said, no one checked us when we entered, or throughout the duration of our hike. 

However, we cannot stress enough the importance of a guide for trekking to Duwili Ella. The trail is unmarked and there are many river crossings (about 4 – 5). At each crossing, it is unclear where you should continue and thus it is imperative to have a guide to show you the way. 

We always hike independently and without a guide when possible, however, we would not have been able to do the Duwili Ella hike without our great guide. 

Read: 21 Amazing Places to Visit in Anuradhapura in 2024

Hiring a guide doesn’t mean you need to get the whole package (porters, cooks, etc.) and below we’ll explain how you can organise a guide and hike to Duwili Ella (and yes, that Knuckles infinity pool) as independently as possible. 

How to organise a guided hike to Duwili Ella Waterfall

The easiest way to organise a guide for Duwili Ella is to contact Suranga from Trail Oka. 

Suranga speaks great English and has brilliant contacts all throughout the Knuckles Mountain Range. He is happy to organise a guide only, without any of the extras that many other companies will try to tack on. Suranga was very helpful and can answer any questions you may have. For example, he helped us figure out our transport to Pitawala. 

You can contact Suranga at +94 70 400 1404 (via WhatsApp or text if you have a Sri Lankan sim). You can also email him at [email protected]. 

Our guide was Loka Banda from Pitawala and we couldn’t recommend him enough. He’s super experienced in the area and somehow hikes those crazy jungle trails in flip-flops. 

If you would like to contact Loka Banda directly, you can call him on 076 277 1000. Note that you will need a Sinhala speaker to call for you as Loka Banda’s English is quite limited. 

Guided Tours For Trekking in the Knuckles

If you like your activities a bit more on the organised side, don’t have all your own gear or are just short on time and want to make things easier for yourself, there are a ton of tours for trekking in the Knuckles.

Some of the best tours in the Knuckles Mountain Range include:

• A 2-day Trekking and Camping Tour Through the Knuckles
• A 4-day Trekking Tour Through the Knuckles
• The Knuckles Leopard Trail Trek
• Waterfall Trekking in the Knuckles

Transportation – Getting There and Away

The hike to Duwili Ella starts from Pitawala village in the Riverston district. Pitawala is 57 km north of Kandy. The road is rough, very windy and in incredibly bad shape. 

You can get to Kandy by train or bus, depending on where you are coming from. Have a look on 12Go for options.

Kandy – Pitawala

To get to Pitawala from Kandy, you have two options:

1. You can hire a tuk-tuk to drive you the entire way. It should take about 4 hours total and cost around 8000 – 10,000 LKR. Be sure to bargain!

2. Via public transport. It’s actually pretty straightforward to get to Pitawala from Kandy via public transport.

Leaving Pitawala

Leaving Pitawala is also straightforward.

There are two daily buses to Matale. One departs at 7.15 am and the other at around 2.15 pm.

Once in Matale, you will have to change to a Kandy-bound bus. This will be very easy and most people from your bus will be doing the same and will point you in the right direction. There are very regular Matale-Kandy buses.  

The entire journey takes about 4 hours. 

Accommodation before and after the hike

To hike to Duwili Ella, you will need to spend a night before and after the trek in Pitawala. Lucky for you as this village is an incredibly special place and you might find yourself wanting to stay longer! It stole our hearts and had we not been so pressed for time, we would have easily spent a few days after the hike there.

Pitawala is a very small and remote village that does not see a lot of foreign tourists. As such, it’s the kind of place where a foreigner is still a novelty and you can expect to have kids racing after you and people asking for selfies. It’s as far off the beaten track in Sri Lanka as you can possibly get. 

And not only that, it’s so damn beautiful. Surrounded by the Knuckles Mountain Range, with a view of the escarpment and lush green rice fields, it’s a magical place. 

There are a number of guesthouses and homestays in and around Pitawala, however, only one, Crystal Riverston Deck, is on Booking.

If you search on Google, you will find a number of options on Google Maps. Otherwise, your best bet is to walk around the village when you arrive. You can also speak with your guide about lodging with them for a fee. 

We arranged to stay in our guide’s house before and after our Knuckles Mountain Range hiking experience and his lovely wife prepared meals for us. It was an incredible experience and we really enjoyed it as it provided a more intimate travel experience. 

Want to visit another beautiful waterfall in Sri Lanka? Check out our guide to Gartmore Falls

How much does it cost to hike to Duwili Ella

It is very affordable to hike to Duwili Ella. 

If you are self-sufficient, with all of your gear and food, you can expect to pay around 10,000 – 15,000 LKR for a guide for a 2-day / 1-night trip. Considering this is the best hike in Sri Lanka, that’s a great deal.

You will also have to pay to enter the Knuckles Mountain Range reserve. Entrance to the reserve is 800 LKR per person.

Duwili Ella: The Hike

The first 12 km of the Duwili Ella hike is through constantly undulating jungle until you reach the first waterfall, Dumbara Ella. Dumbara Ella is a powerful and very beautiful waterfall and makes a great spot for lunch. 

You can swim at the rocks a few dozen metres from the waterfall. 

After Dumbara Ella, the trail gets very difficult. It’s a 3 km straight ascent through very slippery and muddy jungle terrain. At times you have to scramble and hold on to tree roots. 

Once you have gone 3 km, you reach the Knuckles infinity pool. This place is nothing short of magical. There are multiple spots to swim and places to camp and have a fire. 

If you are doing a two-day option, this is a great spot to finish for the first day. 

After the Knuckles infinity pool, it’s only 1 km to Dumbara Ella and the main campsite. This should take around 20 – 30 minutes. 

The campsite is in a cave, behind the waterfall, overlooking the valley. The campsite is nice and sheltered and protected from rain and wind. 

There’s also a smaller waterfall, with a bigger, more secure ledge. The waterfall is pretty small (just a few drops), but it’s a refreshing place to have a rinse-off. 

Note: Be careful getting water. You get the water from the waterfall and if you slip, well, it’s a big fall. 

Also, watch where you step on the way to get water. Some areas are used as a toilet and there are some traces around …  

Where to Buy Supplies for Trekking in the Knuckles

If you are trekking in the Knuckles independently, then you will need to bring everything you will need for the hike with you from Kandy, including your food. There is a small store in Pitawala that stocks biscuits and soda, but not much else. It’s nice to buy something to support the store, but don’t rely on getting all your hiking food from it. 

If you need to buy gear, Kandy has a number of camping stores that will sell basic gear. Camping Tent & Gear LK and CampZone Kandy are recommended options.

For cooking gas, only butane gas is found in Kandy (not the isobutane canisters used for hiking stoves). You can find butane gas in Camping Tent & Gear LK and CampZone Kandy, however, do be sure this will fit to your stove (without an adapter, it won’t fit on most European/North American/Australian hiking stoves).

If you need isobutane hiking gas, your best bet is stocking up in Colombo.

Related: Wilpattu National Park – The Ultimate Sri Lanka Safari

Duwili Ella Tips and tricks

• You will need to prepare for the leeches. Wear two pairs of thick socks and tuck your pants into your socks. Make a Dettol spray: mix a small amount of Dettol in a spray bottle and spray your feet constantly. It actually works. 
• Drinking water is plentiful, so you do not need to pack all your water. Be sure to treat it. We used our Steripen, which we love and highly recommend.
• Take cash. There is nothing even close to an ATM in the village. You will need to pay (and tip) your guide at the end, plus pay for your accommodation pre and post-hike. This just all be in cash.
• As always, leave no trace. For cleaning up after yourself, we use and recommend The Deuce Backpacking Potty Trowel.

Fancy an underwater adventure? Read our guide on visiting Pigeon Island

What to Pack for Duwili Ella Waterfall

Here’s our packing list, with our recommendations for specific gear.

Considering travel insurance for your trip to Sri Lanka? Shop for plans at SafetyWing

Other Knuckles Mountain Range Hiking Trails

1. Dothalugala Nature Trail

The Dothalugala nature trail in The Knuckles Mountain Range is (no surprises here!), up the Dothalugala Mountain.

It offers breathtaking views from the south of the mountain range. You can complete this trek as a circuit by coming down the other side of the mountain, making the entire trek nearly 6 kilometres. The trek begins at the Knuckles Conservation Centre in Deanston and a permit is needed to enter the area. You can get your permit at the Conservation Centre. 

2. Nitro Caves

Another popular choice for hikers is the nature trail that leads to Nitro Caves, a massive cave inhabited by hundreds of bats. The 11-kilometre path starts at Corbett’s Gap and will take about five hours to complete. Corbett’s Gap is itself a noteworthy attraction, sitting at an elevation of 1,216 metres and offering spectacular panoramic views of the range.

3. Mini World’s End

Located towards the south of the mountains is Mini World’s End, a dramatic 1,192-metre cliff that offers sweeping views of the mountains. It begins at the Knuckles Conservation Centre (KCC) and is approximately 1.5 kilometres in length. Again, a permit is required. 

Read more about Mini World’s End here

4. The Bambarella Hike

There are 5 prominent peaks in the Knuckles Mountain Range and of these 5, the most popular summit is the Bambarella Trail. 

The entire hike takes approximately 5 to 6 hours. 

Like this post? Pin it for later!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you buy or book anything through them, we’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us run this website and create comprehensive guides to help you get off the beaten track. We only recommend products and/or services that we use ourselves and trust.