TREKKING

KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE
The Knuckles Mountain Range, located near the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a network of trails from leisurely walks to challenging treks.

HANTHANA MOUNTAIN RANGE
Overlooking Kandy, the Hanthana Mountain Range trails wind through forests, and tea plantations, and provide a home to a wide range of endemic species, offering walks at all levels from easy to challenging.

BIBLE ROCK
Bible Rock, also known Bathalegala, is a striking nearby landmark and an ideal vantage point for panoramic vistas of the surrounding hills, though the ascent can be challenging. It is a stunning example of a Table Mountain. Over 5,500 feet high, its curious open-book shape inspired early Victorian missionaries to give it its canonical name. However, 300 years earlier, it served as a lookout post for the Kandyan kings, eager to spot the latest colonial invasions, especially those of the Portuguese. A classic series of bonfires, running from mountain to mountain, starting here and ending near Kandy, served as a trusted warning signal, just as the famous Armada Fire Beacons in England in 1588.

BAHIRAWAKANDA NATURE RESERVE
With stunning views over Kandy, this reserve is home to a giant seated Buddha statue and a panorama of lush greenery and wildlife.

UDAWATTA KELE SANCTUARY
Located near the Temple of the Tooth, the Udawatta Kele Sanctuary has several well-marked hiking and nature trails and is famous for its birdlife.

THE ALAGALLA MOUNTAINS
Twenty miles from The Flame Tree Estate & Hotel and to the west of Kandy, this special trekkers’ paradise, offering visitors a range of hardcore and easy treks; the easiest is a faint path that begins at Pilimathalawa and ends at Pottapitiya. It's more off-road adventures, including climbing, rock scrambling, and navigating through forests. It is part of a necklace of high mountains: the Alagalla Mountains, Bible Rock, Uthuwankanda, Devanagala, Ambuluwawa, the Knuckles, and Hanthana. Surrounded by dense jungle ideal for guerrilla warfare, the Kandyan kingdom’s natural defences helped it withstand repeated invasions. Its wide range of dry evergreen, montane, and sub-montane forests is home to many species of fauna and flora, including wild boar, monkeys, squirrels, anteaters, porcupines, monitor lizards, and tortoises. Still, it is especially noted for its 50 recoded bird species, which include Sri Lankan junglefowls, Layard’s parakeets, and yellow-fronted barbets.