In December 2022, we embarked on a trek to Dumbara, which we had been eagerly awaiting for some time. Our plan was to spend three nights in Dumbara, starting the trek from Lebanan estate in Bambarella, proceeding through Knuckles up to RKP (Rehena Ketu Pathana), and finally descending through the forest to end our trek in Meemure village.
A week before our trek, Sri Lanka experienced heavy rainfall, which resulted in the trail being rich with water resources all the way from Lebanan estate to Meemure. Despite RKP being known for having rare water springs, we were fortunate enough to find several springs on the grassland on the day we arrived.
Bird's eye view of RKP |
The next morning, we spent quite a while at the grassland, listening to the songs of trees, birds, and water, before starting to walk downward through the Meemure road with the intention of getting close to Diyakerella on the same day. Unfortunately, we lost our trail several times and eventually had to camp in the middle of the dense forest that day.
An abandaned cardamom hut |
On the following day, we managed to get down to Ruppa, which seemed like a sacred place devoted to gods. The upper Diyakerella was just next to the Ruppawa. We spent some time exploring the beauty of the river by proceeding up to Sedamal ella falls, which was also a stunning waterfall hidden in the jungle. We camped near the upper Diyakerella that day.
Hidden waterfalls |
On the last day of our trek, we went to visit the bottom of enchanating Diyakerella ella falls, had a swim there, and ended our journey at Meemure by reaching the village by noon. As there were no public transport services out of Meemure by that hour, we had to travel to Hunnasgiriya via a Bolero. Overall, it was an incredible trek that allowed us to immerse ourselves in the beauty of nature
Diyakerella ella falls |
Thunhisgala as seen from RKP |