Abode Knuckles Tour

Dumbara or the ‘Knuckles’ is the home of the Abode (see about us). A cluster of villages in a mountainous terrain with a well preserved local way of living in harmony with nature. This spectacularly bio-diverse region is, surprisingly, virtually untouched by tourism of any kind.

With no roads or electricity or any semblance of the modern world, Walpolamulla village is accessible only by foot – a four hour hike through wild forest. Crossing the ridge into the valley where this hamlet lies, you will be transported into a land where the day-to-day practices have not varied much for hundreds of years.

It is here that we stay at the Abode and let the last of Walpolamulla’s residents share their unique way of life with us. There now remain only 3 inhabitable houses in the village, where remaining has become increasingly difficult due to the increasing age of the remaining 3 couples.

This homestay will take you deep into the way of life of these incredible people. Living with Vijay Tata and Attha Amma you will explore and experience a way of life which will soon become a distant memory.

Living off the fertile land and at the will of the elements is the essence of Abode. Each tour is different and unique, as the environment and the people change.

Abode is intended to be an example of genuine community tourism, with interactivity, engagement and adventure at its core. Unlike tours organised in the more famous indigenous jungle regions of Sri Lanka, Abode is not an opportunity to observe, but to experience and share.

Durng your stay you will sleep on simple camp beds, eat hearty local food and bathe in rivers and waterfalls. The facilities are basic, the environment wild and the people welcoming.

Tours can be tailored and quoted to suit individual needs. We recommend a stay of 2 nights and 3 days to allow enough time to truly explore and immerse yourself, however stays of 1 night are possible while keen walkers and naturalists may want longer. The tour can begin and end in both Kandy or the ‘Cultural Triangle’.