Dothalugala is one of the 34 mountains in the Knuckles Massif. It is situated in the southern region of the Knuckles Mountain Range. The mountain is famous for its rich biodiversity. Dothalugala is an ideal place for trekking, camping, and hiking. But the place is not widely popular among local and foreign travelers.
In an earlier post, we discussed Deanston Mini-World’s End. Dothalugala is situated very near the Mini World’s end, and both places are controlled by the Knuckles Conservation Centre in Deanston.
Location:
Dothalugala is located in the Kandy District of Sri Lanka. The nearest town to the place is Hunnasgiriya. You can catch this place once you travel to Meemure via Hunnasgiriya. The distance from Colombo to here is 160km. If you start from Kandy, you first need to come to Hunnasgiriya town. Then you need to turn your vehicle onto Meemure Road and travel 7km to reach the destination. Getting permission is a requirement to enter the Dothalugala nature trial. You can buy a single ticket to both Deanston Mini World’s End and Dothalugala Nature Trail. Parking facilities are available near the Deanston Conservation Center. From here, you need to walk towards the camping site and Dothalu Ella.
Dothalugala Camping Site:
After one kilometer of walking, you will first meet the Dothalugala Camping Site. It’s an amazing place for camping. The surrounding area is absolutely beautiful, and you can see some prominent peaks of the Knuckles massif. But you need to get permission from the headquarters of the Forest Department to camp here. You cannot get permission from the Deanston Office directly. There are two houses available for those who don’t like to camp outside. The opened camping site is a few kilometers away from these two houses.
A concrete floor and metal structure help campers camp easily in the opened area. They need one tent to cover the structure. But the wind is very heavy in the southern part of the Knuckles mountain range.
Dothalu Ella:
This is a small little waterfall situated near the open camping site. It’s actually a water source for campers. The little pool is ideal for bathing, and it’s not much deeper. The place is also ideal for getting some photographs. Water is always refreshing and rejuvenating.
Dothalugala Nature Trail :
The nature trail starts from the entrance gate. The footpath is much wider in the beginning. During your trek, you can see the beautiful Knuckles massif. You can watch some popular peaks like Dumbanagala, Gerandigala, Yahangala, Kehelpathdoruwa, Koboneelagala, Spinix 2, Lakegala, Knuckles Five Peaks, Alugal Kanda, and Aliya watunu ela Kanda.
The trek is long—about 4km—to the last viewpoint on Dothalugala Mountain. You will meet a three-way junction once you walk about 1km from the entrance. The downward route goes to Dothalu Ella and the Dothalugala camping site. But other two routes go to the top of the Dothalugala Mountain. Those two routes meet together at the last view point. You can select any route according to your wishes.
During your hike, you will meet small streams, plants, animals, and large stones. The later part of the trek is much harder. However, you will forget all the hard work after you reach the summit. You can observe places toward Mahiyangana-Sorabora and Victoria Reservoir. The elevation of the summit is 1407m.
Final Words
The ideal time for the Dothalugala nature trail is February through September. Rainy seasons are active periods for leaches. It’s better if you can bring leech protection during your trek. You must remember that Dothalugala is a rich place for biodiversity. Harming animals or damaging plants is prohibited for travelers. Don’t forget to bring a camera and enough water for your Dothalugala nature trial.