Welikande

I'd heard about this place from a couple of young Germans while I was at Sri Pada. They said the scenery was gorgeous and it was a really special place. This seemed like pretty good advice, coming from people that were quite used to spectacular scenery. Another bus ride back to Kandy and then a very local bus to Teldeniya and the Knuckles mountain range.
Michael, the owner of Welikande Villas is English and his lovely Sri Lankan bride have owned the hiking centre for 7 years. It's set on top of a hill overlooking the Knuckles ranges, so called because the tops of the mountains look like a close fist. Yes indeed, it is a truly beautiful place.
My new friend the Venerable Lekdron (Ani-La) from Kandy decided to join me for one night and we spent a day checking out the area and visited a monastery set beside a river. The little kutis (mediation huts) resembled Hobbits' homes and they were all unique in their design. We both thought that they were a little too posh to be kutis. The surrounding countryside was peppered with tea plantations and little colourful villages.