Road Trip – Meemure

There is an informal biker gang in our office and we decided to go on a little road trip. The guys did one last year also, to somewhere around Sinharaja, but unfortunately I couldn’t attend. This time the destination was Meemure. For those who haven’t heard about the place, it’s a small village, some 36 km from Hunasgiriya, within the Knuckles range.

Out party consisted of 15 people on 10 bikes. We set off from Colombo around 5am Saturday morning and took the route from Hanwella to Pasyala. That road is fully carpeted and minimum traffic at that time. From Peradeniya we again bypassed Kandy and took another route to Digana. We reached Hunasgiriya around 1pm. From there we took the Meemure road. It’s a very picturesque route though the Dumbara valley. The beginning part is through tea estates, but halfway onwards, it’s all through the forest, with hairpin bends and steep slopes. The worst part about it is was the condition of the road. Parts of it were ok, but parts were in such a bad shape, with potholes the size of swimming pools. You can go in a car, but you have to be very careful. The ideal is a 4x4 with raised wheels. You have to be extra careful on a bike. It’s risky, but that’s part of the fun. Anyway, we braved the bad roads and finally reached the village around 5 or 6.

We stayed with a villager who provides lodging for guests. The place has basic amenities, but the best thing about it is the environment. Surrounded by trees, shaded from the sunlight with a nice breeze to cool you down, and the constant songs of birds; it’s a great place to relax.

The next day we hiked up Lakegala. Not to the top, just part way through the jungle. This mountain is important in the Rama Ravana legends and it’s believed that this is where Ravana lifted off his Dhandu Monara. It was a good hike, tiring but awesome. In the afternoon we went for a dip in the river close to where they shot the film Suriya Arana.

We started back home early next morning, but it started to rain and kept on raining all the way back. Luckily we had good raincoats, but you have to be extra careful when riding the slippery roads. Went to see the Daha Ata Wanguwa as well, and ultimately returned home around 12 midnight. A very enjoyable trip. It would have been perfect if it wasn’t for the rain on the trip back. 

Ride free

View of Hunasgiriya from the Meemure road

Lakegala

View from Corbert's Gap

View from top of Daha Ata Wanguwa