Jeep Safari to the Nitro Cave

Traverse into a different dimension, a different world, which is intriguing and mysterious….

The nitro cave is a large cave network, well hidden in the Knuckles Mountain Range. This is believed to be thousands of years old. Over the years this cave network has become the home to hundreds and thousands of bats. It aptly get its name from the large deposits of bats which contain nitrate. In the past these caves where mined as the deposits where used as a traditional raw material to produce gunpowder. Today a visit to these caves will make you feel like you’ve traversed into a different dimension, a different world, which is intriguing and mysterious.

This morning your chauffeur guide/ guide will drop you off at the quirky village of Thangappuwa, where you will meet your ranger host for an adventurous day.

We start off with an approx. 1.5 hours safari to the start of the trek. On the way we take a break to catch a stunning view of the Lakegala Rock from a picturesque location. We continue our journey passing through the Corbet’s Gap, which is one of the windiest areas in Sri Lanka. After passing a few quirky villages we enter the town of Meemure where we get off the jeep and start our trek to the entrance of the cave.

The climb as we enter the caves is very steep. As we make our way deeper into the cave, we will slowly sink into the soil of deposits, when we start hearing the bat swarms up ahead. We finally encounter the bats as they start to flutter in excitement because of our arrival. After enjoying the moment, we slowly exit the caves respecting the opportunity that mother nature has presented us.

We then walk to a petite waterfall a few meters away from the caves, where we clean up and enjoy a picnic brunch before we return to meet your chauffeur guide/ guide in Thangappuwa.

Your Hosts

Haritha: Haritha, or often known as “Hari” has a passion for wild life and the need for conservation. This is what drove him into this field. Ever since he was little boy, he has been spending most of his time in the wilderness. The initial introduction to knuckles was given to him by his father Senani (AKA- Pila), who is also a well know guide and conservationist at the Knuckles Mountain range. They have both been working as guides in different national parks in Sri Lanka. Hari received most of his guiding education in South Africa. He is a qualified nature guide and a fully qualified trails guide in Africa. The need for conservation and awareness that Knuckles needed made him return to his home land.

Katharina: The passion for nature brought Katharina to Sri Lanka. She set out from Germany to Africa four years ago to make her childhood dream come true and to follow her passion for wildlife. She received her guiding qualifications and experience in Africa following which a new path in life opened up to her. After her first visit to Knuckles more than two years ago already it was immediately clear that she had a calling to visit Sri Lanka and spend time in Knuckles. She now invests her time and energy to further explore this unique and still untouched piece of land and to bring it closer to people.

Nuwan: Nuwan was really into watching discovery documentaries when he was little kid. During his time in Thailand Nuwan did some volunteering work for the zoo. This is where he realized that it was his calling to connect with nature and wildlife. Having seeing animals in captivity, Nuwan set off on a transformational journey appreciating the great outdoors and the freedom in the wild. He became a wildlife guide five years ago while also working as guest relations officer in hotels.To Nuwan this is more than a job, it’s a passion, a way of life and he is an evangelist in educating people about the importance of conserving the environment, its flora and its fauna.

Number of PAX

1-10 PAX

Difficulty

Hard

Duration

7 hours

Suitable for children

Yes. Over 12 years of age

Things to know

Includes: Entrance ticket. Hosted jeep safari/ trek by professional naturalists to the Nitro Caves (Trek Difficulty: Hard 6 – 8KM trek | 250M descent), water and rehydrates, snacks to go, picnic brunch with tea/ coffee, fruit juice and chocolates. First aid kit, leech socks, repellent and toiletry kit.

Meeting time: 7.00 AM

What to wear or bring along: Appropriate trekking wear with trekking shoes. Sunglasses, caps/ hats. Camera.

Important info

Please note that the Knuckles area is a wet land and the weather there is unpredictable and quite bipolar. Please be ready to expect sudden rainfall at any given point in your trek. We will always keep an eye out for the weather forecast and advise you accordingly.

Making the most of it: Be prepared to literally get your hands and feet dirty. But this is a part of the adventure. Please be respectful of the bats and keep your voice levels to a bear minimum. Please do not use your flash when taking photographs inside the caves. Kindly refrain from lighting a naked flame once inside the caves.

Please let us know if you have any physical limitations or medical conditions so that we can advise if this experience is for you or not. Furthermore, we can also customize this experience as per your requirements. Also, please carefully follow your host’s safety instructions at all times.