Explore more curated experiences in Kandy
View all Kandy toursMeemure Village Day Trip from Kandy with the Diyakarella Waterfall Hike
A day trip into the Knuckles range to Meemure, a village that had no road until the 1990s, with a hike to the Diyakarella waterfall and a traditional lunch cooked in the village.
Highlights
- Meemure, roadless until the 1990s and on mains power only since 2016
- The drive through the Knuckles conservation forest, a UNESCO-listed range
- A hike to the Diyakarella waterfall with a pool you can swim in
- Paddy terraces and village life that is not staged for visitors
- A traditional rice and curry lunch cooked in the village
Meemure Village Day Trip from Kandy with the Diyakarella Waterfall Hike: Key Facts
| Price | From $143 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 10 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
Meemure sits in a valley inside the Knuckles range, ringed by peaks, and until the 1990s the only way in was a footpath. It got mains electricity in 2016. That isolation is why it is worth the drive: the village still farms the way the valley has always been farmed, and the houses, the paddy terraces and the daily rhythm are not arranged for visitors.
The road in is the first part of the day — about three hours from Kandy, the last hour of it rough enough that the last stretch is usually done by jeep. It runs through the Knuckles conservation forest, a UNESCO-listed range of cloud forest and grassland that holds species found nowhere else.
In the village you walk: through the paddy terraces, past the school, and out to the Diyakarella waterfall, a couple of hours' round trip on a forest path with a pool at the bottom you can swim in. The walking is moderate rather than hard, but it is uneven and slippery in the wet.
Lunch is cooked in the village — rice and curry, on a wood fire, eaten where it was made. Then the long road back, reaching Kandy in the evening.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup in Kandy
An early start for the drive into the Knuckles.
Meemure
Arrival in the village.
Village walk
Through the paddy terraces with a local guide.
Diyakarella waterfall
A hike out to the falls, with time to swim.
Village lunch
Rice and curry cooked over a wood fire.
Return drive
Back out through the range.
Kandy
Drop-off at your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
[{"time": "06:30", "title": "Hotel pickup", "description": "Three hours in, the last of it on a rough track."}, {"time": "09:30", "title": "Arrival at Meemure", "description": "The valley is ringed by peaks; phone signal is patchy to absent."}, {"time": "10:00", "title": "The village", "description": "Paddy terraces, the school and the houses. Ask before photographing people."}, {"time": "11:00", "title": "Waterfall hike", "description": "Around two hours return on a forest path. Uneven and slippery when wet."}, {"time": "13:30", "title": "Lunch", "description": "Cooked in the village. Vegetarian unless arranged otherwise."}, {"time": "18:00", "title": "Kandy", "description": "Drop-off at your hotel."}]
Includes
- Transport from Kandy including the jeep section, an English-speaking guide, the guided village walk and waterfall hike, a traditional village lunch.
Excludes
- Drinks beyond those served with lunch, gratuities, any community or forest entry fee, personal expenses.
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Kandy; the exact address and time are confirmed after booking.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts