Waterfall Hiking in Sri Lanka

12-day trip

Overview:

During this 12-day trip you will be hiking to some of the most magnificent waterfalls in Sri Lanka, while enjoying comfortable stays in nature-friendly hotels & campsites situated in breathtaking landscapes. After more than a week of hiking and exploring, we think you’ll be ready for some relaxation and easy lounging, so we’ll finish the trip off with an easy two days at the beach.

Key Highlights:

• White water rafting

• Trek in Kitulgala forest  

• Devon Waterfalls & St. Clair waterfalls

• Horton Plains National Park & Bakers Falls

• Diyaluma waterfalls

• Bambarakanda waterfalls

• Safari in Udawalawa national park

• Galle Dutch fort

• Relaxing beach stay
  

Trip Facts:

Cost: from $2,490 USD pp (sharing double room)

Price Includes:

• Accommodation for 11 nights, including half-board (breakfast & dinner): from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 12 at hotels as specified (unless mentioned differently above).

• Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle throughout the tour with an English speaking chauffeur- guide.

• Snacks, soft drinks & mineral water throughout the tour.

• All below mentioned activities:  

  • White water rafting session in Kitulgala

  • Trek in Kitulgala Rain Forest

  • Trek to Horton Plains national park & Bakers falls

  • Hike to Diyaluma waterfalls

  • Hike to Bambarakanda waterfalls

  • Trek to Lipton seat

  • Safari in Udawalawa national park

  • All the assistance in the Airport.

  • Includes all the Government local taxes (Current prevailing)

Day 1: Arrival to Negombo

Welcome to Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean!

On arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport you will meet a representative from Koon Holidays who will welcome you here and bring you to Negombo. On the way, you’ll chat about Sri Lanka and the places you will visit during this unique tour.

Check into the hotel and relax. In the evening, you can have a walk in the Negombo city which is famous for seafood. 

Dinner & Overnight stay at Beach Boutique Hotel – Deluxe Room (3*)

DAY 2: Negombo/Kitulgala

Breakfast at the hotel and start your journey to Kitulgala which is a bordering location to Sinharaja Rain forest. Arrive at hotel and check-in. You can have lunch at the hotel (to be paid directly). In the afternoon enjoy a whitewater rafting session in Kitulgala.

Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. It is in the wet zone rain forest, which gets two monsoons each year, and is one of the wettest places in the country. Kitulgala is the movie location of where David Lean’s 1957 epic, Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed. A calm stretch in the River Kelani between two rocky outcrops on either side is the movie location where the railway bridge for the movie was constructed. The water flows silently in this stretch of the river, which is quite deep and sluggish. Kitulgala White Water rafting takes about a 90 minute run each for 6.5 km with five rapids graded 2 and 3. The Rapids with their own distinctive characters are aptly named: Head Chopper, Virgin’s Breast, Butter Crunch, Killer Fall and the Rib Cage.

After an adventurous day, return to hotel and relax.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Royal River Resort – Standard Room (3*)

DAY 3: Kitulgala

Enjoy your breakfast listening to the water streaming by the resort. Today you will enjoy a rainforest trail in Kitulgala.

Hiking enthusiasts of all fitness levels will be delighted with what Kitulgala has to offer, with a variety of walks through stunning scenery. Enjoy a guided hike through the verdant forests around Kithulgala, where you can climb up and be spellbound by stunning views of the Kelani River valley, the jungle and the rocky hills of the Hill Country. Walk through dense tea and rubber plantations and take a leisurely stroll through the communities to reach Beli Lena Caves, which is one of the largest prehistoric caves in Sri Lanka. Cool down under a refreshing stream under the waterfall here that drops over the mouth of the main cave, before heading to Sandun Ella Waterfall, which is a gorgeous 100 ft waterfall, with an infinity pool that has stunning views of the valley and surrounding mountains.

After exploring the natural beauty of Kitulgala return to the hotel& relax.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Royal River Resort – Standard Room (3*)

DAY 4: Kitulgala/Nuwara Eliya

Enjoy your breakfast and proceed to Nuwara Eliya. On the way you will witness Devon waterfalls & St. Clair waterfalls which are two of the most famous in Sri Lanka.

Devon Falls, known as the 'Veil of the Valley', is a waterfall in Sri Lanka, situated 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Talawakele, Nuwara Eliya District. The falls is named after a pioneer English coffee planter called Devon, whose plantation was situated nearby the falls. The waterfall is 97 m (318 ft) high and is the 19th highest in the country. The falls are formed by a tributary of Kothmale Oya, which is a tributary of Mahaweli River. The elevation of Devon Falls is 1,140 m (3,740 ft) above sea level.

St. Clair's Falls is one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka and is commonly known as the "Little Niagara of Sri Lanka". The waterfalls consist of two falls called "Maha Ella" (Sinhalese "The Greater Fall"), which is 80 meters (260 ft) high and 50 meters (160 ft) wide and "Kuda Ella", (Sinhalese "The Lesser Fall"), which is 50 meters (160 ft) high and located immediately downstream of the main fall. St Clair's falls are the 20th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka.

Proceed to Nuwara Eliya, check-in to the hotel which is facing the ‘Ramboda waterfalls’.   

In the evening explore Colonial city of Nuwara Eliya.  

Dinner & Overnight stay at Ramboda waterfalls Hotel – Deluxe Room (3*)

DAY 5: Nuwara Eliya/Horton Plains/Nuwara Eliya

Breakfast at the hotel and today you will do a trek to Horton Plains national park.

Horton Plains National Park is a national park in the central highlands of Sri Lanka that was designated in 1988. It is located at an elevation of 2,100–2,300 m (6,900–7,500 ft) and encompasses montane grassland and cloud forest. It is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. It is also a popular tourist destination. The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers, the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. Also during this trek you will visit the Bakes falls within the national park.

The height of the Baker's waterfalls is 20 meters (66 ft). The falls were named after British explorer and big game hunter, Sir Samuel Baker.

After an exciting trekking return to hotel and relax.

Overnight stay at Ramboda waterfalls Hotel – Deluxe Room (3*)

DAY 6: Nuwara Eliya/Haputale

Have an early breakfast at hotel and proceed to Haputale which is another hot spot for beautiful waterfalls. In the morning you will do a hike to Diyaluma waterfalls.

Experience the best of nature and adventure, trekking to the upper Diyaluma falls, the 2nd highest waterfall in the country. The latest thrill of Sri Lanka, it is an enthralling and challenging hike atop a 220 metre waterfall comprising several natural pools surrounded by dense jungles and landscapes of resplendent wilderness unfolding along the way.

Have you ever been swimming on top of a waterfall, let alone one with a 220 metre drop? No, then trek up to the Upper Diyaluma falls encountering several waterfalls and natural pools, an unimaginable experience. 

Later check-in to the hotel and relax.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Melheim Resort – Deluxe Room (4*)

DAY 7: Haputale

Enjoy your breakfast and today you will do a hike to one of the tallest waterfalls in Sri Lanka which is ‘Bambarakanda waterfalls’.

Amongst the majestic mountains of Kalupahana in the Central Highlands; leaps the beautiful horsetail waterfall of Bambarakanda Ella. A Horsetail Fall descends a very nearly vertical rock face, maintaining some contact with it. As the tallest falls on the island, Bambarakanda has a vertical height of 263m (863 feet); and is ranked 299th amongst the tallest waterfalls in the world. Situated in the steep pine-forested slopes of Badulla District, a mere 5m fr om the A4 highway; Bambarakanda originates from Kuda Oya, a branch of the Walawe River. The area is a great spot for photography and picnics. There is a natural pool complex at the base of the falls; where you can also bathe before your meal, if you decide on a picnic. Bambarakanda has a trail available for interested hikers to climb to the top of the falls. The crest has a beautiful miniature waterfall and a large pool that feeds the main falls. The uninterrupted views of the eastern plains also provide for some wonderful photo opportunities.

After exploring the beautiful area return back to hotel and relax your day.

Overnight stay at Melheim Resort – Deluxe Room (4*)

DAY 8: Haputale

Enjoy your breakfast and today you will explore the attractions in Haputale area. In the morning you will visit Lipton seat and the tea estate.

Lipton’s Seat is a high observation point in the hills of Poonagala. Located on the top of the town’s namesake, Poonagala Hill, it is also near the Dambatenne Tea Factory. Lipton’s Seat is so named because the famed Scottish baron and tea planter Sir Thomas Lipton used it as the seat to survey his empire in a time long gone but not forgotten.

After exploring you can return to hotel and relax your rest of the day.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Melheim Resort – Deluxe Room (4*)

DAY 9: Haputale/Udawalawa

Enjoy your breakfast and travel to Udawalawa to enjoy the wildlife of Sri Lanka. Arrive and check-in to the hotel campsite.

In the evening enjoy a Jeep safari in Udawalawa National Park.

Udawalawe Park is situated in the border of the Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka. This park was opened to provide sanctuary to the wild animals displaced by construction of a reservoir. This is the best place to see wild elephants all through the year.

Your safari jeep will take you around the park to see the wild action. You never miss a Jumbo in Udawalwa.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Athgira River Camp – Standard Tent (3*)

DAY 10: Udawalawa/Weligama

Breakfast at the hotel and travel to Weligama to enjoy a relaxing beach stay. Arrive in Weligama and check-in to the hotel.

In the evening visit Galle Dutch Fort and city.

Galle the beautiful colonial town along the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka is a city that cannot be missed. Galle is popular for the 300 year old fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 36 hectare fort was built by the Dutch in 1663, surrounded on three sides by the ocean. The streets within the fort are crammed with colonial remnants from the Dutch clock tower, Reformed church and the commander’s house to the British coat of arms on the outer wall. You can visit the Maritime Museum inside the fort too.

Return to hotel and relax.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Twenty Two by Weligambay – Deluxe Room (3*) 

DAY 11: Weligama

Breakfast at the resort and enjoy the day on the beach. Enjoy your holiday leisurely or you can enjoy some amenities at the resort.

*Optional: Early morning travel to Mirissa to enjoy a whale watching session by private boat or shared boat. Note: Clients will need to leave from the hotel around 06:00AM in order to be in Mirissa at 06:30AM.

Dinner & Overnight stay at Twenty Two by Weligambay – Deluxe Room (3*)

DAY 12: End of tour / Departure from Sri Lanka

Unfortunately, our trip comes to an end today. You’ll have breakfast at the hotel, before your transfer to the airport (approximately 3.5 hours drive).