Walk Sri Lanka

Colombo derived from Sinhalese name Kola-amba-thota which means “mango harbour”, altered by the Portuguese to honor Christopher Columbus, population 737,396 Colombo, is the largest city and commercial center of Sri Lanka. Colombo was probably known to Roman, Arab, and Chinese traders more than 2,000 years ago. Muslims settled there in the 8th century and controlled much of the trade between Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century and built a fort to protect their spice trade. The Dutch captured the city in the 17th century. The British made the city the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802.

The Knuckles Mountain range, so called because its appearance resembles the knuckles of a clenched fist is located to the east of Kandy and Matale in central Sri Lanka, and consists of five mountain peaks and several other smaller peaks. Walking in the Knuckles is immensely satisfying for this is some of Sri Lanka’s finest walking country. Trek through dense forests, along rivers and waterfalls, past tea plantations and terraced paddy fields and visit some of the small rural village communities. Panoramic views of misty mountains, stunning valleys, ancient rock formations, lush forests, crystal clear streams, beautiful animal and plant life, paddy fields, traditional villages and hospitable people make the Knuckles an unmissable experience. A wide variety of rare and endemic flora and fauna also makes this World Heritage Conservation area a storehouse of rich biodiversity.

Meemure is an isolated village in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, located 324m above sea level and hidden amongst the mountains. The only way to reach it is from the ‘Hunnasgiriya’ mountain, which is part of the Knuckles range, approximately 50km from Kandy. It’s a difficult trail of 33km from Hunnasgiriya to Meemure with many tricky spots, though the view along it is excellent. The village itself receives abundant water in the form of waterfalls that have their sources in the evergreen forests of the Knuckles. East of the village lies the pyramid shaped Lakegala mountain; while the west is dominated by the picturesque Knuckles range. The northern boundary of Meemure borders a forest which runs to the ‘Pitawala Pathana’ grassland; and the south is bounded by Heen River.

Kitulgala – Kelani Valley Forest Reserve is a small alluring town in the west of Sri Lanka that gets affected by two monsoons each year. It is one of the wettest places in the country and is the only base for white water rafting in the country! Kitulgala was established to protect the watershed of the Kelani River which flows alongside it and is widely known as the location for the filming of the Academy Award winning “The Bridge on the River Kwai”. Kitulgala is home to many of Sri Lanka’s endemic fauna and flora. Some of the bird species that are found here are the Spot-winged Thrush, Green-billed Coucal, Red-faced Malkoha, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Ceylon Spurfowl, Ceylon Rufous Babbler, Ceylon Scimitar Babbler and the Ceylon Frogmouth. The town is also home to many rare species of butterflies. Most of the endemic species can be seen here including the Tawny Raja, Red Helen, Blue Mormon, Tree Nymph, Common Blue Bottles and Blue Oak Leaf.

White water rafting – Experience an exciting rafting adventure in a jungle paradise. White Water Rafting is a challenging recreational activity and an exhilarating water sport. Yet contrary to the public belief, White Water Rafting is not a sport that demands great physical strength. Experience White Water Rafting in the picturesque Kelani River, covering 5 major rapids and 4 minor rapids. This activity is for anyone above the age of 10 years with safety gear, modern rafts, and a comprehensive safety briefing will be given by our white water rafting instructors beforehand. The distance covered is around 5 km. The river and its surrounding will make you feel enchanted, with a memorable Experience during your White-water rafting in Kitulgala.

Adam’s Peak or Sri Pada is a 2,243 m high an incredibly beautiful conical mountain in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Buddhist believe the impression on the summit is the footprint of lord Buddha himself. Though it takes around 5 hours to reach the peak by foot, devotees of many religions climb the mountain daily to invoke blessings. The pilgrimage usually takes place from December to April, which is the dry season just before the southeast monsoon breaks. The great desire of every pilgrim is to reach the peak before dawn so that they can witness the glorious spectacle of the sunrise and thereafter perform their religious rites. Young and old, married women carrying children, and many old men, who really appear physically incapable of the strenuous effort, make the ascent strengthened by the belief that they are doing an extraordinary meritorious act. For some it is a pleasure trip.

Nuwara Eliya – “The City of Light” was the favorite hill station of the British, a scenic town 2500 m above sea level surrounded by misty mountain ranges, pine forests and tea cultivations. Nuwara Eliya has a much cooler climate, which is in stark contrast to the tropical climate experienced in other parts of the island. This is probably why Nuwara Eliya is also known as ‘Little England’. The areas around Nuwara Eliya also provide the main output of tea in Sri Lanka. A trip to the highlands of Sri Lanka is never complete without witnessing the age-old traditional tea plucking and sipping a cup of “Ceylon Tea”. Nuwara Eliya has a fair assortment of British Country style houses and an 18-hole Golf Course, which is a real beauty with its scenic location considered to be one of the finest in Asia and a picturesque Race Course where horse races are held.

Horton Plains 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 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 and is situated 6 km from the world-famous Ohiya Gap and 32 km from Nuwara Eliya. The plains’ vegetation is grasslands interspersed with montane forest and includes many endemic woody plants. Large herds of Sri Lankan sambar deer feature as typical mammals and the park is also an Important Bird Area with many species not only endemic to Sri Lanka but restricted to the Horton Plains. The sheer precipice of World’s End and Baker’s Falls are among the tourist attractions of the park.

Saint Clair fall is one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka and is commonly known as the “Little Niagara of Sri Lanka”. The falls are located along the Kotmale Oya, a tributary of the Mahaweli River, as it cascades over three rock outcrops into a large pool running through a tea estate, from which the falls derive their name from. The waterfalls consist of two falls called “Maha Ella” (Sinhalese “The Greater Fall”), which is 80 metres (260 ft) high and 50 metres (160 ft) wide and “Kuda Ella”, (Sinhalese “The Lesser Fall”), which is 50 metres (160 ft) high and located immediately downstream of the main fall. St Clair’s falls are the 20th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka

Devon Fall known as the ‘Veil of the Valley’, is a waterfall in Sri Lanka, situated 6 km (3.7 mile) west of Talawakele, Nuwara Eliya District on the A7 highway. 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.

Bentota a city and resort on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, 65 km South of Colombo. Bentota is closely linked to nearby resorts Beruwela, Aluthgama, Induruwa, Kosgoda, which is traditionally considered areas and beaches of the resort. Overall, this is a moderately well-developed traditional beach resort. Bentota is a world renowned tourist destination for variety of water sports possibilities (water skiing, Jet skiing, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, deep sea fishing and wreck or reef diving) that are nowhere else to be found in the island. The estuary at Bentota and the mainland is replete with international class hotels and boutique hotels.