Started our journey from kaduwela at around 6.30am only stopping for breakfast at kuruwita. It was time to get our cameras out for the first time at the first attraction for the day being surathalie ella. After having lunch at Welimada we proceeded towards Bomburu ella. The condition of the road from Welimada to Bomburu ella was not in a good state.. It took us about 1 hour to travel the approx. distance of 15km from welimada but it was definitely worthwhile since one of the most beautiful waterfalls that I have seen was awaiting us in its’ magnificent splendor…

Belilena Cave, which is about 8 km from Kitulgala high up in the Inoya Estate, is one of the larger prehistoric caves on the island, where the 12,000-year-old skeletal remains of ’Balangoda Man’ (Homo Sapiens Balangodensis) were found. The prehistoric settlements of the area date back to a very early period, as shown by recent cave excavations as well as those carried out at other sites. The earliest settlement dates back to around 32,000 years ago. Skeletal remains, microliths, bone implements, cherts and food remnants have been found in local caves.

School holidays! Its trip time once again. We were getting back home to Bandarawela from Colombo….. a trip that we had done many, many, many times before. But, this time my father and mother suggested that we visit all the interesting places along the route so that I could write a Trip Report on the journey

We started form the suburbs of Colombo at about 6.00 in the morning. The crew was 5. We reached kandy at about 10.00 a.m. and visited “DALADA MALIGAVA” the temple of tooth. After that we took Gampola road and I turned my vehicle to “Kothmale Road” to reach the Kothmale dam. It was very nice and scenic road.

We had planned to visit Katharagama & Yala areas as it was the least visited areas for us. As Nuwara Eliya is good for relaxing, we thought of staying ther for two nights before proceeding to Yala via Sella Kataragama

After passing about 100M from Kande Ela Lake there was a sign board saying Kande Ela Educational & Information Center. I saw some vehicles parked inside the premises so thought of going inside and check out this place. (I have seen this place several times but had no time to check out) A persona at the gate told that there is a 1.5Km trek inside the forest with lot of educational stuff. So we purchased 2 tickets (29/- each) and entered the trek.

Passing some manioc chena(s), the two vehicles turned into a by road lead to Amithirigala, which started from Kirindiwela – Hanwella main road, just before the AGA office at Weeke. Having traveling less than a kilometer from Weeke, both were stopped for a while at the base of Medagama viharaya, a temple where one of the first 8th daughter-plants of sacred Bo tree (Jaya sri maha bodhi) at Anuradhapura were planted. Traditionally each vehicle passing this temple used to stop; pray and put some coins in the till box on the name of the rural god “Ranwala Dewiyo”.

Seven waterfalls (ඇලි හත) is a collection of seven waterfalls at the upstream of Seethawaka ganga (tributary is called Naya ganga). Even though the access route is from Deraniyagala, seven falls belongs to Nuwaraeliya district and also all seven falls are inside the peak wilderness sanctuary. This exciting adventure will take you out of busy homosapiens to calm and cool virgin green forest with pure water streams. This story begins by year 1992, when I was around 10 years old I could barely remember one of my uncles told a story about hiking “Eli hatha” which was an epic adventurous tour with full of fear, courage and excitement

A set of monks at Mahamewnawa monastery (Welimada & Buttala) had decided to visit Sripada peak in off-season so as to get worshiped the noble left foot print of Lord Buddha freely, because during the functional season this noble place is busy with thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.
This idea was spread over 16 of us with in one day.

We started our journey from Colombo Fort at 8 pm on a Friday eve. The crew was four. We booked the tickets for Badulla night mail train in advance. Even though I tried to get some sleep on the train it was really difficult for me. After eight and a half hours, the train arrived to Pattipola station around 4.30 am. We had to wait 1.5 hours till the sun rises to start our journey.

But then, I got unexpectedly lucky! We went to visit friends in the Hemmathagama area with the intention of climbing Rahalgala. It poured with rain and that plan was washed away. In the idle time, our friend’s mother gave us a book she (Kamala Somaweera) had just published – මාලගිරා සංදේශය (Malagira Sandeshaya), thankfully written in 21st century literary Sinhala! We have not quite managed all the places the Malagirava travelled to, but since we hardly ever visit every place named in a guide book, I decided to do a ‘work-in-progress’ trip report.

We were beaten by sun rays showed no mercy. But in the next moment we were covered & protected by an umbrella woven with crowns of trees. Rubber was introduced to Sri Lanka by English in 1876. From the day it introduced as a crop, Rubber plant has been served the country for not only earning of coins, generating a culture of cultivation. Meanwhile rubber is known as the only crop which served the environment much the same like a forest. As like providing evidence for the same, the atmosphere of our surrounding became more & more fresh & comfortable in each kilometer.