We started our journey from Katubedda at about 11.00pm in the night. The crew was seven. We reached Colombo Fort at 12.00 am by bus. Then we took the Kandy bus and reached Kandy by 4.40am. By 7.30am we were at Bambarella village. On the way we passed a lot of beautiful waterfalls and nice sceneries. Rahas ella, Hulu ganga falls, A fall near Hathale tea estate and Two falls near Hagalla estate are some of them. Unfortunately bus was moving fast and I couldn’t able get least one clear photograph of them. I think Hulu ganga create more than hundred waterfalls in Bambarella, Panwila, Wattegama area.

Kotmale valley has been one of the places that I have always wanted to visit due to its hidden nature, natural beauty and the history it contained. This was sort of a quick trip which was planned about 10 days prior to the execution but even with such short time lines we were able to get together a good plan thanks largely due to the help from Lakdasun members. It has been raining quite heavily along the South – Wetsern areas of the country but we were determined to make the trip as it would give life to many beautiful cascades that would otherwise be non existent during the dry months.

The source of this breath-taking, 116m-high fall is the Kirindi Ella (stream), which flows from its starting point 940m up the Kuttapitiya Mountain. The stream travels 13km before the cascading point in the Kaluwaramukalana Jungle. It then flows via the Denawaka River to the Kaluganga River, located in the Bambarakotuwa Jungle. Local villagers say that there is a picture of a tortoise etched into stone here.

We started our journey from Colombo Fort at 5 am and took the Podi Menike train to Pattipola. We reached Pattipola around 2 pm. After having our lunch and finding accommodation, we started hiking towards Thotupola kanda. But the bad weather and lack of time forces us to abandon it and we returned to Pattipola around 7 pm.

Laxapana is world-famous because of the engineering excellence of late Eng. D.J. Wimalasurendra(1874-1953), known as the father of Hydro power electricity in Sri Lanaka. As per his project proposal submitted in 1918, the water potential, combined with Maskelioya and Kehelgamuoya, could be diverted to generate electricity to light 100,000 lamps (“Laksa-pahana” -> “Laxapana”). Being the house for complexes of hydro power plants, there are many security barriers & restrictions for the travelers who visit that area for years.

We started form Hikkaduwa at about 5.30 in the morning. The crew was two in my motor bike. We turned into Udugama Road from Galle and Stopped at Nakiyadeniya to have the breakfast.
The weather was quite nice and cool after a huge rain last night. After traveling about 30km we were able to reach Udugama Town. Then we traveled about 2km along Neluwa road we reached to the entrance of Kanneliya reserve.

Just to get away from our hectic work pattern, me and a few of my colleagues try to utilize every opportunity that comes by, by going out of the city. Every time, we try to select a place that fulfills our passion of being close to nature, which not only gives us plenty of fresh breath but also goes easy on the wallet. So it was Sinharaja this time.

We started form the Galle at about 5.00 in the morning. The crew was eight in a hired high roof Dolphin van.
The first stop of us was a beautiful waterfall called Ethamala ella situated near by Morawaka town.
You have to turn right 1km before the town and have to travel along NilElla estate about 1.5km. Our next stop at Hathmale ella near by Pallegama city.

Thusitha asked me to park the vehicle at a suitable place for the brake-fast, having observing my eyes were locating the face (dial) of the wrist watch. We were going on a trip with Thusith’s family; since it was the August vacation for kids. In the next moment we were under a tree near the construction site of proposed Zoo at Pinnawala. At that point; we had almost reached the first travel location of the journey, the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala.

We decided to go in search of a waterfall called “Theli falls” which is 3-4m in hight and which is formed by the Gurugoda oya. To reach to this waterfall one needs to travel on Nelundeniya- Galapitamada route and get down from “Thuntota” where you will have to travel about 4Km on a track which leads you in to an islolated rubber estate. At one point you will come across a huge rock on the left of the road(see the photograph), right after you pass the rock you will find the path towards the Waterfall! Since this was the dry season Gurugoda oya was sought of dried off.

Lankagama is known as an isolated village in the Southern Province. It had no proper access road could not be reached without a tough 4×4 vehicle (until the first quarter of 2010). The village borders the Sinharaja rainforest & the Gin River. It is also the home for a complex of 5 ever young waterfalls within an area less than 1 Sqkm, known as “Hariyawa Dola” waterfall complex. By 9.00 am we were at Neluwa. The jeep ran & turned to a by road near the school at Happitiya village. There was an iron bridge over the Gin Ganga (river), established recently known as Mandugeta bridge

Alagalla hike was a hike I was looking forward to do since last year but always the weather condition was the limiting factor. I left early morning from Yakkala and arrived at Mawanella. Guess what! as I got off the bus straight away I saw the gigantic mountain covered with a veil of mist which is a peculiar sight. I decided to do the hike from the Ihala Kotte station because that was the route that I was aware about but the easiest way would be taking a Kandy-Poththepitiya bus from Pilimathalawa.