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Year and Month | March, 2013 (17th & 18th) |
Number of Days | Two Day Trip |
Crew | 4 |
Accommodation | Rakwana Guest House. T.P. 0452246299 |
Transport | Bus, Three-wheeler and Walking |
Activities | Photography, adventure and waterfall seeing and sight seeing |
Weather | Excellent |
Route |
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Tips, Notes and Special remark |
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Author | Niroshan |
Comments | Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread |
Handapan Ella (හදපාන් ඇල්ල)
This beautiful waterfall flows as a cascade from Handapanella Thanna (හදපාන් ඇල්ල තැන්න). Although books say it’s height is 23m, it is wrong as it is a collection of few waterfalls. Handapan Ella can be captured in Rakwana-Kalawana road (another route full of scenic views) in between 3rd and 4th mile post.
To reach Handapan Ella is somewhat challenging work. When we reach Rakwana from Colombo in early morning, Ashan has arrived at Rakwana and found how to reach there.
Following our breakfast we called a tuk-tuk to bring us to 4th mile post of Rakwana-Kalawana road. Our three wheel driver has a good idea about the area.
After asking from locals about the route, we entered Deepdon tea estate and walked through tea bushes and came across a forest patch. We walked about 1hour through the forest patch and then came out again to the Deepdon tea estate. May be we missed the correct pathway.
Then we decided to reach the waterfall by walking up in the water stream.
We started to climb about 11.30am and came back to Deepdon estate about 6.00am. If we continued the climbing through the forest following most upper part of the cascade we would be in Handapanella Thanna… A marshy land. Although had numbers of leech attacks and fear of wild elephants it was a memorable journey.
We spend the night at Rakwana guest house and started the next day to visit at three more waterfalls close to Rakwana.
Day 2
This day we have visited at three more waterfalls named as Galdoala fall, Dalwin waterfall/ ? Masimbula Ella and Arambe Ella.
Galdola waterfall (100m) ගල්දොලඇල්ල
This can be viewed from Rakwana town. But to get a closer view, we walked towards the waterfall in Rakwana-Deniyaya road

On our way back we got down at Alton tea estate and visited at famous bathing place called “Nana mankada”
Then we came back to Rakwana town and went in Rakwana-Godakawela toad to visit two waterfalls made by Rakwana river on her way.
Masimbula Ella/Dalwin Ella මස් ඉඹුල ඇල්ල/ඩැල්වින් ඇල්ල
This can be captured at Dalwin tea estate on your way to Godakawela from Rakwana. Although books mention them as two separate waterfalls, locals use two names for the same waterfall. (May be wrong)
Arambe Ella (අරඹේ ඇල්ල)
To reach Arambe Ella, you have to further travel down towards Godakawela. From the main road, have to turn to a by road which is in right hand side in the Lenark estate. (Better clarify the road from locals) This road ends in the Rakwana River and we walked up in the River to view the waterfall.
Following Arambe Ella, we had a bath from Rakwana River somewhat above the Arambe Waterfall. It ended our two day journey with waterfalls.
Thanks for reading