Cascades of Rathnapura-Wewalwaththa-Balangoda road

Rathnapura-Wewalwaththa-Balangoda road is 43km in distance and you can enjoy 13+ waterfalls in one day. This is my experience of waterfall hunting along this road. Enjoy it.

You can view following waterfalls along this road (order from Rathnapura to Balangoda)

1. Anda Ella falls
2. Goxin Falls
3. Pareyyian Falls
4. Katukithul Falls
5. Hal Ella Falls
6. Dehena Ella
7. Madanagiri Falls
8. Pandi Oya Ella Falls
9. Wewal Falls
10. Alupola Ella
11. Beruwaththa Ella
12. Unnamed waterfall
13. Madde Kanda Falls
14. Polwaththa Amuna Ella

We started the journey around 8.30am from Rathnapura and our first visit was Anda Ella falls.

Anda Ella Falls ආදා ඇල්ල

This 15m tall waterfall will come across at Galabada area. Waterfall is barely visible to the main road. You can get the foot pathway immediately before the bridge and walk up along the stream to reach it.

Direction towards the waterfall

Anda Ella Falls

Anda Ella Falls

Anda Ella Falls

Our next target was Goksin falls and Pareyyian falls at Halakanda area.

Goxin Falls ගොක්සිo ඇල්ල

Rathganga River makes this 50m tall waterfall at Halakanda (හැලකද) village. The British planter-Goxin was used to have aquatic sports at this waterfall to give this English name to the waterfall. It flows into a deep pool and it’s depth is not known. There were number of deaths happened here by falling down from the waterfall. Therefore villagers are scared to roam around the waterfall.

We turned from Nugepola (නුගේපොල) to get Dehenakanda (දෙහෙනකන්ද) road (this is the road to go to Sri Pada from Mukkuwaththa ) and got the turn at Kambiadiya (කම්බිඅඩිය) to reach Halakanda village. (There is a board mentioning Halakanda Vidyalaya at this turning point). After travel about 3km along this gravel road you will come across a bridge. Goxin falls is just below the bridge.

There is a foot pathway in it’s right hand side to reach the base. Fortunately there were two villagers to show us this foot pathway.

The bridge over Rathganga-රත්ගග

On top of Goxin Falls

Goxin falls and it’s base pool

Goxin Falls

Pareyyian Falls-පරෙයියන් ඇල්ල

Rathganga makes this beautiful waterfall after about 50m following Goxin falls. We continued the road through Halakanda village and got left hand turn to the village temple. After meeting chief priest of the temple we headed towards Pareyyian Falls.

There is a cement foot steps towards Rathganga there. They have built a nice “Kutiya-කුටිය” closer to the waterfall.

According to the chief priest there is a huge natural cave closer to the waterfall which can accommodate around 1500 people once. Then he mentioned about a drawing of a pigeon at the wall of the cave.

We didn’t attempt to reach the cave due to slippery rocks following rain.

Pareyyian Falls is about 20m tall.

Pareyyian Falls –For me it is like a pigeon

Pareyyian falls and it’s base pool

Pareyyian Falls

Pareyyian Falls and it’s natural cave

“Kutiya” facing Rathganga

According to the villager who showed the foot pathway to get down to Goxin falls, there is another waterfall about 1km above Goxin falls. It is called Uthurupath Ella. (උතුරුපත් ඇල්ල) But we didn’t try to go there.

We spent a lot of time on Goxin and Pareyyian falls and rushed back to Wewalwaththa road. Next three cascades were road side: Katu Kithul Ella, Hal Ella and Dehena Ella.

Katu Kithul Ella-කටුකිතුල් ඇල්ල

This 15m tall road side cascade will come across at Amunathanna (අමුණතැන්න) area. We have noticed thorny Palmyra trees around the upper part of the fall.

Two in 1. Katu Kithul Ella and Hal Ella

Katu Kithul Ella

Hal Ella Falls-හල් ඇල්ල

This 7m tall 12m wide road side cascade is found at Amunathanna area immediately next to Katu Kithul Falls. According to literature, there are some Hal trees at upper part of the waterfall to give this name.

Just before Katu Kithul Ella, there is a water stream flows towards the road. This is actually not a waterfall.

Hal Ella

Hal Ella

Hal Ella

Water stream can be misunderstood as waterfall

Dehena Falls-දෙහෙන ඇල්ල

After few turns from Kate Kithul Falls and Hal Falls we came across this tall beauty at 25^th km post. Dehena Falls is another road side cascade. Dehena Dola (දෙහෙන දොල) forms this 73m tall beautiful fall. During rainy season it will drizzle towards the vehicles on the road.

Distance view of Dehena Falls

Dehena Falls

Dehena Falls-closer view

Dehena Falls

Madanagiri and Pandi Oya Ella falls (මදනගිරි ඇල්ල හා පාඩි ඔය ඇල්ල)

Madanagiri and Pandi Oya Ella falls are situated close to each other and formed by Pandi Oya.

It is difficult to reach these waterfalls as you have to go up along Pandi Oya (පාඩි ඔය).

Both waterfalls can be seen from main road after you pass Pandi Oya.

Madanagiri Ella has 68m height and Pandi Oya Falls 45m is tall.

People are bathing at Pandi Oya

Madanagiri Falls (left hand side) and Pandi Oya Falls (right hand side)

Madanagiri Falls

Pandi Oya Falls

After passing these two cascades we got right hand turn at Diya Bibila (දිය බිබිල) junction to view Wewal Ella falls.

Wewal Ella Falls-වේවැල් ඇල්ල

This 15m tall and 24m wide waterfall is formed by Wewal Dola (වේවැල් දොළ). As there were ample of Wewal trees around the waterfall in those days, it was called Wewal Falls.

We drove along Batewela (බටේවෙල) road and asked about the waterfall from villagers at Waligoda (වැලිගොඩ) junction. They didn’t know a waterfall of that kind of name but directed us to a waterfall just below a bathing place at Wewal Dola. We drove back and reached that bathing place. But that small waterfall didn’t tally with our description.

A boy who was there told us about another waterfall at upstream of Wewal Dola. We crossed Wewal Dola and walked about 500m towards upstream through thick Mana bushes to reach the waterfall, might be correct Wewal Ella Falls.

It had low water level and it flowed under a bridge.

Crossing the stream to follow the foot pathway

Wewal Ella Falls

Wewal Ella Falls

Wewal Ella Falls

Wewal Ella Falls-Upper part

Wewal Ella Falls with it’s base pool

Wewal Ella Falls and it’s base pool

It was around 2pm and we came back to main road and drove towards Wewalwaththa junction. On our way we inquired about Bambarabotuwa waterfall (බඹරබොටුව ඇල්ල) which is situated behind Bambarabotuwa church. Nobody knew such a waterfall. But there might be a waterfall as we noticed few water streams drooling from the mountain which is situated behind the church.

Note the water streams drooling from the rock.

After having late lunch from Wewalwaththa junction (though it was a small town, had lunch at 2.30pm) we turned towards Alupola Estate road to reach famous Alupola Ella.

Alupola Ella-අලුපොල ඇල්ල

This 68m tall waterfall is situated at Alupola estate. Alupola Falls is formed by the water stream driven from Bathurugala (බතුරුගල) Mountain.

Alupola Falls.

Alupola Falls

Alupola Ella –Upper part

Alupola Ella-Upper part

Alupola Ella with it’s all parts

After climbing most lower part of Alupola Falls

Our next target was another famous waterfall called Beruwaththa Falls. You can continue along the road following Alupola waterfall or can come back to Wewalwaththa to reach Beruwaththa Falls. Either ways you have to join with Wewalwaththa-Balangoda road and driver further. But there are no board indicating the foot pathway to Beruwaththa Falls. It is in between 1km-2km posts. (Kilometer posts now starting from Wewalwaththa Town towards Balangoda).

View of Beruwaththa Falls from Alupola Estate. This can be view from several places.

Beruwaththa Falls-බේරුවත්ත ඇල්ල

Beruwaththa Falls is 50m in height and is formed by water streams origin from Rakshagala (රාක්ෂගල) Mountain. The water from Beruwaththa Falls later joined with Alupola Dola (අලුපොල දොල) and Ravula Dola (රැවුල දොල). Finally it joins with the longest River of Sri Lanka-Mahaweli River.

This is the land mark to get the turn to Beruwaththa Falls. There is a foot pathway immediate next to this house.

Heading to Beruwaththa Falls

The Beauty

Beruwaththa falls with it’s base pool

Beruwaththa Falls

Companions of the journey

We continued along Balangoda road and came across another beautiful waterfall after 3-4kms following Beruwaththa falls. It was about 15m tall and we could notice another one just above it. We stopped there for snapping and Dethanagala (දෙතනගල) was clearly visible from there.

Road winds around the waterfall

She is the beauty. Don’t know the name.

It seems to be a bathing place

Closer view

Dethanagala

It was time around 6pm and there were two waterfalls to be completed my list. We rushed towards Balangoda and stopped at Meddekanda junction. Meddekanda Falls is clearly visible at Meddekanda Junction.

Meddekanda Falls (මැද්දේකන්ද ඇල්ල)

There was a road in front of the school lane at Meddekanda junction. We drove along that and turned to first left hand side road. Then turned to first right hand side road and went till road ends. From there we followed the foot pathway parallel to the water canal and reached the base of the waterfall through mana bushes. It was a beautiful waterfall but we didn’t have much time to enjoy it as it was almost 7pm.

Meddekanda waterfall is 18m tall and earlier was used to bath elephants, called Ali Wala Ella (අලි වල ඇල්ල).

View of Meddekanda Falls from Meddekanda junction.

Meddekanda Falls

Meddekanda falls with it’s base pool

Meddekanda Falls-photographs are not much clear as surrounding was dark

Closer view of Meddekanda Falls

As it was not a good time to visit waterfalls we abounded our next plan and headed towards Balangoda. Our next day was allocated to Balangoda-Hatton road. At the end of that day we again came along Balangoda-Wewalwaththa road to finish our previous day targets. Last one was Polwaththa Amuna Ella.

Polwaththa Amuna Ella (පොල්වත්ත අමුණ ඇල්ල)

I got to know about this waterfall by amazing Lanka. This is situated at Bulathgama (බුලත්ගම) area in Balangoda-Wewalwaththa road (about 4-5kms from Balangoda town). Then we drove along the Vidyala Mawatha about 1km till we come across an area of paddy fields. We stopped there and got the help of a villager to reach this waterfall.

We had to go across the paddy fields (on “Niyara- නියර”) to reach this waterfall. But we only could grab the fainted view of waterfall as there was further walking through a tea patch to reach the waterfall. As my friend was hurry to go home I gave up that idea.

As it is situated in Polwaththa Amuna, it is called Polwaththa Amuna Ella. Not Amuran Ella. For my view, it is about 20m tall waterfall.

The way on paddy fields…Dethanagala is in back drop.

Somewhere down the main waterfall. This is kind of a bathing place

Distance view of Polwaththa Amuna Ella

Fainted view of Polwaththa Amuna Ella

Motor bike for the journey

Have a safe journey