Cascades in A5 road

A5 road begins at Peradeniya and ends up at Chenkalady. If you travel along this road you will come across 8+ road side cascades during the section from Pussallawa to Nuwara Eliya.
I did this tour six years ago with Ashan and wanted to repeat it to update the current situation of these falls. I did my second visit in 2015 but capturing was unsuccessful as I forgot SD card in camera. Therefore I had to repeat this journey next time with my new camera.

As usual we started the journey in early morning and got Nuwara Eliya bus from Peradeniya and got down at Helboda. Helboda is situated about 6 kilometers from Pussallawa.

District border of A5 road. Kandy and Nuwara Eliya.

First waterfall of the journey was Delta Falls which came across in between 33 and 34 kilometer posts at 34/2 bridge.

Delta Falls (ඩෙල්ටා ඇල්ල)
Delta Falls flows in two steps and only lower part is visible to the main road. To capture upper part, you have to walk back about 50m towards Peradeniya and get right hand side road towards Sri Mount Hotel which is at the edge of the fall. As it is situated at Delta estate it is named as Delta Falls. Total height of this falls is 60m.

Delta Falls-Upper part

Delta Falls-Upper par

Delta Falls-Upper part

Delta Falls-Lower part

Delta Falls-Lower part

Under the bridge

It is not rain…..falling from the fall

View of Peacock Hills and A5 road

Second fall of the day was Helboda Falls which also situated closer to main road. We walked about 1km towards Nuwara Eliya and came across it at 35/5 bokkuwa.

Helboda Falls (හෙල්බොඩ ඇල්ල)
Helboda Falls is about 3-4m in height and flows in two parts. This place has become a vehicle washing place.

Helboda Falls-This part is about 2m tall.

Helboda Falls

Measure the height of the waterfall

Ramboda Sri Baktha Hanuman Kovil

This is an important Kovil found before Thawalanthanna. It is related to Rama-Rawana story and famous among Hindu devotees in the world.

Entrance to Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple

Steps to temple

Each step is donated by devotees.

Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple

View of Kotmale reservoir

Rooms for devotees of other countries

Next waterfall of the journey was Garandi Gini Ella found at 42km post at Thawalanthanna. It was seen far away.

Garandi Gini Ella (ගැරඩි ගිනි ඇල්ල)
Garandi Gini Ella is collection of cascades flows at Frotoft area. Garandi Ela which rises at Galaha forest reserve feeds these cascades. It’s total height is about 100m. Garandi Gini Falls joins with Puna Oya later. Garandi Gini Falls can be easily seen at Garandi Ela area.

Garandi Gini Ella (2016)

Garandi Gini Falls-Zoomed view. (2010)

The boutique at that bend also has same name.

Water from Garandi Gini Falls

The mountain where Garandi Gini Ella flows

A bend of A5 road

Another snap of Kotmale Reservoir

Our next target was Devathura Falls situated at the entrance of Ramboda Pass. Just before Ramboda Pass we were able to see Puna Hela Falls and Ramboda Oya falls lower part.

Devathura Falls (දේවතුරා ඇල්ල)
This 10m tall waterfall flows from Peratas tea estate closer to Ramboda tunnel. It has two steps and only lower part can be seen from road.
We followed the foot pathway laid on left hand side of the waterfall and reached the top of the lower falls. There was another fall-Upper part of Devathura Falls.

Devathura Falls-Lower part. Seen at A5 road

Devathura Falls-Lower part

Devathura Falls-Lower part

Devathura Falls-Lower part

Devathura Falls-Lower part

Devathura Falls-Upper part

Devathura Falls-Upper part

View of Puna Hela Falls from top of Devathura Falls

View of Ramboda Pass from upper part of Devathura Falls

Following Devathura Falls we walked along old Ramboda Road and reached Ramboda town (less than 1km walk) where middle Ramboda Oya Falls can be seen from the road.

Ramboda Pass and Tunnel

Entrance of Ramboda tunnel from Peradeniya side

Inside Ramboda tunnel

Ramboda Tunnel-Entrance from Nuwara Eliya side

Ramboda Tunnel-entrance from Nuwara Eliya side

 Ramboda Oya Cascades (රම්බොඩ ඇලි)
There are three Ramboda Oya Falls, called Upper Ramboda, Middle Ramboda and Lower Ramboda Oya Falls formed by Ramboda Oya.
Middle Ramboda Oya Falls can be seen from A5 road. It is about 6m in height. There is a foot pathway to reach Upper Ramboda Oya Falls, which is situated just lateral to middle Ramboda Oya Falls. It is about 1km from Ramboda town.
Upper Ramboda Oya is a massive fall with ?12m height. There is an observation flat form to view the fall.
Lower Ramboda Oya Falls only can be viewed from famous Ramboda Hotel. It’s height is 15m.

Middle Ramboda Falls

Middle Ramboda Falls

Middle Ramboda Falls

Middle Ramboda Falls

Just clicked

Starting the journey

Foot pathway parallel to Ramboda Oya

Foot pathway parallel to Ramboda Oya

Upper Ramboda Falls

Upper Ramboda Falls

Side waves of Upper Ramboda Falls

Side waves of Upper Ramboda Falls

Upper Ramboda falls

Upper Ramboda falls

Upper Ramboda Falls

Slippery way to base of the waterfall

Base pool-View from observation point

At observation point

The place where we had the bath

Ramboda Falls hotel and foot pathway to view Lower Ramboda Falls

Ramboda Oya-Lower falls

Ramboda Oya-Lower falls

Ramboda Oya-Lower falls

Puna Falls (පූනා ඇල්ල)
The best place to view this twin falls is near 45th kilometer post. But it can be caught to your eye in many occasions when you travel from Ramboda.
The water stream flows through Pundalu Oya estate forms right wing of this beautiful waterfall. Puna oya forms left wing of the waterfalls. It is about 100m in height. Later this water stream joins with Kotmale Oya.

Twin falls-Puna Falls

Puna Falls

Puna Falls

After about 500m of Puna Hela Falls, Kandamula Ella will come across. It is just a water stream rather than a waterfall.

Kandamula Falls (කදමුල ඇල්ල)
Kandamula Falls is situated at Kandamula area. The water stream crosses the road and joins with the Puna oya later. This cascade has about 10m height.

Kandamula Falls-This is lower part according to description.

Kandamula Falls-This is lower part according to description.

Kandamula Falls

Reaching the base of Puna Hela Falls
Getting down to the Base of Puna Hela Falls is one of my dreams. I have noticed the pathway in previous visit to Nuwara Eliya. There is a fainted foot pathway closer to Kandamula Falls. (Just next to Samudra Hotel-Ask from Hotel). We went down along the foot pathway and came across a tea patches which were scattered. It was not difficult to move towards the fall through tea bushes and we were parallel to the water stream from Kandamula Falls. Then we came across a foot pathway through Mana patch and it ended at another tea patch. Next 75-100m was all the way down to the base of the fall with slippery section over bushes. It was amazing to view these twin falls from it’s base.
The base of the fall was extremely slippery.

Puna Hela Falls from it’s base

Puna Hela Falls

Right wing of Puna Hela Falls-Origined from Pundalu Oya

Puna Hela Falls

Puna Hela Falls

Base of Puna Hela Falls

Enjoying the achievement at base of the fall

Palagolla Kandura/Wedamulla Falls (පලාගොල්ල කදුර)
This waterfall is situated at Wedamulla area closer to 49th kilometer post in A5 road. It gets water from a turbine after using for hydro power generation. You can have the view of this waterfall near the cemetery of Palagolla through Pines trees. Palagolla Kandura/ Wedamulla Falls is about 30m tall.

Palagolla Kandura through Pines trees.

Palagolla Kandura through Pines trees.

Palagolla Kandura

Palagolla Kandura

Then we reached the highest point of an A grade roads in Sri Lanka, called Top pass where the entrance to Nuwara Eliya town situated. Diviya Falls is situated in forest reserve closer to Top pass.

Diviya Falls (දිවියා ඇල්ල)
The water stream arises from Diviyagala mountain-situated at left slope of Piduruthalagala mountain range forms this waterfall. According to the description it has three parts and total height is about 20m. First part is about 6m tall, second part is 2m and last part is about 12m.
We got left hand side turn from Top pass and passed famous hotel called top pass bridge. Then we entered to the forest reserve. We went along the foot pathway with a significant descend and came across a point where drinking water is separated from water stream. It was an easy task to reach the top of first part. The difficult part was getting down to the base of first part of Diviya falls. It was a direct slope and we reached the base with aid of bushes. There was a significant drop from base of first part of Diviya Falls to second & third part. We didn’t attempt it.

Top pass-Highest point of A grade roads in Sri Lanka

Directions to Diviya Falls at Top Pass

Directions to Diviya Falls-Entered to forest reserve.

Directions to Diviya Falls-Entered to forest reserve.

On the way to Diviya Falls

Directions to Diviya Falls where drinking water is separated from water stream.

On top of Diviya Falls

Diviya Falls-Upper part

Diviya Falls-Upper part

Diviya Falls-Upper part

It ends waterfalls hunting from Pussallawa to Nuwara Eliya along A5 road.

Location of waterfalls in map

Location in the map: Light green-Delta Falls, Ash-Helboda Falls, Brown-Garandi Gini Falls, Pink-Devathura Falls, Light blue, blue and purple-Ramboda Oya falls, Red-Kandamula Falls, Green-Puna Falls, Ash at right corner- Palagolla Kandura. Click image to enlarge.

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