Sandaraja Wana Arana and Ganthuna Falls

Year and Month	2017 September 23rd
Number of Days	One
Crew	02-Nuwan and Myself
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	Bus, Threewheel and Walking
Activities	Photography, Sightseeing and trekking
Weather	Good but had few intermittent showers
Route	Colombo->Mawanella->Dippitiya (Aranayaka road)->Ambalakanda->Hulang Kapolla-> Dotel Oya Estate->Dotel Oya->Sandaraja Wana Arana->Sakkara Kanda->Ganthuna->Kegalle
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Dotel Oya-දෝතල් ඔය (In English it is written as Dotel Oya not Dothal Oya) is the destination where Sandaraja Wana Arana (සදරාජ වන අරණ) is situated. There are different routes to reach this forest. Colombo->Mawanella->Dippitiya (දිප්පිටිය)->Hulang Kapolla (හුලo කපොල්ල)->Dotel Oya what we followed. You can reach the place by a vehicle. Estate road continues through the forest as well. Road condition is suitable for a 4w drive and it has some bad section at Dotel Oya estate. There are different buses to reach Dotel Oya from Mawanella. We got a bus to Dippitiya and then Ganthuna (ගන්තුන) bus via Sulang Kapolla. Then heir a threewheel to Dotel Oya board. It costs Rs 500. There is a bus to Dotel Oya from Dippitiya at 6.30am. And first bus to Hulang Kapolla from Mawanella at 7.05am. Pre booking of overnight stay and tours at Sandaraja can be done by calling to Matheesha: 0711406861 Matheesha who is an enviormentist looks after Sandaraja Forest Reserve. His father was the founder of this nice place. There are different routes to reach Ganthuna Falls. We followed the foot pathway from Dotel oya to Sakkarakanda (සක්කරාකන්ද) as we were at Dotel Oya. Otherwise you can reach Ganthuna Kegalle-> Mabopitiya->Ganthuna Awissawella->Bulathkohupitiya-Undugoda->Mabopitiya->Ganthuna
Related Resources	1. Mawbima Paper Article 2017-07-04 page 08 2. Lakdasun link on Sandaraja Wana Arana 3. Face book page on Sandaraja Wana Arana Unfortunately I have noted 2 & 3 after I visited there.
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Sandaraja Wana Arana and Ganthuna Falls

I came across a news article about Sandaraja Wana Arana few months ago and kept a picture of it at my mobile phone. Before two weeks I have visited at famous Asupini Ella and again Sandaraja Wana Arana came across while I was searching activities around Asupini Ella. As we didn’t have enough time to visit there following Asupini Falls, I made a back to back visit to Aranayaka.
There are different routes to reach Sandaraja Wana Arana and we selected the route from Mawanella. We got down at Hulang Kapolla and hired a threewheel to Dotel Oya estate. Hulang Kapolla has windy climate like it’s name itself. We have to pass Moratiya estate to reach Dotel Oya. There was a waterfall formed under the bridge of Moratiya estate, we named it as Moratiya estate waterfall (මොරටිය වත්ත ඇල්ල) as it has no name.
Kukulpitiya Kanda (කුකුල්පිටිය කන්ද), Kodigala (කොඩිගල) and Samasara Kanda (සාමසර කන්ද) were in one line and made beautiful sceneries around. The climate was fairly cool and we have noted the mist has reached upper line of the forest.

Beautiful Moratiya Estate

Three peaks in one line: Kukulpitiya Kanda (left), Samasara Kanda-Kodigala Kanda (right), middle peak must be other end of Samasara range where mud slides occurred.

The water stream is about to form Moratiya Estate Falls

Moratiya Estate falls-This is about 10m tall and flows in two parts.

Moratiya Estate Falls

Pilot view of Moratiya Estate Falls…Captured when we were at Kodigala in next week

Wild flowers

Surrounding beauty

Kukulpitiya Kanda was added to TO DO LIST

Samasara Kanda-Kodigala was our next week target

Hide and came out

Passing Moratiya Estate to reach Dotel Oya estate

Dotel Oya tea estate was one of beautiful estates I have met. Misty climate with greenish tea bushes gave fantastic appearance. We got direction from villagers and luckily Sandaraja was a well known place for them. It was about 1hour walk from Dotel Oya estate to Sandaraja Wana Arana.

Dotel Oya church

Scenic

Dotel Oya tea factory

Dotel Oya Kovil

Follow the steps infront of tea factory and closer to day care center

Misty peaks….

Sandaraja Wana Arana / Sandaraja forest reserve (7.115639,80.409871)
Sandaraja Wana Arana / Sandaraja forest reserve is a privately owned place managed by Mihisara environmental organization. Let’s look at the importance of Sandaraja Wana Arana.
1. This is situated at highest plain of Kegalle District called Lepalawa Mountain (ලේපලාව කන්ද). Sandaraja Forest reserve has 70 acres of virgin forest and 50 acres of secondary forest.
2. The name given as ground orchid species called Sandaraja is abundant in this area.
3. Sandaraja Forest is rich in biodiversity. It is a sub mountainous rain forest patch with abundant trees of Hora family. You can see 22 tree species of Hora Family at Sandaraja forest patch. There are 108 birds’ species, 46 butterfly species, 42 snake species, 20 amphibian species, 05 bat species and 29 mammal species.
4. Sandaraja is an important place to see green pit viper.
5. Sandaraja is under threatening of illegal tree cutters, Wallapatta seekers, gem miners and treasure hunters.

Unfortunately it was the day it was closed and nobody was there. There were different trails branching from main route. The office and dormitory is situated at center of the forest where surrounding tea estate and peaks are visible well. We have loitered around and came back. Enjoy the pictures taken at Sandaraja Wana Arana.

Where it is situated

Enter to Sandaraja Wana Arana

The gate

Wild tracks

Close up…

Nicely engraved on rock

පොහොට්ටු

Request

It has virgin forest as well as secondary forest.

Katu Kithul

බෝවිටියා

Green Vine Snake (Ahetulla Nasutus)

Foot pathways

End of a foot pathway

Reached the slab rock where office and dormitory are situated.

Charges of Sandaraja Wana Arana-These might be changed

Collection of seeds

A note about the founder of Sandaraja Wana Arana-Mr. Susil Karunarathna

The office

Surrounding peaks…

Benches at Sandaraja Wana Arana

The office and Dormitory at Sandaraja Wana Arana

Towards Dolosbage range…

Under low light…

Coming back

Sandaraja has different threats. Illegal tree cutting is one of them.

Sandaraja is the highest plain of Kegalle district. It is surrounded by different peaks.

Back to Dotel Oya estate

It is a common scenario to see peaks covered with mist here

Our next target of the day was Ganthuna Falls situated at Sakkara Kanda village at Ganthuna. We descended from Dotel Oya to Sakkara Kanda along a scenic foot pathway. We came back to Dotel Oya tea factory and got direction to the foot pathway. It was about 1hour journey from there to Ganthuna Falls.

Crossing Dotel Oya

This foot pathway first descends through a tea patch and then goes into the forest.

Met a friend

Foot pathway to Sakkara Kanda village and Ganthuna Falls

Scenic…

“Edanda”

Ganthuna Falls / Ellegedara Falls / Kuda oya Falls (7007’12.6’’N 80024’20.0’’E)
This waterfall is situated at Sakkarakanda village at Ganthuna. Ganthuna can be approached from Kegalle, Awissawella and Mawanella. From Ganthuna there is a 2km hike towards the waterfall. Half of this distance can be tackled by a motor bike or threewheel.
Dothalu Oya origins from Lepalawa mountain and creates Ganthuna Falls at Sakkarakanda village. Then it joins with Gurugoda Oya at Ganthuna town and later flows to Kelani River.
Ganthuna falls has three segments. Upper part is just a 15m angle of Dothalu Oya. It is kind of a bathing place and the foot pathway crosses this water stream.
Second and lower parts have 15m and 20m height respectively. To reach latter segments you have to come down along the foot pathway and have to walk towards the water stream through tea bushes.
Dothal oya is named as Kuda Oya at this area and name Kuda Oya falls might be due to this reason. All parts of the waterfall can be seen above Ganthuna Bridge. But I was not able to get that picture.