Funday Times

Gaveshaka continues the fascinating trip across waterfalls in association with Lanka Council on Waterfalls
The 100m high waterfalls
Today we look at some waterfalls which are all 100 meters high. We begin with Nekkavita Fall in the Kegalle district. The Mahagal Oya springs from the western slope of the 718m-high Higurangala Mountain and flows over a stone slab, creating this fall.

Take the Avisawella - Hatton - Nuwara Eliya road via Talduwa to Deraniyagala to reach the fall which is situated 85km from Colombo. It is 50km away from the Kithulgala resthouse, the popular stop famous the world over as the location where the award winning film, ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ was filmed.

The Gerandigini Falls is an amalgamation of several falls in the Ratnapura District including the Ramboda and Gerandi falls. While this fall is 100m, the total height is 270m. Such is its scale, the fall can be seen from a considerable distance. The stream springs from the Galaha Forest Reserve, passing Galbithiya and onto the Puna Oya .

At the estuary where Gerandi Falls meets Puna Oya, another fall measuring 6m in height is created. The fall is situated about 100m below the tea estate in the Ramboda area and can be acc-essed either via the tea estate or the footpaths of Ramboda village. From Ratnapura take the Pelmadulla - Pathakade road to Samanalagama village. The fall is 3km south of Samanalagama.

The Galdola Fall (Ratnapura district) originates from a tributary of the Rakwana river, which flows down the eastern slope of Suriyakande mountain in the Sinharaja forest reserve. The water courses over rock-strewn terrain and at times the flow is submerged by rocky outcrops. This profusion of rocks gives the fall its name ‘dola’ meaning ‘rockpool’.

The fall is situated at the 82nd mile post near Rakwana, on the Ratnapura - Pelmadulla road. Rakwana rest-house is just 3km away. The 100m-high Elihatha Falls, as the name suggests, encapsulates a series of seven falls, each identified by a number. The first can be viewed from the Udaboda Estate (Kegalle District). To view the second fall, walk past Maliboda Bazaar, through Uda Malimboda, Nuriya, Thalawa and on to Dickwella mountain. The other five falls are difficult to reach.

The fall is situated in the Nuwara Eliya district at Bambargala mountain in the Middeniya ‘grama niladhari’ area. The only road on which to approach the fall in any type of vehicle, is from Deraniyagala to Malimbada. Go up to Uda Malimbadatown, and then use the road running adjacent to the cooperative of Uda Malimbada. The nearest town is Deraniyagala.

The impressive Dansinashin Fall cascades in a spectacular sequence of steps before flowing to the Pundalu Oya , the Kotmale river and finally the Kotmale reservoir. The nearest town is Pundalu Oya.

Take the Kandy road towards Nuwara Eliya toThavalamtenne. Turn onto the Gampola - Pundalu Oya road that leads to Pundalu Oya. Once there, continue for a further 2km to the two large tea estates called Dansinan and Shin. The fall flows between these estates and can be viewed in two segments, from above the road or below.

Our list of 18 waterfalls above the 100m mark is thus completed. There are eight which fall within the 75-100 metres range. These will be discussed next.

Back to Mirror Magazine