WHITE WATER RAFTING IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka is traditionally known as a place where you can come down and relax; either enjoying a great cup of tea in the cold Hill Country or watching the sun go down while lying on a white sandy beach. But in recent times more action-based activities have been making a huge impact on the holidays that people usually go for.

One of the major activities that fall under this category is white water rafting. This has been an adventure activity that has been gaining a lot of traction over the past couple of decades in Sri Lanka. The most famous location for White Water Rafting is of course Kitulgala.

You can get to Kitulgala on the Avissawella – Ginigathhena route. Kitulgala is the main hub for White Water Rafting because it is the best place to access the Kelani River down which the rapids are located. There are 5 major rapids and 4 minor rapids along a stretch of 5kms along the river downstream from where the rafting usually starts off from.

There are a number of adventure groups and hotels that organize white water rafting excursions down the river. They provide all the necessary safety gear, sturdy rafts or boats as well as trained instructors who take you through the journey. Anyone over the age of 10 years can participate in the activity and the ride providers will give everyone a full safety briefing and training program before you start downstream.

You might not know it but there is a possibility that you might have seen Kitulgala already. The 1950s Academy Award-winning film Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed at Kitulgala. The Concrete foundations of the bridge can still be seen at the original site.

The great thing is that white water rafting is not the only thing to do around Kitulgala. The adventure tour providers themselves have come up with some great additional activities and there are some special places to travel as well.

Stream Slides & confidence jumps, hikes into the forest to view some of the beautiful streams and waterfalls, and mountain biking on the trails that criss-cross the forest are some of the other activities that the tour organizers can arrange for you.

If you don’t want anyone’s help and are okay with traveling with just you and your friends you can travel to the historic Belilena caves where the skeletal remains of the Balangoda Man and pre-cursors to  Homosepiens-sapiens who lived over 12,000 years ago were discovered. Or you can travel into the forest in solitude and have a nice calm bird-watching expedition on your own.

Kitulgala is an amazing place to come and spend the weekend. There are plenty of operators who can provide you food and accommodation so it is a great place to come with a group of people, have some fun and unwind at the same time. Adrenaline junkies are going to have a great time while white water rafting for sure. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many.