Whitewater Rafting in Kitulgala

Kithulgala, in the Kegalle district, is the best and safe place for whitewater rafting. Rafting activities are done in the 8-10km section of the Kelani river. This place is located about 90km away from Colombo and it can be reached by Avissawella – Hatton – Nuwara Eliya (A007) road.  It is an ideal holiday haunt for both the young and the ‘young at heart,’ given the area’s ideal conditions for rafting or for a relaxing holiday away from the grind of everyday work.  The award-winning movie The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) was filmed at this picturesque location.

Whitewater rafting is very thrilling and gives more than a few chills and gasps as the raft goes crashing through the seven rapids. For the really daring, the boat is suddenly tipped over and you will find yourself in swirling foamy waters – to swim back to the boat or just drift downstream. For this experience, one has to don a life jacket and a helmet.

There is a number of travel agencies that provide whitewater rafting packages around Kithulgala. As they have well-experienced guides, you can safely do the whitewater rafting activities with them.

If you are visiting Kithulgala, you can also do rainforest walks, mountain biking, bird watching, river expeditions, waterfall abseiling etc… in addition to rafting.

External Links

1. Kitulgala: Rocks, rapids, and retreat
2. Ceylon’s Bridge on the River Kwai
3. Kitulgala holiday packages: Rafting down the river