Do you believe that Sri Lanka is home to more than 400 gorgeous waterfalls? Certainly, it is a country with the high waterfall density in the world, ideal for waterfall hunting. These lovely waterfalls are dotted all over the country in both wet zone and dry zone. Hill Country of Sri Lanka is home to the majority of spectacular waterfalls, while some are hidden in lush green jungles.
The waterfalls in the hill country are fed by both east and west monsoon rains, as well as inter-monsoons. Hence, they offer glorious eye-pleasing views throughout the year. In contrast, waterfalls in the dry zone are high flowing in the rainy season and low flowing in the dry season. Since waterfalls become fierce during the rainy season, they should be enjoyed carefully during the monsoons.
Most of the beautiful waterfalls in Sri Lanka have well-defined pathways to enter, while some of them are difficult to reach because of the dense forests. The beauty of these inaccessible waterfalls is remaining hidden inside the deep jungles. It may need some extra effort to see the magical view of strong gushes of water falling in these hidden waterfalls.
Here we are going to show you these spectacular hidden waterfalls in Sri Lanka. Since most of these waterfalls are located off the beaten path, remember to get help from locals to explore them.
1. Gerandi Ella in Ramboda
Gerandi Ella is one of the tallest waterfalls in Sri Lanka. It locates on Nuwara Eliya main highway at the Tawalantanna area closer to the 50th-kilometer milepost. The waterfall cascades in a number of segments and the total height of the cascades from the top are more than 100 meters.
This is a narrow and long waterfall, which literally means Rat Snake Waterfall. The resemblance of these waterfall to a slithering rat snake gives this particular name.
Gerandi Ella is clearly a hidden beauty of the Hill Country. You can see this towering waterfall from far, but it’s quite difficult to reach the base of the waterfall.
2. Kirindi Ella in Pelmadulla
Kirindi Ella is one of the most remote, hard-to-reach waterfalls in Sri Lanka. The nearest town to Kirindi Ella is Pelmadulla in Ratnapura city. This breathtaking, 116 m-high Kirindi Ella fall is hidden among the lush vegetation in Kuttapitiya mountain. Kirindi Oya flows 13 km before the cascading point and then flows to the Kalu Ganga River after forming this gorgeous waterfall.
This waterfall has a huge amount of water flowing down in the rainy season. Even in the dry season, this fall makes wonderful scenery. It plunges into a deep pool, at the base of the fall. But it may be quite difficult to walk up to the base of the fall through the lush vegetation. still, you can see the spectacular nature of the falls from a reasonable distance.
In the wooded area surrounding the fall, an amazing multitude of plants and wildlife can be seen. The area represents a tropical rain forest with wonderful lush green surroundings, which enhance the overall beauty of the falls. Although this is not the easiest of waterfalls to get through, it is a completely worthy effort to visit this hidden spectacular waterfall, if you are traveling in the Ratnapura area.
3. Dumbara Ella in Matale
Dumbara Ella is one of the many lovely waterfalls in the Knuckles Mountain range. This 20 m high waterfall is situated in the Kalupahana area, Matale city. You need a few hours to trek through the jungle to see this beautiful waterfall. Although it is hard to reach, this Dumbara waterfall is a joy to behold and steals the hearts of visitors.
The beauty of the fall is further increased by the large circular pool at the base of Dumbara Falls. This base pool is home to several kinds of indigenous fish schools. As well, there is a cave that can accommodate up to eight people at the foot of Dumbara Falls. It is possible to go camping in this beautiful area to immerse in the beauty of the lovely nature of Dumbara Falls.
4. Kadiyanlena Falls in Nawalapitiya
Kadiyanlena Falls locates alongside the Nawalapitiya-Thalawakale main road about 8 km from Nawalapitiya. It is a gorgeous hidden treasure in the hill country. The surroundings of the fall are simply stunning amidst the lush green mind-blowing setting. There is an arch bridge that makes Kadiyanlena Fall one of the most scenic waterfalls in Sri Lanka.
Kadiyanlena Falls consists of three cascades. The topmost segment of the fall is 8 meters in height and the other two parts are 17 m in height. All three segments together are 25 meters in height. Two steps of the fall are on the upper side of the bridge and the last part of the fall is on the lower to the bridge.
Two upper main cascades have base pools on the bottom. These both cascades can be reached by foot and enjoy a swim in the chilled pool down the way. In the rainy season, a huge bulk of water runs in the fall, and it’s quite dangerous to bathe in the pool. But on a typical day, you can enjoy a cool bath safely. This is a remarkable hidden gem that you should definitely try to visit in Sri Lanka.
5. Galboda Waterfall
Galboda waterfall is a hidden gem in Nuwara-Eliya, between Nawalapitiya and Watawala towns. It can be reached by getting off at Galboda railway station and going through a 2 km trail along with a tea estate. Walking through this trail is amazing, enjoying a lot of beautiful views of the Sri Lankan countryside. You can feel the warmth of Sri Lankan unspoiled villages during this journey.
The waterfall is 30 m high, and the width ranges from between 3 – 6 m, depending on the season. The environment is cool with a lot of mist emanating from the waterfall. Galboda Falls has its own unique beauty due to its picturesque surroundings. This lovely waterfall is clearly one of the hidden Waterfalls in Sri Lanka, not so popular among visitors yet.
6. Rathna Ella in Hasalaka
101 m high Rathna Ella is an amazing waterfall in Hasalaka town in Kandy. This is also one of the gorgeous waterfalls belonging to the Knuckles Mountain Range, located at the east end of the mountains. The trek starts from Rathna Ella village and it takes less than an hour to walk through the forest along a canal to reach the fall. This pathway is beautiful and goes through paddy fields, jungle, and village houses.
Once you reach the bottom of the waterfall, you’ll realize all the effort you have put in is really worthwhile. The serenity of the jungle and the flowing water of this majestic waterfall give eye-pleasing views to the visitors. There are large rocks around to spend some time here. Since the base pool is quite deep, bathing here is not recommended. But there are bathing spots on the way.
7. Huluganga Falls in Wattegama
Huluganga Falls is a waterfall located at Huluganga Town, about 30 kilometers away from Kandy Town. It locates in a quiet rural area in the Knuckles Mountain Range. Hulu River comes down from about 75 meters in height forming the beautiful Huluganga Falls. The cascading water of the fall gradually flows to the Victoria Reservoir.
The base pool of this waterfall is a dazzling sight with crystal clear water. You’ll see the emerald color of the water in the base pool does not get muddy even on rainy days. There are many rocks on the river as well as grass and plants. Reportedly, this base pool is quite deep and a bath is not recommended. Still, you can feel the breeze of cold air and the gorgeous sight of crashing water forming lots of sprinkles.
This waterfall became famous some years ago, as this fall was the primary location for the popular Sri Lankan teledrama “Ella Langa Walauwa” (Mansion by the Fall).
8. Gartmore Falls
Gartmore Falls is situated in the Maskeliya town of Nuwara Eliya. Since this waterfall lies inside the Gartmore estate it calls as Gartmore Falls. This fall is also known as Adam’s Peak Falls or Sri Pada falls due to its close proximity to Sri Pada Mountain. It is a gorgeous waterfall, 25 meters in height.
Another waterfall of about the same height lies several hundred meters away from Gartmore Falls. It also flows to Maskeliya Reservoir, which calls as Moray Falls. These two waterfalls together make marvelous picturesque scenery. They are clearly hidden waterfalls in Maskeliya town in Sri Lanka’s hill country.
In the Maskeliya area, you can discover many hidden treasures. It’s possible to hike up to Gartmore falls and bathe in its crystal-clear plunge pool. This can be a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience to enjoy in Sri Lanka’s hill country.
9. Puna Falls in Ramboda
Puna Ella locates on Kandy – Nuwara Eliya main route between Pussellawa and Ramboda. This fall is approximately 100m in height. You can see the falls from the road from a distance and the view is quite beautiful. The towering fall with plenty of water and the surrounding lush green mountain makes a pretty scenery.
Wonderful Puna Falls has a unique shape than all other waterfalls in Sri Lanka. It is a double fall is in the ‘Y’ form where two waterfalls merge into one at the bottom. The waterfall on the left is formed by Puna Oya, and the fall on the right is made up of Pundalu Oya. These two water sources are collectively called Puna Falls.
10. Lanka Ella in Kalupahana
Lanka Ella Fall is clearly a hidden waterfall, unspoiled by human activities due to the remote location. This fall locates about 1 km away from Sri Lanka’s tallest waterfall, Bambarakanda Falls. It is accessible only on foot. There is a footpath that goes to the top of the Bambarakanda waterfall and you need to walk around 1 km along this path to reach the fall.
The waterfall gets its name from the rock pool below the falls which resembles a teardrop, the shape of the island of Sri Lanka. This pool is said to be extremely deep and is not suitable for bathing. This waterfall has unique beauty with the background of large granite rocks behind the fall.
To sum up, here we have bought you the most spectacular hidden waterfalls in Sri Lanka. You can spend many days watching these lovely hidden waterfalls in the Sri Lankan Hill Country. Since most of them are located in rural areas, remember to get help from locals to explore them. Hope you all visit these spectacular waterfalls and enjoy their ultimate beauty. Welcome everybody, Let’s discover the hidden waterfalls in Sri Lanka!
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