White water Rafting in Sri lanka
You don’t have to be a beach boy or a girl to enjoy Sri Lankan water sports. High up in the hills, rivers fall down mountains to produce some memorable rafting conditions.Sri Lanka’s spring fed boulder rivers flow through wild tropical jungles are the ideal setting for white water rafting. Whether it’s a half day or full day excursion or as an activity of a multi day tour itinerary White Water Rafting is a must do activity for young and not so young alike.
Currently the best-known white-water rafting area is near Kitulgala where a number of different operators can take you out on gentle river meanders (around US$30 per person) or for experienced rafters, exciting descents of Class 4-5 rapids.The village of KITULGALA is set about halfway along the spectacular road that descends from Hatton down to the lowlands at Avissawella. The scenery is particularly dramatic hereabouts, with sheer-sided, forest-covered hills plunging down to the wild waters of the Kelani Ganga. The stretch of this river around Kitulgala provides the site for the best whitewater rafting in Sri Lanka, with grade two and three rapids some 5km upriver from the village
The Belihul Oya area of the Hill Country is also gaining a reputation for kayaking and other river-related sports.
Getting There
The distance between Kitulgala and the Colombo International Airport is roughly one and a half hours. Although driving is the most practical way to get to the town, you can also take a bus. Tuk-tuks are the greatest way to go around town because they are quick and know the way to every location!
