Rathna Ella Falls
Central Province
About Rathna Ella Falls
Rathna Ella is the tallest waterfall in the Kandy district and one of the ten highest in Sri Lanka - 111 metres of white water sliding off a forested cliff above the village of Rathna Ella, near Hasalaka on the Kandy–Mahiyangana road. Its obscurity is baffling and delicious: a half-hour walk from the village, along bunds between emerald paddy terraces fed by the fall's own stream, ends at a boulder amphitheatre where the cascade drops in one imperious sweep. Legend gives the cliff a guardian - a village lad named Naide who leapt from the top to prove his devotion and is remembered in the fall's older stories. In the dry months the flow slims and daring locals bathe in the upper rock pools; after rain the fall throws spray fifty metres. Pair it with the Mahiyangana road's eighteen hairpins and Sorabora Lake beyond for a grand off-circuit day.
Top Activities
- ✓Paddy-field walk to the base
- ✓Boulder amphitheatre photography
- ✓Village life along the stream
- ✓Combine with the 18-bend Mahiyangana road
- ✓Sorabora Lake beyond the pass
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Ask in the village for the current best path - bunds shift with the seasons.
Do not climb toward the upper pools in wet weather.
Combine with Mahiyangana temple for a full Kandy–Uva day loop.
Quick Info
Best Time
December to April; fullest after rains
Weather
Warm; the approach path floods with the paddies in heavy rain.
Estimated Daily Budget
7.3583°N, 80.9433°E
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