While the beauty of Sri Lanka as a travel destination is much-discussed, even among ourselves, we only tend to think of places such as Kandy, Negombo, Galle, Mirissa, Hiriketiya, Trincomalee, Arugam Bay, etc. However, we have many other destinations that are rarely considered and Kegalle is one such destination. Part of the Sabaragamuwa Province and located on the Colombo-Kandy Road, Kegalle often gets overlooked and remains a hidden gem when it comes to travel destinations and tourism.
The Sunday Morning Brunch travelled to Kegalle this past weekend to explore what the city had to offer and to see beyond what meets the eye. With the luxury of a few days available to us to leisurely explore the area, we were able to map out the perfect travel route, should anyone plan to drop by for a getaway.
When it comes to Kegalle, the one and almost only thing that people can think of is the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. A captive breeding and conservation institute for wild Asian elephants, Pinnawala was easily one of the more famous attractions for tourists and travellers. However, as of recent times, there have been certain criticisms aimed at the institute from conservationists and animal welfare activists regarding its treatment of its animals.
While we won’t be exploring such criticisms and their validity at this time, for many, Pinnawala appears to be slowly losing its sheen and for elephant-obsessed travellers who want to be more conscious, there are two other elephant-related stops – the Millennium Elephant Foundation, which is an animal rescue service and the Elephant Freedom Project, which is an animal shelter.
However, according to locals, you shouldn’t be coming to Kegalle in order to see “sad elephants”. While perhaps a bit harsh, the locals in Kegalle were particularly impassioned about the narrative around Kegalle and how it was often not seen as a worthwhile tourism destination, resulting in it being overlooked when it came to Sri Lanka’s tourism promotion packages.
Kegalle native and our tour guide for the weekend, student and activist Heshan Niluminda, shared with Brunch that Kegalle had much to offer, but noted that many of its attractions were rarely ever highlighted in the right way.
“There are some issues with the way that our attractions are located. I think one of the main problems is that there is no straight road taking you to all the hotspots, unlike in a lot of the other popular destinations. Surely the authorities can work out a good travel package for tourists who are passing through Kegalle to properly (and also efficiently) enjoy themselves,” he observed.
For adventure travellers
Due to its terrain and location, Kegalle has the most to offer for adventure travellers. A more conventional and popular option in the area is the Kithulgala water rafting route which is generally an attraction promoted by the hotels and homestays in Kegalle. This is typically something you would do on your way to or from Kegalle. It is also easily accessible as there is a direct bus to Kithulgala if you are taking public transport.
However, Heshan shared that people who chose to do water rafting were really just looking for some outdoorsy activities and simply settled for water rafting because they were unaware of other available options.
“Water rafting is done by tourists and university students, but what they are actually looking for is some activities in the wilderness. Many actually come looking for hiking trails; they want to go on a trek that doesn’t have an easy path, something that is a little hidden. Kegalle is perfect for that because there are an endless number of hiking trails here that people don’t know about,” he said.
For good old exploring, many of the locals say Bulathkohupitiya is your best bet, especially if you do not want to travel too far beyond the Kegalle District. Bulathkohupitiya offers an abundance of hiking spots, all situated relatively close to each other. If you are looking to tick some waterfalls off a list, then this is the place for you.
One of the two options we chose during our stay in Kegalle was to explore the five waterfalls in Bulathkohupitiya. Starting from Welanda Ella, we moved to Rikili Ella, Nalagana Ella, Rukmal Ella, and finally Diyagiri Ella. There are only about 10 minutes between each waterfall and with most of the water bodies being situated fairly close to the Dedulugala Road which we were taking, we were able to enjoy all five of these within just the span of a single day.
If you have the time, another fun experience is to cross the Pannala suspension bridge that is located on the Bulathkohupitiya-Karawanella Road. We cannot promise the majestic nature of something akin to the Kinchukulam suspension bridge in Mannar, but this one is long and narrow enough that it offers some excitement.
It is important to note that we were travelling between each point on a motorbike with a local volunteer taking us around. It would be a lot more time-consuming if travellers were to rely on public transport, as the bus that passes by this route is not easily available and will stop around 6.30-7 p.m.
The locals too recognised that one of the major hurdles in the promotion of some of the sights and sounds of Kegalle was the lack of readily available transportation.
“We have tuk tuks, but not enough for tourists and travellers to pick one off the streets. This is a cyclical problem; there would be tuk tuks if there were more people coming here, but because we don’t have ease of transport, not enough people come here. We are stuck in this unfortunate cycle,” said Heshan.
Other waterfalls and hiking spots
The locals also recommended that we head on over to Dolosbage, where you get the famous Kabaragala Peak as well as lesser explored hiking trails like the Palampitiya Viewpoint and the Raxawa Tea Factory. Kabaragala and the tea factory are full-day commitments if you wish to explore these destinations. Kabaragala, which we had visited on a previous trip through the Central Province, is certainly not possible to be added as part of a longer trip.
However, the Palampitiya Viewpoint is a stunning area and the viewpoint itself is located on a hairpin-type bend somewhat similar to the Baker’s Bend in Belihuloya. One can see well beyond Wee Oya Valley and the scenic mountain view.
The trek to and from the viewpoint isn’t quite as time-consuming, although we do recommend that you take your time to really soak up the view. We were lucky enough to have some time to kill and it was a beautiful experience to witness the sunset reflect on the mountain range.
While the lack of popularity for these incredible travel destinations has ensured that they retain their original untouched beauty, it is also unfortunate that many of us stand to miss out on some beautiful experiences simply because we didn’t look hard enough.
There are certainly challenges when exploring certain areas within our island, especially as many of the locals pointed out, transport tends to be lacking. Especially in the hill country, walking from point to point is exhausting and unlike along the coast, it is ill-advised to still be on the road when the sun sets.
However, much like how Kithulgala has started to find its footing over the years and has attempted to attract a niche group of travellers who truly understand the value of what the area has to offer while also enjoying its natural beauty without tarnishing it, it is likely that Kegalle too will be able to find its footing soon enough.