Kitulgala Adventure Day Tour From Colombo

Kitulgala sits where the Kelani River comes down out of the hills, in rainforest that gets some of the heaviest rain on the island. It is the country’s white-water centre, and this is a full day of it out of Colombo.

The rafting run takes in five major rapids and four minor ones. Between them the river flattens and slows, and the stretches in between are where you get to look up: the gorge is green on both sides, and the forest comes down to the water.

No experience is needed. You are briefed, equipped and taken through it by guides who run this river daily, and the raft does most of the work — the rapids that look alarming from the bank are mostly a matter of holding on and paddling when told.

Away from the river there is a trek of about a kilometre and a half into the surroundings Kitulgala is known for — dense, wet, loud with birds, and a good deal cooler than the coast.

The other thing this valley has is its natural water slides: short waterfalls worn smooth over rock, which you can slide down into the clean, cold pools beneath. It is the part people are most reluctant to leave.

It is a long day — twelve to thirteen hours door to door from Colombo, most of it driving. Bring a change of clothes, a towel, and shoes you do not mind soaking. You will get wet through, so leave anything that must stay dry behind or sealed. The river runs hardest after rain, and in very high water the rafting can be shortened or called off on the day, which is the operator’s safety call and not a negotiable one.