Like it or not, you have to admit that we all love to go with what’s in vogue. Be it the latest in mobile phone technology, the latest fashion trends and even the TV series or movie that everyone’s going on about. Well, the same rule applies to holiday destinations and if you don’t know it already, Sri Lanka has been named by only the world’s renowned and largest travel publisher, Lonely Planet as the place to be in 2013.
Lonely Planet highlighted the growth rate of visitors to the island after the end of nearly 30 years of civil war in 2009 as one of the main reasons for it striking the numero uno spot on the list.
What was also highlighted was the number of eco-tourism hotspots across the country in addition to the wide variety of activities and atmospheres that make it one of the planet’s best value destinations.
Rubber and tea plantations
The drive from Colombo was quite relaxing and scenic, with gradual transitions from urban city backgrounds to the vast rubber and tea cultivations of the hill country.
View of the tented accommodation from the river
When we arrived in Kitulgala, we met Gwen, sales and marketing manager for Borderlands who introduced us to the Borderlands team and showed us around the 10 stilted VIP tents that overlook the waters of Kitulgala.
Braving the rapids
Once we put on water shoes and stored our valuables in the safe care of the staff, we were led to the equipment store that lies just along the main road. We then donned our lifejackets, helmets and collected an oar before we climbed aboard the Borderlands 4×4 that took us on a bumpy but exciting ride to the start off point.
By the waters, we were all given safety briefings and tips by Mahesh and Supun, our guides for the day, who then led us to the chilly but refreshing waters. Once we were comfortable with our equipment, we were divided among two rafts and we were off.
Kitulgala only found its way into guidebooks after the major Hollywood movie – The Bridge on the River Kwai – which was filmed here in 1956. From then on it’s become the centre for white-water rafting in the island.
Scene from 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'
While we had the occasional running aground due to the opening of the sluice gates every Sunday further downstream, it didn’t mar the experience at all.
After breaking downstream and taking part in a few awesome games including assisted flips into the water off our upturned raft, we began our uphill trek. Even though the track we were on was in regular use by fellow rafters, it seemed very much an unbeaten track.
We later descended carefully on all-fours over slippery rocks to a gorge with pools of varying sizes where we were about to experience a true challenge of mind and body.
Canyoning
Taking 12 foot plunges into pools of water, sliding down natural waterslides, and cheering each other on across the finish line, it was truly an unforgettable experience and to me, the highlight of the excursion. We later made our way back to our rafts and raced each other back to camp. Some of us seeing that the water was calmer downstream got the go-ahead from our guides to jump back into the water and swim back. Others were just playfully thrown out.
We ended the evening with steaming pots of rice and curry that were waiting for us as soon as we got to camp, which we in turn wolfed down.
As Kitulgala is named after the Kitul tree, a strange looking tree from which treacle is collected, no visit to Kitulgala will be complete without the purchase of sweet Kitul jaggery which was readily
available at a roadside shop. Too bad there wasn’t any left by the time we reached home.
Pure Kitul Jaggery
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