Harlon Goddard
Ella is an amazingly beautiful countryside hamlet in Sri Lanka rich with mountains, dense forests with lush green foliage and a marvellously cool climate. Ella is mostly renowned for its waterfalls.
Ravana Ella is known to be one of the wildest and most unpredictable waterfalls in Sri Lanka and is a very popular attraction. During the rainy season you can see the waterfall in its full bloom and glory cascading down in a frenzy. Ravana Ella measures 25 metres in height and is located just passing Ella – Kithalella Road. The Ravana Ella is part of the Ravana Ella Wildlife Sanctuary that has been named after the legendary Sri Lankan King Ravana of the famous Ramayana epic where history has it that King Ravana kidnapped princess Sita and kept her in hiding in an invisible cave behind the waterfall.
This vivacious waterfall is located in close proximity to the Ravana Ella lying in a scenic and popular route near the Udunuwara village on the Ella – Wellawaya Road. It is one of the top attractions for eco-friendly tourists that love nature staying in an eco hotel Sri Lanka has to offer in Wellawaya such as the Jetwing Kaduruketha. This falls is situated one km away from Ella Rock and is nine metres in height. Lower Ravana Ella popularly known as Bambaragama Waterfall flows through the Bandarawela Hill Oya Reservoir. The best time to pay a visit to this waterfall is during and after the rainy season to see how it falls majestically.
Dunhinda Falls is popularly known as Dunhinda Manamali (Dunhinda Bride) which is known to be one of Sri Lanka's most beautiful waterfalls. It is found close to Badulla on the Mahiyangana Road, approximately 25 km away from Ella. The cascading waterfalls of Dunhinda are named after the smoky white mist which is created by the falls splashing down. 'Dun' in Sinhala means mist. The spectacular waterfall is formed by the Badulla Oya and stands more than a gigantic 60 metres in height. To get the best view of the entire waterfall, you need to take a long footpath passing a smaller waterfall named Kuda Dunhinda (Small Dunhinda Falls) and at the end of it you can find a secured observation spot to enjoy the tall fascinating waterfall cascading down splashing across a vast misty spray.
One of the waterfalls that you must ensure in paying a visit to while in Ella is the majestic Diyaluma Falls. It is the second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka with an amazing height of 220 metres situated near Koslanda approximately 40 km from Ella. The falls are formed by Punagala Oya which is a branch of Kuda Oya. The horsetail shaped Diyaluma Falls cascade down the Koslanda Plateau, and is a treat to watch especially after a downpour of rain. It is easy and convenient to get the entire view of the waterfall as it is located by the side of the main road.
