Joanna James
Blessed with many natural attractions, Sri Lanka is a nature lover's paradise. Waterfalls are among these great natural attractions and here is a list of the top three of these in the country.
It's true that Sri Lanka's beaches are considered by many to be its crowning glory and that a majority of tourists journey to beach destinations and stay at Sri Lanka luxury resorts situated in them like the Anantara Tangalle Resort. However, when you visit some of the lesser known attractions like the falls in destinations like Bambarakanda, you will realise that this tiny island in the Indian Ocean, has more than beaches to offer.
The Bambarakanda Falls at 863 feet, is the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka. Ranked as the 299th highest waterfall in the world, the Bambarakanda Falls are located in Kalupahana, in the Badulla District in the central highlands of the country. It's about 5 hours away from Colombo, the commercial capital . Travelling to the falls is an adventure in itself as you will have to go on a memorable hike through a pine forest.
The second tallest in the country, Diyaluma Falls are located just a 1 and a half hour's distance away from the Bambarakanda Falls. The Diyaluma Falls are formed by the Punagala Oya. 720 feet high, these beautiful falls gets there name from the words Diya Haluma which means 'rapid flow of water' in Sinhalese. There's a tragic folklore that surrounds this stunning natural spectacle. According to local legends, a young chieftain and his betrothed were trying to escape from those who opposed their union. Realising that the only path not barricaded from their opposers was the escarpment by the Diyaluma Falls, the couple undertook a dangerous getaway that unfortunately resulted in the woman falling to her death by accident. They say that the gods upon pitying the tragedy veiled all the evidence by shining cascading waters that is now the Diyaluma Falls.
These gorgeous falls flow serenely in the midst of a small town by the name of Devipahala, located close to the Ratnapura City. Because of this easy to access location, the Bopath Ella receives more visitors that the above. The falls gets their name from its curious shape of a "Bo" leaf or Bopath as it is locally known. The Bo tree is .much respected in Sri Lanka because the country is predominantly Buddhist and according to Buddhist scriptures the Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bo tree.
With a lovely nickname of 'Veil of the Vale" the Devon Falls cascades most majestically in Sri Lanka's tea capital, Nuwara Eliya. The sight of the falls amidst the lush valleys of tea plantations is simply breathtaking. The falls are named after an pioneer English coffee planter whose estate is not that far away. These stunning falls are 97 metres in height and is ranked as the 19th highest in the country. Just a little further away is the brother of Devon Falls, the St. Claire's falls that are 80 metres in height and are dubbed the "Little Niagara of Sri Lanka".
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