Handun Ella

Handun Ella Handun Ella Handun Ella

Handun Ella is an attractive little waterfall near the region of Kithulgala. It’s buried deep within the jungle and is quite difficult to reach. The waterfall gains its name from sandalwood (Handun) trees that were in the region many centuries ago.

Handun Ella is over 30m (100 ft) tall and flows down a sharply sloping rock face. About halfway up the rock face is a ledge on which is a large natural plunge pool which collects the water from the falls. It’s possible that the pool was formed many centuries ago when the river had more force; and the water crashed harshly on the ledge wearing the bedrock away into a deep hollow. Nowadays; the flow of the water is comparatively mild; and it is the overflow from the plunge pool that cascades down the lower part of the rock face, forming the lower half of the falls.

How to get there:

Getting to Handun Ella is not easy, but the hike is well worth it when you get there. It is also necessary to take a good guide as it is easy to get turned around here. You will have to start from Kithulgala. About a kilometer from the Ginikiritha Reservoir Bridge you will find a little footpath. You will have to follow the path through harsh terrain for about 2km. It’s also chock full of leeches; so take salt and water and also wear clothes that are not easily penetrable by these bloodsuckers.

There is also another option to avoid most of the leeches. You could walk upstream through the runoff up till a certain point; and then at a smaller waterfall you can start following the trail. Once you get to Handun Ella, there are some caves and hollows in the rock face that you can explore. Since the force is not high; you can also swim at the base.

Handun Ella is a quite a wild and unpolluted location, due to its being lesser known and difficult to reach.

Handun Ella Handun Ella Handun Ella

?LK94009876: Handun Ella. Text by Lakpura™. Images by Google, copyright(s) reserved by original authors.?

Kegalle District

Kegalle is a town in Sabaragamuwa Province of . It is located on the Colombo - Kandy road and 48 miles/78 km away from Colombo and 24 Miles/40 km away from Kandy. It is the Capital City of the Kegalle District which is one of the two districts belonging to Sabaragamuwa province the other being Ratnapura District.

District of Kegalle, situated in between the central highlands and western southern planes and has an enchanting environment. Height of the western region is less than 500 feet from the sea level while eastern region exceeds 1000 feet. Rubber cultivation has stretched over most of the area of the District and minor export crops such as coffee, cocoa,pepper,clove and nutmeg takes an important place in the economy of the District. Sri Lanka's best graphite mine is situated at Bogala in Kegalle District. The extent of the District is 1692.8 km2 (169,280 in hectares).

Sabaragamuwa province

The Sabaragamuwa province of Sri Lanka contains two main cities called Ratnapura and Kegalle. At an elevation of approximately 500 feet above sea level, Ratnapura is the provincial capital of Sabargamuwa. It is 60 miles (100 km) from the main coastal city of Colombo. Province of Sabaragamuwa The gem-mining centre of Sri Lanka is also a major crossroad between southern plains and the hill country to the east.

In Sabaragamuwa province there is a route to Sri Pada from Ratnapura direction. Excursions include Sinharaja Forest Reserve and Udawalawe National Park. The route towards hill country is beautiful. The surrounding area is a popular trekking destination and a good place for bird watching.

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