‘Thudugala ella’ is sited inside the Thudugala estate of the Thudugala village in Kalutara district. The Lanka Council of waterfalls (CLWF) ranks this beautiful creation of mother nature as the 268th most popular waterfall out of an approximate total of 382 waterfalls located all over the Sri Lanka.
Situated only twenty-four minutes away from the Kalutara town, add a day trip to the waterfall into your list of things to do in Kalutara, apart from visiting the ‘Kalutara Bodiya’, the Richmond castle, Asokaramaya Buddhist temple, dolphin and whale watching and chilling by the clean beaches while staying at the accommodating facilities located in the area such as Turyaa Kalutara.
The path towards the waterfall from the city of Colombo initiates from the Katukurunda Junction in Galle Road; five miles travel to Thudugala junction and eight miles from there, the waterfall stands. A glimpse of other promising waterfalls such as ‘Sita ella’ can also be caught on this route.
A natural swimming pool, densely covered by ferns and ‘Ketale plants’ stretching out to about a hectare of the surrounding area is a breathtaking sight. The forest reserve is full of vibrant bird species including migrant species such as ‘Yellow Magta’, the ‘pale bellied flower pecker’ and unique species inherent to Sri Lanka such as ‘Dicaeum Erythornynchos’ (the smallest bird found within the island).
There is a tunnel running under the waterfall, that comes out on top of it, which makes it a unique feature alluring tourists to the waterfall. The waterfall is a popular bathing spot for locals. Being one of the many natural destinations of the island this waterfall is approximately 8km long.
The Thudugala estate was owned by a British national and remains of the bungalow he occupied while on the estate is still available for exploration.
Auburn Silver is a travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
