Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
three-wheeler up a barely-there track. A return ride with an hour wait costs Rs 800. From
the town centre it's Rs 800 one way.
At 240m, the Bambarakanda Falls are the highest in Sri Lanka. March and April are the
best months for viewing the falls, but any visit after heavy rainfall should be worthwhile.
At other times the water may be reduced to a disappointing trickle.
Sleeping
Bambarakanda Holiday Resort
GUESTHOUSE
( 057-357 5699;
www.bambarakanda.com
;r incl full board Rs 2500-4000)
A few hundred metres before the Bambarakanda Falls is this rustic guesthouse. If you're
looking to get off the map for a few days, here's your chance. The rooms are very basic
and a bit dingy, but with a setting like this it hardly matters because you'll be outside the
whole time enjoying nature in all its glory.
Ideally you'll need your own transport to get here.
Belihul Oya Rest House
HISTORIC HOTEL
( 052-280 156;
www.ceylonhotelscorporation.com
;Ratnapura-Haputale Rd;s/d incl breakfast
US$61/67; )
This resthouse is pleasantly situated next to the crashing river. It has very faded rooms, but
the place as a whole has a slight colonial vibe to it and the garden setting is enjoyable.
Watch out for the monkeys and don't leave windows open.
Haputale
057 / Population 5238 / Elevation 1580m
Perched at the southern edge of the Hill Country, the largely Tamil town of Haputale clings
to a long, narrow mountain ridge with the land falling away steeply on both sides. On a
clear day you can view the south coast from this ridge, and at night the Hambantota light-
house pulses in the distance. On a not-so-clear day, great swaths of mist cling magnetically
to the hillsides. Either way, it's a spectacular part of the country.
