Hunting off cascades of Matara – Deniyaya area

I spend two days in my busy schedule to catch splendid beauty of these hidden beauties of Matara-Deniyaya area. The waterfalls I have visited were

1. Kosgahadola Ella
2. Biso Ella
3. Watawala Namal Ella
4. Kotapola-Thiruwana Ella/Kotapola Ella
5. Hathmale Ella
6. Athawatuna Ella
7. Kandedola Ella

This order is from Matara->Kamburupitiya->Urubokka->Kotapola->Deniyaya and returned back to Pitabaddara
I started my day with a friend from Matara town towards Mulatiyana. We got into a bus towards Kotapola from Matara and out first attraction was Kosgahadola Ella.

Kosgahadola Ella (කොස්ගහදොල ඇල්ල)
This is the easiest waterfall to approach and most famous out of all these. It is situated at Mulatiyana forest patch. From main road it is only about 50m to walk towards the waterfall. There is an observation flat form in front of it. The natural pool down the waterfall is suitable to have a bath.

Directions
Matara->Mulatiyana (මුලටියන) -> about 2.5km from Mulatiyana town towards Urubokka (ඌරුබොක්ක), just before 22km post on right hand side.

The way towards the waterfall. Name board is missing. The foot pathway was developed now.

Nice foot pathway towards the waterfall

Kosgahadola waterfall. Height is 3m

View of natural pool from observation flat form

The water stream right angle to the waterfall. After crossing this, can go up the waterfall and can reach the water spring where water comes to this waterfall. We didn’t try it.

After having a bath at Kosgahadola Ella (We bath at a safe place in the water stream right angle to the waterfall) we took a bus towards Kotapola and got down at Pasgoda (පස්ගොඩ) to visit at Biso Ella.

Biso Ella (බිසෝ ඇල්ල)

Although the book says Kotapola-Biso Ella, this is situated in Pasgoda, not in Kotapola. It is a bit popular waterfall in Pagoda area.

Directions

Matara -> Pasgoda -> Rotumaba (රොටුඹ) (about 5-6Km from Pagoda)  -> Thalgasthanna (තල්ගස්තැන්න) (This road starts in front of Rotumba Wijayaba School)  ->  Biso Ella

The road condition is good towards both Rotumba and Thalgasthanna. From Thalgasthanna you have to walk another 1km to reach the waterfall through a tea patch and then finally through a forest patch. It is not difficult to find it as villagers and tea pluckers around there.

There is an observation flat form in front of the waterfall. To get a full photograph of the waterfall you have to get down from the flat form. (Not recommended).

You can reach the top of the waterfall by the same foot pathway. The water flow is high at the top and it is difficult to bath here.

Biso Ella. It says 15m high….???higher than this

Biso Ella

Water flow following the fall

Cross section

Following Biso Ella our next waterfall of visit was Watawala Namal Ella

Watawala Namal Ella (වටවල නාමල් ඇල්ල)

Although it comes in books as Watawala Namal Ella, nobody use this name in this area. Actually it has no name. But this waterfall is rich in beauty. It flows in three steps.

Directions

Matara -> Urubokka – >Kakunadora (කැකුණදොර)  ->  Katawala (කැටවල) school, about 4km ->  Footpath way towards the waterfall.

The road towards Katawala is not bad. The water stream coming from the Kabaragala Mountain makes this waterfall at Kongodallayaya (කෝන්ගොඩැල්ලයාය) area. It has three parts and total height is 15m. Even the people at Kakunadora don’t know about this waterfall.

Arrow shows the direction to the waterfall

The foot pathway starts behind this house. The foot pathway directs towards the waterfall

First part of the waterfall and natural pool. Safe to bath here

Second and third parts of the waterfall

View from top of second part

Beauty in two colors. It is not safe to bath at the end of second and third parts

We proceeded further from Kakunadora towards Kotapola(කොටපොල) and got down at Kosmodara (කොස්මෝදර) bridge to reach Thiruwana Ella.

Thiruwana Ella/? Kotapola Ella (තිරුවානා ඇල්ල/කොටපොල ඇල්ල)

Directions

Matara ->  Kotapola -> Kosmodara Bridge / Matara -> Urubokka -> Kosmodara Bridge  ->  Then have to walk from there towards Mugunumulla (මුගුනුමුල්ල) about 750m to reach the waterfall

Follow this pathway from Kosmodara bridge

Another milestone is the Kovil

Once you come to the cart road from the foot pathway follow the cart road till you meet this building.

Mugunumulla social center

Follow the foot pathway on left hand side of the Mango tree and then follow it towards the hydropower project tunnel

Water for Hydropower project, diverted above the waterfall

Thiruwana Ella-39m high

It has less water due to Hydropower project. Dying waterfall.

Diversion of water above the waterfall

Following Thiruwana Ella, we moved towards Kotapola town and then to Deniyaya to view famous Hathmale Ella.

Hathmale Ella (හත්මාලේ ඇල්ල)

This is also a famous waterfall in Deniyaya area. Therefore it can be easily found. It flows as seven necklaces, so called Hathmale Ella. It is the highest waterfall made by Gin Ganga (ගිo ගග). It is said the sacred tooth has been kept at a temple close to the waterfall.

Directions

Matara ->  Deniyaya -> Pallegama (පල්ලේගම) (12km from Deniyaya)

Hathmale Ella-45 m high and 10m wide

Another view

The drop

Surrounding view

Ethamala Ella (ඇතාමල ඇල්ල)

Directions

Matara -> Akuressa -> Pitabaddara (පිටබැද්දර)  -> Kosnilgoda junction (කොස්නිල්ගොඩ)  -> the road towards the Ethamala Ella about 3km

The road condition from Kosnilgoda junction to Ethamala Ella is good and can go close to the waterfall by a vehicle.

When you go along the concrete road you will hear the sound of the waterfall. At this bend you have to follow the foot pathway showing by the white arrow to reach the base of the waterfall. If you go further up by concrete road can reach the top of the waterfall.

Ethamala Ella-52m high. It flows into two parts

Elephants have been used to cross this waterfall and an elephant has fallen into the waterfall once it was crossing the waterfall. Then it is called Ethamala Ella. This is the largest waterfall made by Nilwala river.

Upper part is zoomed

2nd part

Remaining of old hydropower project. It was destructed by flood

Future of this waterfall is not certain. A large hydropower project has been started by crossing the waterfall above it’s drop. Then waterfall would be disappeared. But at the moment this project is stopped temporally due to a court case.

It shows how they blocks the waterfall

The drop

Cross section of upper part

Abounded hydropower project. Most probably it would be restarted

These kinds of tubes can be seen in the all over the village due to hydropower project.

Alone friend I met

Crocodiles can be seen along this river and it is not recommended to bath here as well as down the waterfall.

Kandedola Ella (කන්දෙ දොල ඇල්ල)

This waterfall can be seen when you travel in Matara-Deniyaya road at Kandedola bridge. But to get a closer and beautiful view you have to get down to the water stream and climb up. It is bit difficult to go up in rainy days.

Directions

Matara -> Pitabaddara -> Kandedola bridge

What you can see as the waterfall over the bridge

Real beauty when you go up. It is a dual waterfall

It is 10m high and made by Nilwala river

Another view

A hydro power project is being operated above the water fall.

Thanks for reading.