Highest point (493m) and highest waterfall of Colombo district

Year and Month	Day 01-2018 November 11th Day 02-2018 August 26th
Number of Days	Separate two days
Crew	Day 01-Harinda and Myself Day 02-Solo
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	Bus, car and hiking
Activities	Waterfall visiting, photography and Hiking
Weather	Excellent
Route	Day 01-Battaramulla->Meepe-> Bope->Udagama road->Udagama Falls->Diwiya Mala Ella->Udagama Kanda->Back to same route Day 02-Colombo->Puwakpitiya-> Thummodara->Back in same route
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Udagama falls, Kumari Ella, Hewainna Falls, Ranmudu Ella and Dambora Ella are marked in Google map. Get directions from locals when you are in doubt. Even at designated bathing spots, behave accordingly. Don’t put shampoo packets and soap covers there. It needs permission from Department of forest to visit at Udagama Kanda as it is situated at Labugama reserve. Not essential to have a guide to hike Udagama Kanda. It takes about 1-1.5hours to reach the peak. Carry a water bottle as there are no water source. Leech protection methods to be followed. Waterfalls in Puwakpitiya area are best to be visited after the rain. Kumari Ella and Ranmudu Ella are popular bathing places. It would be easily crowded in weekends. Therefore better visit early morning. And mind your steps with broken glasses at popular waterfalls. Rough plan is you can visit at waterfalls at Puwakpitiya and then go to Labugama side. If you start early morning all these places can be covered in one day.
Related Resources	Amazing Lanka waterfalls in Sri Lanka Lakdasun reports in Waterfalls in Colombo District Wikipedia article on Udagama Kanda
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Highest point and highest waterfall of Colombo district

Colombo is the most populated district of Sri Lanka but surprisingly there are few waterfalls situated even in Colombo district. Ranmudu Ella, Dambora Ella, Ella Uda Ella and Kumari Ella are famous four waterfalls in Colombo district. But we accidentally visited the highest waterfall in Colombo district, but it doesn’t come under current waterfall list of Colombo district. This journey was coupled with short hike to the highest point of Colombo district-Udagama Kanda.
After a long time I had a chance to go a trip with Hari who lives only two kilometers away from my place but frequently selects friends live more than hundred kilometers for his trips.
We didn’t have specific plan but wanted to visit Labugama area to cover Udagama Kanda and Udagama Falls. We drove up to Meepe from Battaramulla and then turned to Bope road. Google map guided us to Udagama Falls.

Udagama Falls / උඩගම ඇල්ල
Udagama falls is situated about 100m away from Udagama road along the stream. It is a famous bathing spot (60 48’ 58.0’’N, 800 10’ 05.6E) and a tank was made on the side of the stream to have a bath. We walked up stream to reach 7m (approximately) tall Udagama falls which falls in steps.

Famous road side bathing spot

We had a bath here on our way back to home

Walking along upstream will bring you to Udagama Falls

Udagama falls

Udagama falls- a cascade

Side view of Udagama Falls

I am at Udagama Falls

Udagama Falls-distance view

Minor cascade

On top of the bridge…

Under the bridge

Here we got a clue about another waterfall situated in same road. We drove further along Udagama road and stopped in front of watermart bottle water factory. There is a foot pathway in right side about 20m before the factory. This foot path brings you to “Anda Dola” -ආදා දොළ. We crossed the stream and followed it down in left side.
We were surprised by seeing this beautiful cascade with three steps. Locals call this as Diwiya Mala Ella.

Diwiya Mala Ella / දිවියා මළ ඇල්ල

Anda Dola forms this cascade with three steps. It’s total height is about 25m, most probably highest waterfall belongs to Colombo district. First part of Diwiya Mala Ella is about 10m in height, second part is about 8m in height and third part is about 6/7m in height.
We followed the left side of the fall to move from one part to other. Diwiya Mala Ella seems another popular bathing place among locals, evidenced by scattered garbage.

Crossing Anda Dola

On top of first part of Diwiya Mala Ella

1st part of Diwiya Mala Ella

How it ends…

Hari at Diwiya Mala Ella

It’s me….

On top of second part of Diwiya Mala Ella

Second part of Diwiya Mala Ella

1st and 2nd parts together

Diwiya Mala Ella

On top of third part of Diwiya Mala Ella

Third part of Diwiya Mala Ella

Hari at 3rd part of Diwiya Mala Ella

Diwiya Mala Ella

Litter

Directions to the fall

Highest point of Colombo District-Udagama Kanda/ Kodikande / Kulunu Kanda) (6.827547, 80.172743) උඩගම කන්ද, කොඩි කන්ද, කුළුණු කන්ද

Further drive along Udagama road and got left turn to Iskolakanda road (ඉස්කොල කන්ද පාර) in front of sub post office of Udagama. Udagama kanda is mentioned as the highest point of Colombo district in Wikipedia. As it is the highest point, Dutch has set a tall flag there to guide ships sailing to Colombo port. Still you can see the foundation stone of this flag in middle of the forest. Therefore villagers call it as “Kulunu Kanda”

We parked our vehicle at school ground and got direction from locals. Further walk along this road in 1.5Km you have to get right turn with concrete road (after passing 100m from the bridge. Concrete layer finished in few hundred meters and gravel road appeared. Our plan was to start the proper hike from last house of this road. (Google map shows in that way). Any way we entered the forest one house before last house of the road. There was a fainted foot path up to a Chena. Chena was the border of Labugama reserve. Following that we went up according to the goggle map and it was not a difficult hike. In about an hour we were able to reach the highest point where foundation stone of old tower is situated. Though it is the highest point, it has no surrounding view. We tried to get a view by climbing a tree but was not successful.
Return journey was long as we have missed our path when we were coming back.

Right side concrete road

Udagama Kanda. We are at Chena.

Forest border

Along slab rock

It is a rain forest

Sometimes a foot pathway was there

Recently a set of school children has been there. There were cut marks to guide the path.

Reached Kulunu Kanda

This is the foundation stone of Dutch tower

We are on top of foundation stone

Hari is at top of Colombo District

I am at top of Colombo District

View is completely obstructed

Coming down….

හතු

Coming down…. Surrounding view from Udugama Kanda when we were coming back.

On top of Udagama Kanda

For sake of completion of report, I would like to mention rest of waterfalls situated in Colombo district.
1. Kumari Ella
2. Hewainna Ella
3. Ella Uda Ella
4. Thummodara Ranmudu Ella
5. Dambora Ella /Demala Ella

All these waterfalls are situated at Puwakpitiya-Padukka road. Therefore can be covered by travelling Awissawella-Padukka bus. Some of these waterfalls are marked in Google map. As they are closer to main road, common places for bathing and drinking. As a result in threaten of pollution. The first come across is Kumari Ella.

Kumari Ella /කුමාරි ඇල්ල
After drive about 3km in Puwakpitiya-Padukka road, you will come across Hewahinna road (හේවාඉන්න පාර) in left side with the board mentioning Kumari Ella. It is situated in another 400m drive along Hewahinna Road. Once you get down the stream, it is the top of the fall. Ambangama Oya (අඹන්ගම ඔය) forms 4m tall Kumari Ella. The daughter of King Seethwaka Rajasinghe-Kumari has drowned at this fall to give the name Kumari Ella.Follow the stream in right side to reach the base of this fall.

Ambangama Oya to form Kumari Ella. This is stream is highly populated place in holidays.

Tiny cascade above Kumari Ella

On top of Kumari Ella

Kumari Ella

Kumari Ella in distance

It’s sad to see garbage is all over there

No point of having boards only unless people follow it

2. Hewainna Falls / හේවාඉන්න ඇල්ල
Hewahinna falls is situated upstream of Kumari Ella. It is just 300m walk from Kumari Ella to the foot pathway to Hewainna road. Hewainna falls is a tiny cascade with 3m height.

Hewainna Falls

Balancing stones

Then I was back to Padukka road and passed Seethwaka Botanical garden. Just after the garden there is a road in left side to Kodigala Aranaya. In another 500m walk you will come across a Bo tree in left side of the road with cement steps at right side of the road to the stream. Here you are at top of Ella Uda Ella. Cross the stream and reach the base of the fall through the rubber estate.

3. Ella Uda Ella / Kahana Ella (ඇල්ල උඩ ඇල්ල/ කහන ඇල්ල)
4m tall Ella Uda Ella is formed by Koswaththa Ela (කොස්වත්ත ඇළ) and stream from Kodikande Mountain (highest mountain of Colombo district). A gang of people has mixed an itch-inducing plant mixture into the water caused itchiness after having a bath at this fall. Therefore it was called Kahana Ella.

On top of Ella Uda Ella

One side of the fall is margined by rubber estate

Ella Uda Ella

Solo traveler

Ella Uda Ella closer view

Next waterfall of Colombo district is Ranmudu Ella situated at Thummodara. Drive along Puwakpitiya-Padukka road towards Thummodara and turn to right side-Pagngnagula road. In about half a kilometer you will see the fall in right side. There is a bridge over the fall dividing it’s view.

4. Thummodara Ranmudu Ella / තුම්මෝදර රන්මුදු ඇල්ල

This is situated closer to Labugama-Kalatuwawa reserve. 15m tall fall is formed by a branch of Wak oya (වක් ඔය). The bridge over the stream divides the fall into two. It’s better mention it as Thummodara Ranmudu Falls rather than Ranmudu Falls to avoid confusion with Balangoda Ranmudu Falls. This is also a highly populated waterfall.

The road to Thummodara Ranmudu Ella

The bridge over stream

Upper part of Ranmudu Ella situated above the bridge

At Ranmudu Ella

Snail

Lower part of Ranmudu Ella below the bridge

It is a common finding

Surrounded by a rubber estate

Last fall of the chain is Dambora Ella which is kind of a hidden fall situated at Ayer estate. Pass Thummodara junction and turn to left to reach Polwatta junction (පොල්වත්ත හoදිය). Ihalabope-Kaluaggala road starts there. Next turn is at right side of this road to Ayer estate. You have to get down to the stream through rubber estate to view Dambora Falls when you go along this road about 500m. (In Sri’s report it mentioned directions to get down on other side of the fall).

5. Dambora Ella (දඹෝර ඇල්ල)
As this falls is situated at Dambora village, it is called Dambora falls. 10m tall Dambora fall is formed by a branch of Wak Oya. Earlier it was called as Demala Falls (දෙමළ ඇල්ල) as Tamil (Demala) laborers used to wash there. Dambora Falls is hidden from human eye, therefore less threaten for pollution. Presence of a deep pool and acute angle prevents to reach the fall.