The famous destination for White Water Rafting, Kitulgala is the must-visit destination for anyone who wants an extra dose of adrenaline in their blood. Kitulgala is famous for white water rafting and also as the location of the Academy Award-winning masterpiece “Bridge on the River Kawaii”. You get to ride the tides of the Kelani river and also you can do confidence jumping, stream sliding, waterfall abseiling, Jungle trekking, bird watching, cave exploring and enjoying a river bath too. Kitulgala is very famous for campers and backpackers. And also one of the wettest places in the country. The town got its name from the famous solitary fishtail palm known as Kitul in Sinhala, aka Caryota urens. Visitors get to enjoy “kittul Nakuru” a delicious sweet product made out of Kitul.

Pinnawala elephant’s orphanage has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. The orphanage is situated on a 25-acre coconut plantation adjacent to the Maha Oya river. The main objective of the orphanage is to care for orphaned elephants due to various reasons. Currently a herd of over hundred elephants are being taken care of by the orphanage. The visitors get to see the elephants up-close and personal. You get to feed the baby elephants and play with them; I believe that they are the cutest in the animal kingdom. The river bath time of the gentle giants is a real treat and an awesome experience. It is recommended to have your snacks and drinks in the café overlooking the river. It is overall a relaxing experience.