Cascading beauty of Lanka's waterfalls
By Anuradha KODAGODA
The mountains of Sri Lanka are plentiful with waterfalls of cascading
beauty. Numbering over a hundred and many of them virtually unknown,
they are hidden away mostly in forest surroundings or approachable by
steps and tea plantation tracks.
Deniyaya is one of the rural cities in Sri Lanka which has hidden
natural beauty. With a program by Sri Lanka Tourist Board along with the
Ministry of Economic Development Deniyaya will soon be one of the main
tourist zone in Southern province.
Deniyaya is a town situated in a mountainous area in close proximity
to the world heritage site, Sinharaja forest a tropical forest reserve.
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is one of the least disturbed and biologically
unique lowland rain forests now remaining in Sri Lanka.
The Sinharaja forest is declared as a National Wilderness Area, under
the National Heritage Wilderness Area Act in 1988 and a World Heritage
Site from early 1990s. It is the Sri Lanka's first natural resource to
earn this esteemed distinction. This forest is situated in the south
west lowland Wet Zone of the country and spans over the administrative
districts of Ratnapura, Galle and Matara.
The vegetation of Sinharaja is that of humid wet evergreen forest
type with a high degree of endemism. The untapped genetic potential of
Sinharaja flora is enormous. Similarly, high levels of endemism are
perhaps true for the lower plants like ferns, Epiphyts as well.
There are four main routes of access to Sinharaja: The Kalawana-
Weddagala road from the north west, the Rakwana-Morning side estate road
from the north east, the Hiniduma-Neluwa road from the south west and
Deniyaya-Pallegama road from the south east. Among these roads the
Kalawana-Weddagala road is shorter and more convenient for visitors
travelling from Colombo.
Other than Sihnharaja rain forest, many beautiful scenery,
waterfalls, tea estates and religious places adorn the Deniyaya town.
'Morning Side' is one of the most adventurous sites which is situated
off 'Suriyakanda' (between Rakwana and Deniyaya). According to villagers
the 'Morningside Estate' was originally named by the colonial planters
who came to grow tea there. Most of the tea plantation has now been
replaced by cardamom and it is an interesting option for visitors to
observe the entire process of cardamom production too other than
observing the tea plantation which is still common in the area. In
addition the site is home to many butterflies, amphibians, reptiles,
Sambar Deer, Monkeys and the occasional Leopard and mammals, as well as
it is an exciting location for bird enthusiasts.
Even though Sri Lanka is renowned as a major waterfall paradise, it's
quite surprising to find that there are so many unknown waterfalls
existing around the country. Though Nuwara eliya and Badulla districts
are so familiar for waterfalls, it's interesting to learn that a few
waterfalls exist in the Southern Province as well, namely 'Sathmahal
Ella' and 'Batu weal Dola' which is within the Sinharaja rain forest. 'Sathmahal
Ella' consists of seven levels of the waterfall which is approximately
350 feet in height. The villages said that the 'Sathmahal Ella' is fed
by two half-yearly monsoons and the hard erosion-resistant metamorphic
rocks provide ideal ingredient for the formation of waterfalls almost
throughout the year.
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