Trek to enchantment

Vacationing with the family or going on a trip with a group of friends is always fun. But an element of caution and apprehension is added to the excitement when you travel with children. One such adventurous destination is a natural rock formation and waterfall that the local call ‘Bopath Ella’. The name is more than apt for a spot of such scenic beauty nestled in the edge of the forest.

True to its name, Bopath Ella fall dazzles! A frothy white foam bursts forth from Kuru Ganga, a tributary off Kalu Ganga, which starts from the Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) mountain rang, rolling down through green valleys and rocky landscapes to late join Kalu Ganga ta place call Kurugammodara close to Ratnapura. The sheet of water that comes crushing down envelops the area in a fine mist.

As you approach the waterfall, the sound of tinkling water echoes all around. When you look up, practically nothing is visible except for a blinding white curtain, which against the sun light makes the surrounding rolling hills look blue.

Bopath Ella fall is Sabaragamuwa’s most picturesque waterfall, as voiced by every visitor to this place.

The breathtaking spot is about seven kilometres away from Kuruwita in Ratnapura. The perennial waterfall is a hot spot for picnickers and lovers from all over the island. The place is too charming to be ignored.

There are tragic tales of how several visitors who walked beyond the limit, lost their footing and lost their lives. To reach the waterfall, you need to wade through a shallow stream. For those who are unable to wade in the water to reach the waterfall there is a canoe operated by a villager.

Indeed, the continuous stream of white foam at a height of 30 metres, is definitely a sight worth freezing. It is interesting to see how the waterfall is compartmentalized. The gushing stream actually crashes down like a Bo leaf between two huge rock boulders, and then curves and forms a second sheet of water. After the steep fall, the water gathers and cascades over another rock boulder.

How to get there

Travelling about two kilometres from Kuruwita town on the Colombo-Ratnapura (A-4) highway, take turn from Higashena junction, the narrow carpeted road branches off on to the right, which is motorable. From here you will have to drive another five kilometres along Devipahala road to reach the waterfall. This meandering road is bracketed by a rubber plantation on one side and the scenic beauty nestled deep inside the forest in the hills. It is a three-hour drive from Colombo.

Once you reach the destination, you will glimpse a spacious car park, ideal for family vehicles, even the large sized vans. It is maintained by the Kuruwita Pradeshiya Sabha. From here, the waterfall is a 10 minutes walk. A path meanders through are area pockmarked with small boutiques. Then, you reach the bank of the stream. From here you can get a clear view of the Bopath Ella fall. But, if you are bold and adventurous, you can walk closer to the waterfall through the wet rock formation.

In the slope of the waterfall, there are several bathtub-like cylindrical rock formations. To reach the rock tub, you need to wade through small shallow pools. Once there, more than six people can comfortably stretch out and feel all the aches and pains vanish as the water sluices down.

During holidays, visitors throng the spot and families and groups, mostly children, can be seen bathing in the crystal clear water at the small shallow stream at ground level. For young lovers, this scenic spot is a heaven.

Unmindful of the crowd, I walked on the muddy pebbled path leading to the waterfall. While absorbing the lush beauty of the environ, what’s hard to miss is the severe environmental pollution in the place. Various types of plastic bottles, bags and lunch sheets litter the area although there are strategically placed garbage bins near the waterfall.

And adding to plastic bags, sheets and bottle are the empty and sometimes broken liquor bottles left behind by the young men who come there to enjoy and indulge.

The visitors offer a means to a livelihood to the industrious villagers, who have set up a string of stall along the path leading to the waterfall, selling an enticing range of goods with the famous Kitul Jaggery, occupying price of place.

I learnt from a villager who sells Kitul Jaggery, about the evergreen and semi-evergreen forests where small animals like rabbits, barking deer and fox and a few varieties of birds are occasionally spotted in the periphery.

To see these wildlife you reach this spot before dawn or dusk. There are several small streams branching off the main tributary where you can relax and spend as much time as you want, experiencing the enchantment that is Bopath Ella falls