Bambarakanda Waterfall Archives - GlenMyu Estate Luxury Bed and Breakfast

Sri Lanka Tourism

Holiday, Things to do on holiday in Sri Lanka, Travel / By Mikeez

Sri Lanka Tourism

A special area to explore in the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.

The Beach or the Hills - maybe a little of both?

Probably the first image that comes to mind is that of pristine beaches, lined by coconut trees with the sun glistening on the sand.

Other images of Sri Lanka could be ……

Fishermen stilt fishing

Boats parked on the sand ready to be hauled into the blue sea for their next adventure.

A couple walking hand in hand making tracks in the unspoilt sand.

King Coconut being served with two straws providing you with an opportunity to share your enjoyment of the natural tonic.

It’s unlikely to be Horton Plains National Park or other experiences around the Island.

A small Island with so many things to do

I always say to people that have not been to Sri Lanka that the Island packs a large punch for its size.

There are so many (too many for a short holiday) things to do on this Island that you cannot see everything in one vacation.

So what is there to do apart from topping up the tan on the beach?

Well, firstly, there are beaches and there are beaches!

The beaches around the island all have their unique appeal and they are very different and offering a variety of things to do for a tourist.

Negombo has a beautiful beach with pristine sand and a idyllic view to the ocean. It is a main stop off point within reach of the airport and therefore is quite popular with lots of tourists using the various hotels in the area,

As you go south you reach Bentota which is also a very well established beach destination for visitors to the Island. It has a slightly different vibe to Negombo and the sand feels a little bit more granular.

The South coast beaches of Mirissa, Tangalle, Hikkaduwa and so on are a great place to top up the tan or do some surfing. The development of the highway going south from the airport means that some of the south coast beaches can be reached within 2.5 to 3 hours.

Arugum Bay is another well established surfing destination and has another different vibe.

If you travel slightly north of Arugam Bay you will come across Whisky Point which has a completely different type of beach and is quite empty.

As you head northwards up the East coast you come across Passikuda, Trincomalee and then eventually Jaffna. The beach shelves here are much shallower than those on the other coasts making them a bit safer.

Coming back down from the North to the West coast you will come across Kalpiiya where you can Kite Surf.

We love to stay at Maalu Maalu which is one of Theme Resorts https://www.themeresorts.com hotels in Passikusa which has a very safe each with a shallow shelf.

A word of warning however!

Before you decide on which beach you choose you need to know whether the waters are safe.
The North East Monsoon and South West Monsoons determine whether it is worth travelling to the beaches as each area has a season where it is worth avoiding and you will not be topping up any tan!

So many things to do

Sri Lanka has

Temples

Safaris

Elephant Orphanges

Whale Watching

Turtle Sanctuaries

Surfing and snorkelling

Fishing

Sailing

Hiking

Historic buildings and architecture

Great railway journeys

A variety of wildlife

Different cuisines around the Island

Do I need to go on?

A little less explored

At GlenMyu Estate we are finding that several of our guests want to do something a little bit different or unique and slightly off the tourist trail.

Some arrive exhausted after a hike to Adams Peak or through Knuckles Mountain range.

Haputale - set in the Central Hill Country

There are lots to do and explore around Haputale, Ella and Bandarawella.

GlenMyu Estate is located within reach of these towns and several of the tourist sights are nearby. To find our more about GlenMyu Estate please click on the following link https://resortglenmyu.com

Whats there to do near Haputale?

There are lots of tourist sites nearby including the following

Horton Plains National Park which includes Worlds End and Bakers Falls http://www.dwc.gov.lk/Aoldsite/library/Np_Hotonplains.html

Lipton Seat

Diyaluma Waterfall

Bambarakanda Waterfall

Addisham Bungalow

Pilkington Point

Millennium Point

Bakers Bends

Ella Town

Nine Arch Bridge

Ella Gap

Ravanna Falls

The most popular site our guests visit is Horton Plains National Park. We love it there.

We send our guests off with a packed breakfast early in the morning so that they have the chance to see the views at Mini Worlds End and Worlds End.

How to get to GlenMyu Estate?

The nearest railway station is Haputale which is on the beautiful stretch from Ella to Nanuoya (Nuwara Eliya). We are a short taxi or Tuk Tuk ride away and are located between Beragala Junction and Koslanda towards Wellawaya.

Please see where GlenMyu Estate is on the following map.

GlenMyu Estate is a great place to relax and take a breather on what can be an exhausting tour around the Island.

We find that many guests book for one night and then extend by a day or two.

Once you are here you will realise that GlenMyu Estate is not a place for a one night stay.

Sri Lanka Tourism Read More »

Bambarakanda Waterfall

Things to do and places of interest near to GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and B & B, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

Bambarakanda Waterfall is the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka.

It is ranked the 461st highest waterfall in the world being 263 m (863 ft).

The waterfall is situated in Kalupahana, which is in Badulla District.

It is circa185 km away from Colombo on the Colombo to Batticaloa A4 Highway.

It is located between Belihuloya and Haputale and is around 5 km from the highway.

The waterfall is well signposted at the junction that you turn off on the A4 road. The road heads towards Ohiya and is quite small and poorly maintained so you will need to drive carefully.

There is adequate parking once you reach the entrance point.

Bambarakanda Waterfall - What does it cost - Entrance Fee

There is a Ticket Booth at the entrance of the walk to the waterfalls and a small fee is changed.

There are some customer toilets however we didn’t look for them on our trip so I can’t point you to were they are. I will update this information on our next trip.

The walk to the base of the waterfall takes you through a Pine Forest and is around 600 m in distance.

The walk is reasonably easy and should be comfortable if you are reasonably fit.

There are points that you can stop and get your breath on the climb if you need to.

What will I find when I reach Bambarakanda Waterfall?

A natural pool forms at the bottom of the falls and there is a viewing point with some railings (in need of repair when we did our trip there)..

It is a spectacular sight looking into the crystal clear water.

As you look up there is a beautiful flow of water cascading down from the top of the falls. The water flow does change during different times of the year which affects the volume dropping down from above you.

We thought it was an amazing sight on our visit and as usual the photos that I took really don’t do it justice. However, there are plenty of pictures on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/bambarakanda/), Facebook etc that are far better than mine!

There was just a bit of an aura about the place for us as it was cool, calm and just brought a feeling of peacefulness.

What time of the day should I go?

This is my usual answer when it comes to visiting most of the sites around the island.

I would recommend that you get there early!

The falls tend to get a bit more crowded as the day goes on which puts pressure on parking and the small walkways to the falls.

My recommendation on when it is best to take those Instagram photos holds as the light is so much better and your pic will look great.

We went reasonably early midweek and were the only people there and we really felt connected to nature and really appreciated the wonder of the place so much more than we would have if we had shared it with lots of other sightseers.

A bit more about Bambarakanda Waterfall.

The waterfall is formed by the Kuda Oya waterway, which is a tributary of the Walawe River which originates from Horton Plains (please see our other Blog Post about Horton Plains National Park).

How do I get to Bambarakanda Waterfall from GlenMyu resort?

Bambarakanda Waterfall is located off the main A4 Colombo to Batticaloa Highway and the exit is after Belihiloya if travelling from Colombo.

Enjoy a relaxing stay at GlenMyu Resort and visit the local sites including Bambarakanda Waterfall.

There are several places of interest and worthwhile visiting within easy reach of GlenMyu Estate.

After your trip it is just great to come back to a confortable, spacious space to relax and ponder on the great day that you have just had.
A refreshing dip in our Natural Spring Fed Waterfall followed by a lazy afternoon on the leather sofas in the lounge taking in the breathtaking view.
A delicious meal which is sourced mainly from our organic garden followed by retiring to bed on one of the three luxurious king sized double bedrooms.

Sounds like the perfect vacation?

If you want to find out more please click on one of the links below.

Where is GlenMyu Resort Hotel located?

Beware the leeches!

One of our guests went to visit the falls during the rainy season and managed to pick up a few leeches on the way.

When we visited the Falls in February we didn’t come across any leeches however they are quite common in the wetter part of the year.

Our experience

We were a little traumatised when we first encountered leeches however after the first few times we got used to them and either just pick them up (if they have just grabbed on to you) and roll them up a bit and throw them away.

If they have managed to get a proper grip we just leave them and either put a little salt on them to encourage them to drop off or we just let them suck away and fall off.

Anticoagulant

The saliva of the leech consists of anaesthetic agents, anticoagulant and other items that allow them to suck the blood. The anticoagulant result in the skin bleeding for a while afterwards until the chemical has been diluted enough to allow the blood to start clotting. A good clean with soap and water and pressure with a tissue will eventually stop the bleeding and we normally find the only affects a small mark and a bit of itching for a while.

Is there anything that I can do to avoid them?

https://ceylontoday.lk/news/leeching-out-bad-bloodThere are leech socks and various concoctions available to discourage the leeches however we have found them to be pretty persistent and just let them do their thing and deal with them as mentioned above.

They were used in a variety of medicinal uses.

Here is an interesting article about leaches from the Ceylon Today Newspaper https://ceylontoday.lk/news/leeching-out-bad-blood