Ella City
Ella is a small town in the Badulla District of Uva Province, Sri Lanka governed by an Urban Council. It is approximately 200 kilometres east of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 1,041 metres above sea level.
Kithal Ella
Ella, Badulla, and Bandarawela are areas rich with both well-known and lesser-known waterfalls. The most famous among them is Ravana Ella Falls, located right by the Ella – Wellawaya Road. However, many waterfalls remain hidden from view, as they are not visible from motor roads and are mostly unknown to the general public. One such hidden gem is Kithal Ella Waterfall, which, was hidden from motor roads but now gaining popularity among tourists to Ella seeking new adventures.
Kithal Ella Waterfall is only accessible over the railway track which travels on the famous Nine Arch Bridge. This waterfall is generally considered the real Ravana Ella Waterfall due to the close proximity of the Ravana Cave which is considered a place where Sita (in Ramayana) has been hidden by the Sri Lankan King Ravana for a while. The original name of the waterfall by the road now known as Ravana Ella is said to be “Bambaragama Ella“.
Kithal Ella is a village itself possibly named due to the waterfall. The easiest way to access the waterfall is over the railway track. Kithal Ella Railway Station lies after the Heel Oya railway station and before the Ella railway station. From the Kithal Ella Railway Station, you need to walk about 200 meters towards Ella until you reach a black-painted old rail bridge. Walking from Ella railway station it’s about 2.6 km along the rail track.
From this black bridge, you need to travel several hundred meters along footpaths to reach the top of the waterfall. There is a footbridge over the stream which creates the waterfall at the top.
Coming into Ella from Badulla-Bandarawela Road, a few hundred meters from the Ella junction and 150 meters before the tunnel from which the railroad crosses the road from above, there is a road to the right. This is called Kithal Ella Road and connects to Bandarawela. Travel along this road 1-2 km and you will see the waterfall at a distance on the left.
There is no easy way to reach the bottom of the waterfall. During the dry weather, the water in the fall dwindles to a mere drip hiding all its beauty.
About Badulla District
Badulla is the capital of Uva Province in Sri Lanka. Badulla is located on the southeast of Kandy, almost encircled by the Badulu Oya River, about 680 meters (2200 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by tea plantations. The town is overshadowed by the Namunukula range of mountains. Badulla is about 230km away from Colombo towards the eastern slopes of central hills of Sri Lanka.
Badulla and surroundings are highly recommended for eco-tourists as Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles mountains are few hours away.
Special places in Badulla: Muthiyangana Temple, Dhowa Temple, Bogoda ancient wooden bridge, Rawana water falls
About Uva Province
The Uva Province is Sri Lanka's second least populated province, with 1,187,335 people, created in 1896. It consists of two districts called Badulla and Moneragala The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by Eastern, Southern and Central provinces. Its major tourist attractions are Dunhinda Falls, Diyaluma Falls, Rawana Falls, the Yala National Park (lying partly in the Southern and Eastern Provinces) and Gal Oya National Park (lying partly in the Eastern Province). The Gal Oya hills and the Central Mountains are the main uplands, while the Mahaweli and Menik rivers and the huge Senanayake Samudraya and Maduru Oya Reservoirs are the major waterways in Uva province.