Waterfalls in Nuwara Eliya

St Clair's is the widest fall on the Nuwara Eliya side and is known as the Little Niagara of Sri Lanka, on the Kotmale Oya near Talawakele at around 1,200 metres. It drops in two broad sections through tea estate. The viewpoint is right off the A7, so most people see it from the road, and a path leads down closer if you want the base.

Devon Falls drops around 97 metres in three stages about 6 km from Talawakele, and it is named after an English coffee planter whose estate stood nearby. Like St Clair's it can be seen from the A7, from a viewpoint with a tea centre beside it, which makes the two an easy pair on the drive up from Kandy.

Ramboda Falls is on the A5 between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, near Pussellawa in Nuwara Eliya district, and it falls in two main sections either side of the road. The lower one is visible from the highway; the upper needs a short climb from the hotel above it. It is one of the standard stops on the drive up into the tea country.

Lovers Leap is the closest waterfall to Nuwara Eliya town, about 3.5 km out on the slopes of Piduruthalagala, and it is reached on a walk up through tea estate. The local story that gives it its name is about two lovers who jumped rather than be separated. It is quieter than the roadside falls because you have to climb to it, and the last stretch is steep.

Laxapana Falls is near Hatton, around 126 metres high, and it is usually ranked among the tallest in Sri Lanka. It powers a hydroelectric scheme, so the flow is managed and varies: at full release it is one of the biggest sights in the hill country, and when the water is diverted it can be much reduced. A long stairway leads down towards the base.

Bomburu Ella, also called Perawella Falls, is generally reckoned the widest waterfall in Sri Lanka: not one drop but around ten small streams spreading across a broad rock face, roughly 50 metres high. It is near Mandaram Nuwara, and reaching it takes a walk of about a kilometre through vegetable plots and terraced farmland.

Aberdeen Falls is named after a nearby tea estate and drops around 98 metres in a single powerful column near Ginigathena, which makes it one of the more impressive falls in the district. Reaching the base means a steep walk down from the road and then back up, so it asks more of you than the roadside falls do.

Baker's Falls is inside Horton Plains National Park, on the Belihul Oya, and it is named after Samuel Baker, the English explorer who settled at Nuwara Eliya. It drops about 20 metres into a rocky pool. It sits on the main Horton Plains loop walk, so almost everyone doing World's End sees it on the way back. Park entry applies.

Gerandi Falls drops around 100 metres off a squared block of rock on the Kandy to Nuwara Eliya road, and the shape is what people notice: the cliff looks built rather than natural. Tea estate and scrub surround it, and it is clearly visible from the road, so no walk is needed. Best after rain, when the full width is running.

Nanuoya Falls is about 6 km from Nuwara Eliya, roughly 60 metres high, and it steps down a long series of ledges rather than dropping clear. The water joins the Kotmale and then the Mahaweli. People do get into the pools at the bottom, though the water comes straight off the hills and is genuinely cold. Tea estate surrounds it.

Kolapathana falls in steps for around 50 metres near Mandaram Nuwara, fed by streams off the Piduruthalagala forest reserve with Kodiaragala rising behind it. It is one of the less visited falls in the district, reached on a walk in from the village, and the tiered shape means several viewpoints rather than one.

Pundalu Oya, also called Dunsinane Falls, is about 4 km from Pundaluoya village, roughly 100 metres high and set between tea estates. It falls in stages down a steep hillside. It is one of the least visited falls in the district and the access road is narrow, so it suits a detour rather than a scheduled stop.

Glen Falls is about 5 km from Nuwara Eliya town and is around 10 metres high, seen from a distance across the valley rather than up close. Its flow has dropped noticeably over the years as the catchment above it has been cleared, so it is thinner than older photographs suggest. Worth a look if you are passing rather than a trip in itself.

Galboda Falls is beside the Colombo to Badulla railway, around 30 metres high, and the train is the way to see it: Galboda station is about 2 km away and the line runs close to the fall. This is one of the wettest stretches of the hill country, so it usually runs at full strength whatever the season.

Ravana Falls is at Ella in Badulla district rather than Nuwara Eliya, about 2 km from the town, and it falls roughly 25 metres in a broad fan beside the road. Local legend ties it and the cave above it to the Ramayana, in which Ravana is said to have hidden Sita nearby. It is right on the highway, so it is the easiest fall in the hill country to reach.

Kadiyanlena Falls is near Nawalapitiya in Kandy district, about 13 km out at Kadiyanlena village, and it sees very few visitors. The water drops into a chain of five pools. The uppermost one has strong currents and is not safe to enter; the lower pools are clear and calm and are what people come for.