Natural beauty of sri lanka

Kitulgala is a pleasant small town whose name is derived from the strangely prehistoric-looking kitul tree, vast numbers of which can be seen in the area. The town is situated on a particularly delightful stretch of the Kelani River that incorporates rock-strewn sections and rapids, often enclosed by high banks of tall bamboo. Kitulgala is rising in popularity as a place for white-water rafting. The organizers have divided the Kelani east of Kitulgala into three sections. Most groups take the scenic middle section, which consists of 10 level two, and level three rapids, all separated by peaceful stretches of calm water. The challenging upper section has very few calm stretches for one to recover between rapids and is only taken by experienced groups. The lower section, on the other hand, is calm enough to raft with small children.

It the same aspects of the river that led film director David Lean to choose Kitulgala as the important location for the bridge construction and destruction scenes in Bridge on the River Kwai, which was shot entirely on location in the island in 1956. It is possible to walk down to the riverbed to see where the filming took place. There is even a paved path to the site,