Riverston is on the top of the list of most beautiful places to visit in Sri Lanka. It is located in the district Matale in central Sri Lanka, bordering the Knuckles Mountain Range. It is also known as Riverston Mountain (Gap). Riverton's environment is fantastic, and you will be amazed by the biodiversity there. The weather is constantly changing, rain can fall at any time, and the wind is mighty. Riverston is a famous trekking destination, but many travelers are unaware of it. This mountain has many picturesque waterfalls and bathing areas. The most famous Riverston waterfalls include,
- Bambarakiri Ella
- Pitawala Pathana Ella
- Raththinda Ella
- Wadda Pani Ella
- Wambatuhena Ella
- Bambarungahana Ella
- Sera Ella
You can visit all the places in Riverston within a day, but if you can allocate at least two or three days, you can travel to all destinations with proper planning. The road to the top of the hill is narrow in some places. Except for large vehicles, you can prepare any vehicle for this trip. Having a four-wheel drive ( 4WD) vehicle will make your journey more comfortable. Also, keep in mind that Rattota is the final town where you can get everything you need.
Best time to visit Riverston
Both rainy and dry seasons are suitable to visit Riverston. Do not forget to bring a coat, cap, or something to cover up as the climate is always wet and drizzling. Better to bring comfortable walking shoes. Don't go to the bushes or the grass. Leeches are waiting to hang on you. The waterfalls are full of water, and you can find waterways to have a bath if you visit Riverston in the rainy season. Windy in the dry season, but most of the water paths and waterfalls drained. Still, you can enjoy the hikes and the scenery. Due to its mountaintop location, this attraction can be wild during the rainy season. Still, it's a great time to visit because the view will be lush and green all around.
Places to visit in Riverston
If you plan to visit Riverston, here are the places you must visit in Riverton.
- Bambarakiri Ella
- Riverston Tower
- Little World's End (Pitawala Pathana)
- Pathana Ella
- Raththinda Ella
- Sera Ella
- Manigala Peak
- Vedda Peni Ella
- Thelgamu Oya
1. Bambarakiri Ella
The Bambarakiri Ella waterfall is located near the Rattota town in the Matale District, along the path to Riverston. You can find the waterfall at around 1km along the road from Rattota town. The fall is 3m in height, and there is a suspension bridge spanning the falls. The bridge adds a finishing touch to an already beautiful view of the waterfall. You can observe the waterfall from the bridge. You can enjoy the cold water falling down the fall by taking a bath.
2. Riverston Tower
There is a foot trail that leads to the mountain top. To reach the mountain top, you have to walk about 2km. It'll take back an hour to reach the top. A communication tower is at the top of the mountain, and from there, you can observe the valley below. The area is a bit cold. The wind blows down the road most of the time, and in the evening, the fog also increases. Anybody can easily reach it because there is a road until you get to the tower. Halfway down this road, there is a viewpoint where you can see a breathtaking view. It's so beautiful 360 views on a clear day.
3. Little World's End (Pitawala Pathana)
Pitawala Pathana is the place most famous among travelers who visit Riverton. Walking about 0.75km from the road, you can see the little world's end. The main specialty is little world's end, with a slope of about 90 degrees. In this place, the weather changes very quickly. So you have to be careful while enjoying the beauty. There is another way down the jungle without going back the way you came to see Little World's end. Although it is litter further than the previous road, it will be a new experience for you. It takes only 2 or 3 hours for the whole journey. The best time to go there is evening or morning. At noon, the sun will too much disturb you.
The undergrowth ecosystem at Pitawala Pathana is worth exploring. There are amphibians, small mammals, lizards, new species of tree frogs, and a few endemic plants to be discovered. Only small plants survive in this area due to extremely strong winds.
A beautiful view of pine forests, tea estates, paddy fields, and mountain peaks can also be seen on the way from Matale. The open stretch of countryside abruptly ends at the mini World's End viewpoint, where a couple of sheer cliff edges provide breathtaking views of the surroundings. Because the area is vulnerable to very strong winds, you must tread carefully and avoid risky activities.
Read more about Pitawala Pathana
4. Pathana Ella
Pitawala Pathana village is home to this 75-meter-tall Pathana Ella waterfall. Pathana Dola is the origin of the waterfall. It joins Puwakpitiya River after forming Pathana Ella Fall and Kandi Ella Fall. Anyone can see the entire flow of this waterfall as it cascades down from Pitawala Pathana to Puwakpitiya village.
5. Raththinda Ella
This waterfall is located in Riverston's Pitawala village. It is a three-part waterfall that is visible from nearby areas such as Pitawala Pathana and Maningala. Pitawala village has a footpath that leads to the middle section of the cascade. Once you reach the middle, you can travel to the upper and lower parts of the fall. There is a lovely footpath that connects to the other side of the waterfall via private land.
6. Sera Ella
Sera Ella is another incredible waterfall you must visit. The specialty of sera Ella is We can go back to the waterfall through a small cave. The view from the inside of the cave is breathtaking. During the rainy season, that waterfall has much more water, and it is the best time to visit the waterfall. The trail to the waterfall is not very hard. So anybody can easily reach the waterfall. Sera Ella is the best place to take a rest & shower. There are some places where you can take a bath, which is not deep, and swim.
7. Manigala Peak
Mangala is a beautiful mountain located in the knuckles mountain range. To get up & down Manigala takes around four or five hours. There is a small footpath to the top of the hill, but there are many more roads except one side, so you should take the help of a guide or a villager. The journey is not so difficult, but because there is so much to walk, better to bring water& some snacks. There are three main places on this journey. When we climbed a little further up the mountain, we met a place that looked like the little world's end. We can take a good view of the surrounding. Going a little further, we met another site that looks like Horton plain. Finally, we reach the top of the mountain. From there, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Knuckles Range.
8. Vedda Peni Ella
Vedda Peni Ella is located on a beautiful stretch of land that the Knuckles Forest Reserve borders. Thelgamu Oya creates the Vedda Peni Ella waterfall when it flows under the bridge connecting Raththinda and Atanwala villages. It is a beautiful waterfall with about 6 meters and has enriched biodiversity with endemic aquatic species. The waterfall's name is derived from the death of a Wadda (an ancient Sri Lankan people) by falling from this waterfall. The fall can be seen on the way to Manigala Hike, so it's a great place to rest and bathe with your family. There is a bridge that crosses over the waterfall and provides a beautiful view. Visitors to Wedda Pani Ella should take extra care because the fall can occasionally cause flash floods.
9. Thelgamu Oya
Thelgamuwa Oya is one of the most beautiful rivers in Sri Lanka, located in the Knuckles Mountain range. Thelgamuwa Oya is a tributary of the Amban Ganga that flows into the Mahaweli River and is a crucial water source in the Knuckles region. It. That's one of the safest places to take a bath.
