Choose your adventure in Kitulgala

Kitulgala

Kitulgala is a tiny town in the hills of Sri Lanka, about an hour east of Colombo (on a good day). Here begins your adventure! They say that when the monsoons arrive, the river is so full that only the very brave (read: insane) and the very skilled kayakers head out. We are neither insane nor very skilled, but we like to think that we possess a sense of adventure. Even our 8 year old was up for it. 

When we were planning our trip to Sri Lanka, there were obvious itinerary points - Colombo, the cultural triangle, a wildlife park, the beaches, the vast tea estates. But in honesty, these places were nudged aside to make room for a few days in Kitulgala. 

Your adventure starts in getting to Kitulgala alone. It is no mean feat. It is a long, windy, skinny road which hugs the mountain side, where you face head-on challenges from buses that have complete disdain and disregard for anything smaller than it. Call me chicken, but my sense of daring does not extend to taking on a hurtling bus on a mountain road.  

After a fair bit of research (if participating in a potentially extreme sport, I wanted to make sure that we weren't doing it with a bunch of inexperienced cowboys), I found Borderlands. Borderlands is a schmick setup by a Canadian guy who has hired and trained local people to run whitewater activities, canyoning, hikes and the campsite. When I say campsite, it's more like glamping. 

Open fronted riverfront cabins

View from cabin

So, off we went, with a group of 5 Swedish post-university students, who we have stayed in touch with - that's the sort of place Borderlands is - the people you meet here are all like-minded intrepid travellers looking for some fun adventure. Everyone is happy, everyone gets along. For a few days, we could be the only people on the planet. 

While Marcus went with the rest of the group to do the upper section of the river, we were dropped off at the start of the lower section because Callum was too young to do the upper rapids. The fact that they had strict guidelines for our safety was very reassuring.

Upper section video

But he wasn't too young to do a bit of canyoning. If you had told me that I would be jumping off a 12 foot rock face into water that is glossy black because it's so deep I would have told you you were nuts. "Look out into that beautiful scenery ahead of you. Now 1...2...3....", the guide's calm voice lulled me into a confidence that I would never have thought I possessed. I fall through the air and pindrop into the water and I'm 1000% sure that I squawked. As everyone is laughing, they're also applauding. It is a great feeling! 

Canyoning video

We slide and jump, slide and jump and eventually make it back to the bottom where we are offered hot cups of tea with cubes of jaggery. It is heaven. Back into the rafts we go for the last part of the river down to camp. 

Rarely are there moments in life where wonder, accomplishment and camaraderie meet but when they do, they're unforgettable. 

(Apologies to water and canyoning enthusiasts who may be reading this, if I have used the incorrect terminology!)

discoverborderlands.com