Trekking around Matale – Riverstone

Matale, Riverstone is a little known destination for trekking in Sri Lanka. A visit to this ancient town gives access to challenging trekking as well as stunning scenery. Nestled in the central hills, at an altitude of 546 metres, Matale rejoices in captivating landscapes of fertile greenery as it overlooks the Knuckles and the Hortain Plains mountain ranges. It’s
105 kilometres from Colombo and 26 kilometres from Kandy.

Read: Trekking in the Horton Plains

The history of Matale is mottled with tales of heroism. Monarawila Keppetipola was a high-ranking official involved in the Wellasa rebellion against the British troops of 1848. His ancestral home, the Kappetipola Walawuwa (mansion) still exists at Hulangamuwa, Matale.

The town of Matale is a centre of activity, propelled by the daily hustle and bustle of urban life, with thousands of commuters thronging the urban centre every day. Many are the sights and sounds of what is actually an old agricultural village.

The weather at Matale

The weather in Matale varies considerably. The nights could go as low as five degrees. The best months to travel to Matale are from February to June. In the latter part of the year comes the dry season when most green scenic views will vanish until the next rainy season.

Driving is fun if you have a vehicle that can tackle hairpin bends Or you could hire one, like we did, for Rs15,000-20,000, from Abeyratna (+94 779 476199). Ours carried a maximum of eight adults. For larger groups, extra vehicles could be hired from the same person. By hiring a driver you could save hours of self-driving. But if driving is your thing this is your road.

What to see in Matale

Here are many attractions when you drive to Matale via the Sera Ella road.

1) Bambarakiri Ella (Waterfalls)
2) Riverston Gap
3) Pitawala Pathana (A unique grassland with a superb view)
4) Manigala Hike
5) Sera Ella (Waterfalls)

Bambarakiri Ella

 Best time 6.00 – 18.00    No entrance fee     Get directions

This is the first stop you’ll find on the route. An icy spray of water gushes down a sheer vertical rock with a height of 10m. Bambarakiri Ella is visited by many local tourists.

Dipping in the natural rock pond is considered safe during the dry summer, but maybe dangerous otherwise.

A walk on the nearby suspension bridge and a “Belimal drink” – with jaggery from the small tea shop nearby – are some must-do things while at the Bambarakiri Ella

 

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Riverstone Gap

 Best time – Sunset    No entrance fee

Driving 10-15kms from Bambarakiri Ella towards the road name a small paved path leads to a peak of the mountain close to the telecommunication tower is which is where you’ll find the Riverstone Gap.

On the way, there are plenty of roadside shops selling “roti” (A flatbread made with flour) and Sri Lankan plain tea.

Once you reach the top, you will be looking over lush green forests, cloudy skies, and misty hills, with the Knuckles Mountain Range being the backdrop Sometimes there’s a .dramatic change of temperature with thick mist and periodic gusty cold wind sweeping the hill, making you feel you’re being pushed away.

Sri Lanka Holiday Guru Tip

Best visited during sunset.
Hiking shoes are not needed as the road up to the hill is paved.
Taking shortcuts through the forest is not recommended as you could encounter leeches and snakes on the way.
The vehicle could be parked at the bottom of the trek
Shops there sell locally made cheap sweaters and warm caps in case of need

 

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Pitawala Pathana

 6.00 – 18.00    Rs600    Get directions

Pitawala Pathana is a unique grassland in the Knuckles Conservation Forest close to the Riverstone Gap with a spectacular 360-degree view. Tickets are sold at the entrance.

The trail will lead you to the viewpoint and it’s best seen during the sunset.

Sri Lanka Holiday Guru Tip

Be cautious of the strong winds on the edge of the cliff, as there aren’t any safety railing
Children need to be supervised at the time

Manigala Hike

 Best time 6.00 – 18.00    No entrance fee     Get directions

Manigala is located in the Knuckles Mountain Range. Most travellers who climb to see the beauty of the Knuckles range also find time to see the Thelgamu-Oya (river). If fully exploring, the trek would take a day.

During the colonial Kingdom era, “Manigala” was the rock which was used to keep track of time with the help of the shadow that falls from nearby mountains onto the “manigala” rock face. In Sinhala, it was “Manum-gala (measure-rock)” earlier; now known as “Mani-gala”.

Sera Ella

 Best time 6.00 – 18.00    No entrance fee    Get directions

Sera falls is a relatively unknown albeit beautiful waterfall and the final destination of the Riverston expedition. Vehicles could be parked by the side of the road. The Sera Ella waterfall can be reached by walking 600m into the jungle on a man-made track.

During the rainy season getting closer to the waterfall could be challenging and would be a battle with the leeches. it’s not recommended to go up there during the rainy season due to its strong water flow

The best months to go are March – April

Sera Ella secret water pool, and a village experience

This is a secret place called Besama (Waterpool) where you can only go with a local inside the Puwakpitiya village when en-route to Sera Ella.

You can even order Sri Lankan village food if you give advance notice of your visit to a nearby homestay. Enjoy dipping into the icy chill water.

Getting to Matale from Colombo by road

Expressway from Colombo -> Giriulla -> Kurunegala -> Palapathwela -> Matale (4 hrs)

A1 (Colombo – Kandy road) -> Ambepussa -> Kurunegala -> Palapathwela -> Matale (4.30 hrs)

A1 (Colombo – Kandy road) -> Kandy -> Matale (5 hrs)

There are Air Conditioned buses that operate to Matale from Kandy every 30 minutes from the Goods Shed bus stop, 50m away from the Kandy railway station

Getting to Matale from Colombo by train

There’s a daily commuter train from Colombo leaving at 10:35 from the Fort railway station arriving at 15:23 at Matale. See the train time table

Places to stay in Matale, Riverstone

As Riverstone, Matale is a rural area in Sri Lanka you won’t find any star class accommodations. Most are home-stays where you can experience true Sri Lankan village life. You can contact the below for more information.

Riverston holiday village (+94 769 949214)
(offers local food and accommodation for a real Sri Lanka experience)
Sera Ella waterfall home (+94 71 2448301)
Sir. John’s bungalow (+94 77 3936103)
Gal Bangalawa (+94 77 9664112)
Green nest Bungalow (+94 77 7806481)