Trail to Uduwara Falls and Nagadowa Falls, Bambarakanda [Download as PDF]

Trail Difficulty: Easy | Moderate | Strenuous | Tough

Trail Head: Bambarakanda Rest, Kalupahana.

Nearest Town: Kalupahana                   Nearest City: Bandarawela

Access to Trail head: [Show Trail Map in Google Earth]

Route to Bambarakanda Rest

Colombo -> Ratnapura -> Balangoda -> Kalupahana (left turn from Colombo – Badulla highway [A4] at Kalupahana, between 172^nd and 173^rd km post & Drive 5km) -> Bambarakanda Rest

Last 500m after passing Bambarakanda falls is an unpaved rough road which will need some ground clearance to tackle. Road construction work is underway and hopefully the road will become better soon.

Bambarakanda Rest is a small guest house managed by Mrs. Sera Mayakaduwa (Tel: 0575670457)

Trail End: Uduwara and Nagadowa falls Observation Point     

Total Length: 2.6 km

Elevation Gain: 300m (Elevation at Trail Head: 1110m | Elevation at Trail End: 1406m).

Approximate time: 1.5 hours

Hiking Season: Best months are April to September

Permit Required: NO

Uduwara falls and Nagadowa falls are two beautiful waterfalls hidden deep in the mountains around Bambarakanda area. Both waterfalls are located in a steep; difficult to access location between two mountains. Therefore this hike is to the closest observation point where you can see both waterfalls clearly from the mountain in-front of them.

First you will be walking along the Kalupahana – Ohiya jeep track and then through tea trails. The last stretch is an abandoned tea trail which now winds though a grass covered mountain slope. For the most part, a moderate ascend is experienced. There are several scenic outlooks in to the eastern plains and to the mountain ranges and waterfalls in the area.

0 to 1km: Form Bambarakanda Rest (waypoint: UN01) start walking up-hills along the Kalupahana – Ohiya road. After you walk about 350m along the jeep track you will find a trail on the left hand side climbing up hills (waypoint: UN04). This short cut will again join the jeep track and therefore you can climb faster without walking along the winding jeep track.

After you turn left from the jeep track you have to climb 250m until you get back on the same jeep track. While climbing up you can see the Bambarakanda falls cascading along the forest covered mountains on your left hand side (waypoint: UN05). Passing this point continue to climb up and get back on to the jeep track (waypoint: UN06). Continue to walk up-hill along the jeep track enjoying the beautiful view in to the endless plains of Sri Lanka ’s eastern provinces.

About 400m from UN06, you will reach a sharp right hand bend in the jeep track and there you will find two trails starting from the jeep track going towards right hand side (waypoint: UN09). One of the trails goes down hill and joins the jeep track. The other trail moves in to a small forest patch. Chose the second trail which goes in to the forest patch with a slight ascend.

1km to 1.8km: After a brief ascend, the trail will transform in to a paved tea trail with rocks and stones with moderate ascend. Continue to climb along this trail. After about 200m, you will find a “T” junction of trails (waypoint: UN12). Take the left turn at this point. After walking few meters, the trail will again start its moderate ascends.  Next 200m, the trail climbs up to the top of the tea field, making sharp left and right bends. At this point you will see a set of line houses on your right side and over them you will also see the tea factory of Udaveriya estate on the side of a distant hill (waypoint: UN15).

Continue to walk along the trail passing line houses and moving towards you left avoiding any smaller trails towards right (the trails towards right reach line houses). The trail is now fairly flat and is leading towards a small forest patch. When the trail approaches the bushes, continue to walk through it. You will hear two small streams flowing beside the trail. Now you are at the top of a hill (waypoint: UN19).

Passing UN19, climb about 100m more. At this point you will find the trail splitting in to two (waypoint: UN20). Do not take the trail which continues to climb up. Instead take the path which is some what flat, making approximately a 180 degree turn to left.

Beyond this area you will not see any tea bushes, instead the old tea trail will continue through the grassy hill sides and occasional patches of bushes.

1.8km to 2.6km: This last section of the trail is fairly flat compared to the trail up to UN20.

As you walk along the abandoned estate trail you will experience intermittent mild climbs and the trail will make several sharp bends winding along the side of the hill. You will also see smaller trails splitting from the main trail you are walking along. Avoid these smaller trails and continue along the main trail.

About 300m from UN20, you will again have to walk through a bush for few meters. Walking 100m more, you will reach the edge of a hill where you can see the surrounding hills and the landscape (waypoint: UN25). As you continue to walk along the open trail through the grasses you can enjoy the view of eastern plains and the more memorable sights of the smaller mountain peaks and the valley below, all beautifully covered with a velvet carpet of tall grass.

After about 150m from UN25, you will experience a slight descend (waypoint: UN27). The trail descends a bit along the side of the hill to another area covered with bushes (waypoint: UN28).

After crossing the small buses at UN28 continue to walk along the trail. You will see a mountain in front of you which again got signs of abandoned tea fields on its slopes (you can still see old tea trails zigzagging on the slopes). You will also notice that the trail you are walking makes an almost 90 degree left turn at a point in front of you about 150m further. Our destination is that point (waypoint: UN31).

As the trail makes the sharp left turn around the mountain, you will get the uninterrupted view in to the mountain slopes in front of you. You can see the two waterfalls cascading through these mountain slopes.

The waterfall to your right hand side is the Uduwara falls. The falls to the left of Uduwara falls and slightly above it is called Nagadowa falls. It’s very difficult to reach the base of these waterfalls as it requires walking through a deep rough valley with thick forest cover.

Tips, Notes & special remarks: 

• Make sure that you carry a water bottle. Most part of the trail is dry and water sources are limited.

• Avoid drinking water from streams as they are flowing trough tea fields.

• Leaches may occasionally bother you, especially in the upper sections of the trail.

• The best time of the day to do this trail is a sunny after-noon. The view of the plains and mountains in warm evening light is an unbelievable sight.
  
  

Way Points