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The Escape Routes
Kitulgala White-Water Rafting, Adventure, Sri Lanka

Kitulgala White-Water Rafting

Grade 2–4 rapids on the Kelani River, through rainforest gorges where Lean filmed his river.

What the Kitulgala White-Water Rafting is really like.

Kitulgala is Sri Lanka's white-water capital, set on the Kelani River where The Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed. A guided run covers five major and several minor rapids over about five kilometres, graded two to four — exciting but accessible to first-timers over about ten. You raft through rainforest gorges with safety gear, modern rafts and a full briefing. The river is best and safest from roughly May to December, before the heaviest rains.

At a glance

Best season
May – December
Typical duration
Half day (about 90 min on the water)
Region
1

Moment by moment

How the day unfolds.

  1. Safety briefing

    Kit up in helmet and life jacket and learn the paddle commands and the drill if anyone goes overboard.

Where in Sri Lanka.

The corners of the island this experience touches, so you can picture how it threads into the rest of a tour.

Map of Sri Lanka with the regions of the Kitulgala White-Water Rafting pinned

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