Kitulgala
A small town on the Kelani River where The Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed, though only the concrete footings of the bridge remain. These days it is the base for white water rafting, which starts a few kilometres upstream.
- Where
- Sabaragamuwa, Sri Lanka
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 6.5900, 80.2500
Get the Kitulgala stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Kitulgala. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Sabaragamuwa volume with your photos and a note.
Near Kitulgala
Maha Saman Devalaya 18 km
The great shrine at Ratnapura to the god Saman, presiding deity of Sri Pada, the mountain where a footprint is held to be the Buddha's. That peak is also called Samanthakuta, the mountain of Saman, and this temple in the town below is his chief seat.
Bopath Ella 27 km
A waterfall in Ratnapura District whose fan of water takes the shape of a leaf of the sacred bo tree, which gives it its name. Local stories say it is haunted and that it hides a hoard of treasure.
Kalutara Bodhiya 32 km
A sacred fig tree beside the Kalu River on the Galle road, believed to be one of the 32 saplings of the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura. Next to it stand the Kalutara temple and a large modern stupa, and travellers along the coast road often stop to make offerings.
Adam's Peak 37 km
A 2,243 metre cone of a mountain topped by Sri Pada, a footprint shaped hollow in the rock. Buddhists hold it to be the Buddha's footprint, Hindus that of Shiva, and others Adam's; pilgrims climb thousands of steps through the night to reach the top by dawn.
Sinharaja Forest Reserve 39 km
The last stretch of virgin rainforest left in Sri Lanka, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Under its canopy live many rare plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
Madu Ganga 42 km
A small river that widens into a lake at Balapitiya before running 4.4 km to the Indian Ocean. A Ramsar wetland, it is lined with mangroves and scattered with islands, and boat trips wind through its channels.
Dehiwala Zoo 51 km
Sri Lanka's national zoo, founded in 1936 in the southern Colombo suburb of Dehiwala. Its gardens hold birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians from the island and from across Asia and the rest of the world.
Hikkaduwa National Park 52 km
One of Sri Lanka's three marine national parks, a coral reef lying just off Hikkaduwa beach. Protected as a sanctuary since 1979 and a national park since 2002, its shallow water is a place to snorkel among reef fish and sea turtles.
More hidden gems in Sabaragamuwa
Questions
Where is Kitulgala?
Kitulgala is in Sabaragamuwa, Sri Lanka. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Maha Saman Devalaya (18 km), Bopath Ella (27 km), Kalutara Bodhiya (32 km).
How do I get the Kitulgala stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Kitulgala and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Sabaragamuwa volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Kitulgala before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Sabaragamuwa volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.