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| Ginigathhena Valley from my humble camera phone |
After 3 weeks of ‘almost’ budget travels, you guys must be wondering if I ever go on actual budget trips. Here is the answer: Aberdeen Falls was a true budget trip.
Aberdeen falls is a beautiful double waterfall located in Ginigathhena,
close to Nawalapitiya. The area is mostly thick tropical forest, with a winding
road leading up to Nuwaraeliya. It’s about 4 hours journey by road via
Avissawella or you can also take the train to Nawalapitiya and come back down a
few km by road. We did it budget style: by bus.
We started from Pettah, Colombo on a Colombo-Hatton air conditioned intercity
bus around 7am. It costs between LKR 300-400 per head. You can also take the
normal non-A/C buses going to Nawalapitiya or Hatton. Neither are frequent so
be there nice and early; the next bus was scheduled to leave Pettah around
10.00am.
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| Colombo-Aberdeen Falls, Ginigathhena via Google Maps |
I hate long journeys on the road. They make me nauseous. I
especially hate long, winding roads with canned air blowing in my face. But let
me tell you, I forgot my nausea after the city was past and Sri Lanka flew by
my windows.
The views are extraordinary. No matter how many times I go up these
hills there is always something more to see. Once we passed Avissawella I
started to see something else on the roadside.
Clutching on to the sides of these sheer cliffs are small hut-like
structures all advertising one thing: Kitulgala white-water rafting. Yep,
that’s right. This is where Sri Lanka’s famous rapids are and all through to
Ginigathhena I saw tourists (local & foreign) flock to the various
establishments. Sadly, we did not have the time nor the crowd for white-water
rafting, but that’s now on my list.
We reached our destination, Aberdeen Falls Resort, around 11.00am, the bus having stopped on the way for tea (we took our
own breakfast). The resort proper is a 30-40 min hike down a dirt track into
the Ginigathhena valley but there is a small restaurant for wayfarers to stop
for meals near the main road. If you’re feeling lazy, someone will come up
in a 4-wheel drive vehicle and take you down; however, I recommend that you
walk this scenic route. The prices vary according to season and room type so
call ahead before booking; we paid LKR 8000 for 2 adults, 2 meals (dinner and
breakfast) and one night stay.
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| This little monster was stretched across our trail! |
There are hiking trails everywhere branching off this dirt track
going into the forest. If you aren’t an experienced hiker, please follow the
staff’s directions and DON’T go exploring on your own. It’s easy to get lost
and mobile signal is abysmal. Also, look out for leeches as this is their
hunting ground. By the time I got to the bottom I had two suckers on my ankle
and another at the back of my knee. Note to myself: use soap water or lime next
time.
In true Ginigathhena fashion, it rained – no, poured – halfway down
the mountain. My boyfriend and I ran for it (we forgot raincoats). The trails
got slicker by the minute and both of us went sprawling once or twice. By the
time we got to the lodge, we were soaked to the bone, dripping leeches and had
sworn off spontaneous hikes for a while.
Even if you stay close to the resort, there is plenty to see: a mini
waterfall, a bathing spot in the Kelani River and various trails.
Unfortunately we only stayed the night so we couldn’t explore much. We left the
next day on a normal Hatton-Colombo bus (which was crowded) & transferred
to an Avissawella-Colombo Fort 122 bus (which was not crowded) in Avissawella.
We got back to Colombo around 3pm, having left Aberdeen Falls Resort around
10.30am.
And the punch line? After all that, we had a late lunch at Pizza
Hut, Kirulapone :P
Note: Ginigathhena has one of the highest annual rainfalls in the country. Take raincoats and remedies for leech bites.
(Approx.) Total Time Taken :
2 days
(Approx.) Total Cost : > LKR 9,500 (not counting the
pizza!)
Satisfaction :
3.5/5
*All pictures are subject to copyright © Asuka Randeniye 2016
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