My absolute favorite day in Sri Lanka was the day I hiked to the top of Diyaluma Waterfall in the Ella region of Sri Lanka. The second tallest waterfall in the entire country, it boasts some of the most beautiful views that many tourists overlook and don’t realize exist!
I had the pleasure of hiking to the top of the falls on my way to Udawalawe. I hired a driver from Ella to take me the hour drive to the falls and then to my hotel afterward (I had an early morning safari the next day), but you can rent a scooter for the day for much, much cheaper.
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How to Hike Diyaluma Waterfall
Journey Era has a great post about hiking the falls on his blog here. He details two routes you can take – coming to the top of the falls from above, or from below. He and his crew went from above, which was too complicated and confusing for my driver to understand. So we went from the base of the waterfall!
Diyaluma Waterfall has a great viewing point and platform at the bottom. Enjoy the epic view of the falls and take a swim at the base if you please!
When you’ve had your fill of the bottom, ask someone familiar with the area to show you the road that leads to the trail. It’s not marked at all, so you’ll definitely need the help and guidance of a local.
I asked the shopkeeper across the street and she was super kind and happy to help. The entrance is about 5 min back towards Ella on the main road, and you’ll take a sharp left. It’s small and rocky and is easy to miss!
It’ll lead you up past a forest of rubber trees and is about a 15-minute slow drive to the top. You’ll see trees being tapped for the white sticky substance that will later become rubber at the nearby factory! When the road ends, you’ll see a small village.
A young local boy offered to be my guide and we were off! Locals offering to be your guide may request a tip or small fee. Be sure to set a price with them before leaving.
The actual hiking trail is very small, overgrown with tall grass and easy to miss. My little guide was in much better shape than me and practically ran up the mountain!
But the sprint was worth it as we finally made it to the top and could see the beautiful views. Once at the top, you can take a path to the left that will lead you down to the true top of Diyaluma waterfall, or to the right to see the smaller falls and pools leading to the main waterfall.
We took a right first and explored the natural infinity pools. I immediately hopped in and went swimming to cool off from our hike and it was incredible!
My little guide was so patient and waited for me while I swam. After I had my fill swimming in the pools, we hiked our way to the top of the falls and wow – the views were stunning! From the top, you can see far and wide the lush and mountainous landscape.
The rock formations here were also super impressive. After taking in the landscape and having a mini photoshoot (where I accidentally lost my wide-angle camera lens down the waterfall – RIP), we made our way back down the trail to my waiting driver.
A quick word of caution – be super careful exploring the area. There are no signs, safety rails or guards to warn you of danger!
It was such a magical morning and by far one of my favorite activities in Sri Lanka. If you’re up for the adventure, I highly recommend adding this hike to your itinerary!
Tips for Hiking Diyaluma
- Find a local when you arrive who’s willing to take the time to guide you. Don’t be discouraged if at first people tell you no. For a tip, you should be able to find a kind soul willing to show you the way.
- Bring lots of water with you, it will be a hot hike!
- It’s safe to swim in many of the pools so be sure to bring your swimsuit + a towel if you plan to take a dip.
- Watch out for leeches if you do swim, and ticks from your hike. I had to pick off a tiny little bugger.
- Diyaluma is about an hour drive from Ella and once off the main road, the road becomes a bit bumpy for those driving a scooter.
- Don’t forget your camera!
- Take caution and be safe! It’s a natural area not equipped with any safety guards so swim and explore at your own risk.
- You can see the map and location of the falls here.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, if you click my links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Learn more on my disclosure page. Thank you for your support!
Have you hiked to the top of Diyaluma? What did you think? Share below!
Hi! I really enjoyed this post but would like to add a tiny little thought. Sri Lanka is a very poor country and I don’t think paying Rs100 as a “fee” for someone to guide you up could be considered ‘generous’. It’s less than a Dollar and would buy his family perhaps a loaf of bread 🙂 of course if someone “offers” to be your guide you’re fee to “tip” him whatever amount you please,be it 20,50 or 100Rs.
Again. Just a thought and Thank you for your amazing article !
X
Hi there! Thank you for your valuable insight – you’re absolutely right, tip is a much more appropriate word! I in no way meant to be insulting and I appreciate you mentioning my poor use of words. I completely understand the implications of how it’s worded. Thanks again for taking the time to read! Xx
Loving your pictures from Sri Lanka! Safe travels Brit! X
Thank you dear!! 🙂
Hello! I had the same thought when I read this article. Brittany, your article is amazing and the photos too! However, like Worldwildtravel pointed out, I felt sorry for your little guide who climbed up with you and waited for you, only for Rs. 100. When you advise travellers, it would be great if you could edit the ‘tipping’ amount part, so that everybody is free to decide on amount. As a Sri Lankan I’m happy to see tourists in my country, however taking the assistance from a child (even though he proposes) for an amount like Rs 20, Rs 50, Rs 100, it’s exploitation because in Europe for 50 cents ( 1 euros is nearly 200 Rs) , you can’t even eat a chewing gum and in Sri Lanka it’s not even enough to buy a loaf of bread 😉 Cheers!
Hello! Thank you for expressing your feelings. I actually asked the small boy and his father if rps 100 would be enough and they agreed. They set their price. And they are not professional guides – I was happy to do the hike by myself, but they were kind and insisted that the small boy accompany me and show me the way because they lived right there. So in this way, it was more of a friendly gesture in which I chose to give them money. People are of course free to choose to pay as they see fit and Sri Lankans are of course free to decline to do anything they don’t see the value in. I meant no harm and will update my article.