Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. It is in
the wet zone rain forest, which gets two monsoons each year, and is one of the
wettest places in the country. Nevertheless, it comes alive in the first three
months of the year, especially in February, the driest month. The Academy
Award-winning The Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed on the Kelani River near
Kitulgala, although nothing remains now except the concrete foundations for the
bridge (and, supposedly, the submerged train cars that plunged into the river
in the climactic scene). Kitulgala is also a base for white-water rafting,
which starts a few kilometres upstream.
Large numbers of people make the excursion from Colombo at
weekends to enjoy the beautiful scenery, play in the river, and have an
excellent rice and curry lunch at the local restaurants.
The Kelani river is wide at Kitulgala, but it is shallow
apart from a deep channel near the opposite bank, so in the drier months it
provides a safe and attractive place to swim, wash and play.
The river can be crossed by walking out across the shallows
and crossing the deep channel in a dugout canoe, which is stabilised with an
outrigger.
Sri Lanka's most recently discovered bird, the Serendib
scops owl was originally heard calling by Deepal Warakagoda in these forests.
The hills above the rubber plantations also have mountain
hawk eagle, crested treeswift and Layard's parakeet.
The agriculture around Kitulgala is typical of the hilly wet
zone. The solitary fishtail palm, Caryota urens, which is called kitul in Sri
Lanka, gives rise to the town's name. Its sap is concentrated into a delicious
syrup, not dissimilar to maple syrup, and crystallized as jaggery. It is also
fermented to make palm wine. The pith is used to make sago, and the fibres to
make rope.
Bananas of both red and yellow varieties are grown. The
yellow bananas are only some 8 cm long, but are sweeter and tastier than the
commercial strains available in the West. Rubber trees are also grown on the
higher areas.
Many birders stay at Kitulgala. This area has most of the
rainforest bird species that are found at the World Biosphere Reserve at
Sinharaja, although in lower numbers. However, the secondary forest and
cultivation at Kitulgala is more open than the pristine woodlands of Sinharaja,
and elusive endemic species like Sri Lanka spurfowl, green-billed coucal and
spot-winged thrush may be easier to see.
