Devon Falls

Devon Falls as seen from the observation point along
Hatton-Thalawakele (A7) road.

Named after an English pioneering coffee planter, Devon Falls is one of the mostly visited and breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls situated in the Nuwara Eliya district in Sri Lanka. This had also become a popular subject among the environmentalists, due to the adverse effects which will supposedly be caused by the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project to a number of waterfalls including this.

Quick Facts

	Total height	97 m (318 ft.)
	Rank in height	19th (in Sri Lanka)
	No. of drops	3
	Watercourse	A tributary of Kotmale Oya (Mahaweli Ganga)
	Altitude	About 1 140 m above m.s.l.
	Category/Form	Horsetail

Getting There…

Devon Falls can be easily (arguably not the best, though) viewed from an observation point (with convenient parking space), along the Hatton-Thalawakele (A7) road.

If you are coming from Hatton:

1. Continue past Kotagala junction (5.6 km from Hatton junction) along A7.
2. After 6.1 km you will find the observation point to your left, just next to the Devon Tea Center.

Just before the great plunge!

If you are coming from Thalawakele:

1. When continuing along A7 for 4.9 km, you will get to the observation point.

If you are daring to get a much closer (and of course a greater) view and ready for some trekking:

1. Continue 1.4 km along A7 towards Hatton from the observation point up to the Hanuman Kovil.
2. Take the steps down the slope leading towards the waterfall starting besides the Kovil.
3. At the end of the steps, turn right and continue along the gravel road.
4. After 300 m - 500 m it is up to you to decide which could be the best view point.

If you are interested, it is even possible to get to the summit point of the waterfall. (However, extreme precautions should be taken and it would always be advisable to check with the locals about water flow etc.). To get there:

Right at the edge!

1. Continue 1.5 km along A7 towards Hatton from the observation point up to Dimbula Junction.
2. Turn right and continue about 800 m along Nawalapitiya-Dimbula B317 road until you get to the Pathana Police Station.
3. There should be a footpath to the right leading towards the waterfall. (Check with the locals for more details since I had been there, way back on 2001-05-07.)

It is also possible to view this waterfall from the train track between Kotagala and Thalawakele railway stations.

Places to Stay

• Rest House, Thalawakele.

Attractions Nearby

• St. Clair's Falls, Thalawakele. (1.5 km)

Travel Notes

Following are based on the observations on 2007-01-01.

• Specially, if you are planning to photograph the waterfall, avoid sunny late afternoons as you will shooting against the light. (The photo in this article is an example.)