Kitulgala is lovely little town on the banks of Kelani River, particularly famous for White Water Rafting. The town derives its name from strangely prehistoric-looking kitul tree, which abounds the region in vast numbers. Many of the resorts here have colonial aire and originally built for visiting colonial masters. Kitulgala is a nice place for those people who want to take a break in the lap of the mountains.

Adventure lovers often visit Kitulgala to enjoy the game of whitewater rafting which is arguably the best in Sri Lanka. Several movies have also been shot in the place, most famous of which is David Lean's award winning classic ‘Bridge on the River Kwai.' Movie lovers can visit the place to enjoy the original location where the movie was shot. Kitulgala sits prettily among the low waving hills carpeted by lush vegetation. Organisers of Whit Water Rafting segregate the Kelani east of Kitulgala into three sections. Most of the adventure seekers take the scenic middle section, which consists of 10 level two, and level three rapids, which are seperated by tranquil water. The upper section is most challenging. Between rapids number of calm stretches is few. Only experienced groups take this section. On the contrary, the lower section is calm enough for the uninitiated to introduce themselves to white water rafting. The movie ‘Bridge on River Kwai’ was shot in Kitulgala in its entirity. Impressed by attributes of Kitulgala film director David Lean picked up Kutulgala as the location for bridge construction and destruction scenes. One can stroll down to the place where the movie was shot.