Set beside the fast-moving Kelani River in the wet-zone foothills, Kitulgala delivers some of Sri Lanka’s best white-water rafting conditions alongside exceptional lowland rainforest birdwatching in the same location. The Grade 3 and 4 rapids through the forested gorge are exhilarating without being extreme; the forest flanking the river is among the finest lowland endemic bird sites outside Sinharaja. The filming location for The Bridge on the River Kwai adds a note of cinematic history to what is already an excellent adventure day.